B B C A D & I C o m m i t t e e D&I MONTHLY V o l 1 I s s u e 2 J u l y 2 0 2 0 D a t e s 7/1: Canada Day

7/4: Liberation Day in Rwanda

7/4 : Independence Day

7/5 : Dharma Day

7/9 : Martyrdom of Báb

F e a t u r e d t h i s M o n t h 7/18: Nelson Mandela International day Nelson Mandela International Day Liberation Day in International Day of Friendship 7/26 : Disability Rwanda On July 18, we invite you The UN wanted to involve Independence Day young people, as future OC's Sheryl Miller shares to mark Nelson Mandela leaders, in community her experience living in International Day by activities that include 7/30: International Day Rwanda and celebrating making a difference in different cultures and of Friendship Liberation Day in Rwanda your communities. promote international firsthand. understanding and respect for diversity. 7/30 : Tisha B’av

More on page 3. More on page 4. More on page 5. 7/31 - 8/3 : Eid Al-Adha I n d e p e n d e n c e D a y

When the initial battles in the Revolutionary War broke out in April 1775, few colonists desired complete independence from Great Britain,

On July 2nd, 1776, the Congress had voted in favor of independence from Great Britain, but did not actually complete the process of revising the Declaration of Independence, originally drafted by Thomas Jefferson in consultation with fellow committee members John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and William Livingston, until two days later. More info here. A reading of the Declaration of Independence linked here. Virtual Engagement: SF 4th of July Celebration link here Fresno 4th of July Celebration link here LA 4th of July Celebration link here CANADA DAY

Canada day, originally called Dominion Day, was formed by the British Parliament on July 1, 1867 via the British North America Act (now known as the Constitution Act). The Act merged New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec.

In 1868, Governor General Lord Monck signed a proclamation calling on Canadians to celebrate its formation. But it wasn't until 1879 that the federal government first recognized Dominion Day. Over time, Canada gradually became independent from Britain, and Dominion Day was officially changed to Canada Day in Virtual Engagement: 1982. SF Canada Day Celebration link here More info here LA Canada Day Celebration link here Government of Canada Virtual Show link here

DHARMA DAY Dharma Day, also known as Asalha Puja, falls on the first full moon of the 8th lunar month and celebrates the day in which Buddha began teaching. It’s a holiday that celebrated by Buddhists all over the world. The word Dharma can be translated as meaning truth and is one of the terms used when describing a path to enlightenment. Buddha’s first sermon was “Turning of the Wheel of the Dharma.” After Buddha gave his first ever speech, he built the first order of Buddhist monks. This is considered to be the day when Buddhism began in northern India at around 6th century BC, almost 2500 years ago. More info here.

MARTYRDOM OF BÁB This major holy day in the Bahá'í faith is celebrated on the 9th of July at noon and commemorates the events surrounding the death of the Báb in 1850.The Báb (a title meaning 'the Gate') had many followers but his beliefs did not meet with approval from the leaders of the state religion in Persia, and they decided he should be taken from prison and put to death.

The Báb's followers rescued his bodies, and years later, the remains were buried on Mount Carmel in Israel, in a shrine that is now a place of pilgrimage for Bahá'ís worldwide. To commemorate this day, Bahá'ís read special prayers at noon, which is the time the execution was scheduled for. This is also a day of rest, when Bahá'ís should not work. More info here

J u l y 2 0 2 0 I s s u e 0 2 LIBERATION DAY IN RWANDA By: Sheryl Miller

After graduating college, I had the privilege of living in Kigali, Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills. I bought a one-way ticket to Kigali not quite sure what would be in store for me when I arrived. It was a new culture that was different from what I was accustomed to in America, but I quickly found solace and great joy in my new way of life and the friends I had made. From one's first impression, you would have never known that (at the time) just 20 years ago, the country had seen its bloodiest days. From April 7 - July 4, 1994, the country experienced a civil war like no other with a genocide against the Tutsis. (About 85% of Rwandans are Hutus, but the Tutsi minority has long dominated the country. When the Belgians colonized Rwanda, they classified the people into three groups: Tutsi, Hutu, and Twa. The Belgians often favored the Tutsis for administrative duties and actively discriminated against the Hutus.) Racial tensions had long existed before the 100 days of slaughter that killed upward of 1,000,000 people.

During my time in Rwanda, I was able to attend their “kwibuka” 20. “Kwibuka” means “to remember” and describes the annual commemoration of the 1994 genocide. The ceremony took place in the capital’s football stadium. It would have been every team’s dream to see the packed stadium with more gathering outside on the grounds. Unfortunately, those numbers reflected the thousands out of millions of people who were affected by the genocide.

During the commemoration, there were shrieks echoing throughout the stadium. People collapsing into hysterics and into an inconsolable state, having to be carried out of the stadium for treatment. It was very much a sign of the country’s wounds that had not healed.

The genocide is often not talked about outside the home or outside of those days of mourning.

Now, it is illegal to talk about ethnicity. I will never know that pain nor pretend that I do, but I have learned and come to understand it through education and humbling moments of shared stories of those harrowing days. As we approach Rwanda's Liberation Day, July 4th, I ask that you too take the time for “kwibuka” in honor of those lives that were lost and those that had to carry on.

To learn more about Rwanda’s history, check out We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families by Phillip Gourevitch, Shake Hands with the Devil by Roméo Dallaire, or the major motion picture Hotel Rwanda.

Resources: Article: In Rwanda, July 4th Isn't Independence Day --It's Liberation Day link here. Book: Left to Tell by Imaculee Ilibagiza - about a woman who had to hide during the genocide

J u l y 2 0 2 0 I s s u e 0 2 Nelson Mandela International Day

In recognition of the former South African President’s contribution to the culture of peace and freedom, the UN General Assembly declares July 18th "Nelson Mandela International Day".

Today recognizes Mandela’s values and his dedication to the service of humanity in: conflict resolution; race relations; promotion and protection of human rights; reconciliation; gender equality and the rights of children and other vulnerable groups; the fight against poverty; the promotion of social justice. The resolution acknowledges his contribution to the struggle for democracy internationally and the promotion of a culture of peace throughout the world.

Nelson Mandela devoted his life to the service of humanity — as a human rights lawyer, a prisoner of conscience, an international peacemaker and the first democratically elected president of a free South Africa.

On July 18th, we invite you to mark Nelson Mandela International Day by making a difference in your communities. Everyone has the ability and the responsibility to change the world for the better! Mandela Day is an occasion for all to take action and inspire change.

More info here

Disability Independence Day

National Disability Independence Day on July 26th commemorates the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26th, 1990. The ADA is one of America's most comprehensive pieces of civil rights legislation that prohibits discrimination and guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to participate in the mainstream of American life -- to enjoy employment opportunities, to purchase goods and services, and to participate in State and local government programs and services.

As we’ve all identified among our team and with our participants the importance of being politically informed and engaged, here is a blog post from the ADA anniversary website about voting accessibility! A very timely resource and a chance to take this day to educate yourself and your participants/students on their rights as voters. More info here. Resources: Read more on Voting Accessibility for individuals with IDD here. Listen to ADA Live Podcast - streaming July 1 at 1 pm EST link here.

J u l y 2 0 2 0 I s s u e 0 2 International Day of Friendship

In 2011, the UN proclaimed the International Day of Friendship with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, and cultures can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities. The UN wanted for the day to involve young people, as future leaders, in community activities that include different cultures and promote international understanding and respect for diversity.

This is an international holiday promoted by the UN to spread kindness and respect, especially among students. Their #EndViolence, Spread Kindness campaign is due to the fact that “Worldwide, some 150 million students, half of all students 13 to 15 years of age, report having experienced peer-to-peer violence in and around schools.”

More info here

Tisha B’av

Tisha B’Av is the major day of communal mourning in the Jewish calendar. Although a large number of disasters are said to have befallen the Jews on this day, the major commemoration is of the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem in 586 B.C.E. and 70 C.E., respectively. Central to the observance of this day is fasting.

A three week period of low-level mourning leads up to the holiday of Tisha B’Av; the three weeks commemorate the final siege of Jerusalem that led to the Second Temple’s destruction in 70 C.E. During this period it is traditional to refrain from public celebrations, such as weddings, and many traditional men refrain from shaving, reflecting their practice during personal mourning periods. The last nine days of these three weeks culminating in Tisha B’Av are an even deeper period of mourning, during which traditional Jews avoid eating meat; some who did not previously take on certain aspects of mourning, such as refraining from shaving, will assume these signs of mourning during these nine days.

More info here

Eid Al-Adha

Eid al-Adha marks the culmination of the Hajj (pilgrimage) rites at Minā, Saudi Arabia, near Mecca, but is celebrated by Muslims throughout the world. As with Eid al-Fitr, it is distinguished by the performance of communal prayer (ṣalāt) at daybreak on its first day. It begins on the 10th of Dhū al- Ḥijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar, and continues for an additional three days (though the Muslim use of a lunar calendar means that it may occur during any season of the year). This festival commemorates the ransom with a ram of the biblical patriarch Ibrāhīm’s (Abraham’s) son Ismāʿīl (Ishmael) —rather than Isaac, as in Judeo-Christian tradition.

J u l y 2 0 2 0 More info here I s s u e 0 2