What is the Bahá’í Faith?, Established in the 19th century, the Baháʼí Faith teaches the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. Baháʼís regard the major religions as fundamentally unified in purpose, though varied in social practices and interpretations. The Baháʼí Faith stresses the unity of all people, explicitly rejecting racism and nationalism. At the heart of Baháʼí teachings is the goal of a …, What are this month's Bahá’í Holy Days?, There are four Bahá’í holy days this month. All holy days begin at sunset the first day and end at sundown the second day. Note that these holy days land on different days every year based on lunar calculations or the solar calendar starting with the Spring Equinox. These holy days will start at the end of October next year., Birth of the Bab (November 6-7) and Birth of Baha’u’llah (November 6-7), The Festivals of the Twin Birthdays or the Twin Holy Birthdays refers to two successive holy days in the Baháʼí calendar that celebrate the births of two central figures of the Baháʼí Faith. It is a joyous event that will begin with prayers and devotional readings and develop into some kind of festive social gathering either at home or in a place of worship. The festival is celebrated, in the…, Day of the Covenant (November 24-25), The Day of the Covenant is the day when Baháʼís celebrate the appointment of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá as the Centre of Baha'u'llah's Covenant. It occurs yearly on the 4th day of Speech (Qawl) which coincides with either November 25 or 26 depending on when Naw-Rúz (referred to as Nowruz by the United Nations) falls on that year. The day is one of two Baháʼí holy days where work does not need to be suspended., Ascension of Abdu’l-Baha (November 27-28), The Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is a holy day that commemorates the death of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. It is observed on 6 Qawl (27 or 28 November). Work is not suspended on this day as it is on some holy days. The typical observance consists of devotional readings and is held at 1:00 AM, as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá passed away about 1:00 AM on 28 November, 1921., What are the main teachings of the Bahá’í Faith?, The Baha’i teachings focus on the soul’s relationship with the eternal, unknowable essence of God, and recommend daily prayer and meditation to everyone. Baha’is believe that the human spirit lives eternally, and so endeavor to illumine their souls with spiritual attributes — kindness, generosity, integrity, truthfulness, humility, and selfless service to others. The Baha’i Faith provides the…, Why recognize religious holidays?, Our community is diverse in various ways, including in our religious identities. As the DEIA Collaborative expands our communications, we will cover all the aspects of our individual identities that make us diverse.
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What is Diwali?, Diwali is a major holiday that is celebrated around the world by millions of people. This five-day festival of lights is tied to many faiths, including Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism. While each faith carries its own significance and narrative, they all celebrate the victory of good over evil. Hindus celebrate the return of deities, Rama and Sita, to Ayodhya after their 14-year exile. It is…, How is Diwali Celebrated?, Thursday, November 4, 2021 marks day three of the five-day festivities. This is often the main day of festivities. It is the time when people perform acts of dana (charitable giving) and seva (selfless service), deep cleaning and decorating the home, performing religious ceremonies, stringing up lights, and reflecting on deeply-held values. In years past, team members coordinated a Diwali…, How can I get involved?, On Sunday, November 7, 2021 from 10:00 AM-4:00 PM celebrate the traditional fall Indian "Festival of Lights" with the India Society of Worcester on Worcester Art Museum’s (WAM) First Free Sunday! Diwali gets its name from the row (avali) of clay lamps (deepa) that Indians light outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects from spiritual darkness. Join the WAM for a full day of…, Have a Diwali event you would like to share? , Share the event on the Slack #inclusion channel.
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What is Native American Heritage Month?, The month is a time to celebrate the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories of Indigenous peoples. It is an opportunity for education and for action: to expand our knowledge of the history of Indigenous peoples in the United States beyond what is taught in current school curriculums; to amplify the voices of Native American peoples and share their past and current struggles; and…
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What is International Pronouns Day?, International Pronouns Day is held the third Wednesday of each October. The day seeks to make respecting, sharing, and educating about personal pronouns commonplace., Why is correct pronoun usage important?, Referring to people by the pronouns they determine for themselves is a way to show respect of their gender identity. Wrong pronoun usage primarily affects transgender and gender nonconforming communities and can stunt full acceptance of a person and their chosen identity. This lack of acceptance can cause a lot of harm in the communities in which it’s needed most. When you emphasize the correct…, Learn more about pronouns, Join us today in learning and educating others as to why sharing personal pronouns should be commonplace.
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AccessU will be a hybrid event with virtual attendees participating in onsite sessions through Zoom. The conference is looking for session proposals for the following learning tracks: Dev/Coding/Testing UX/Design Content/Documents Policy/Strategy Gaming/XR/AI More information can be found at the Call for Proposals page. To submit your proposal, complete AccessU 2022 Call for Proposals Google…
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued interim guidance for employers in response to the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19). In addition, the Baker Administration has issued guidelines for state employees on this matter. The purpose of the document is to provide UMass President’s Office employees with guidance that is consistent with these guidelines. This guidance…, Notification, Documentation and Return to Work, Employees who are absent from work because they meet one or more of the criteria above should follow their existing department notification process, and they should contact Jacquie Kittler, Director of Employee & Labor Relations, at jkittler@umassp.edu or at 774-455-7559. In addition, they should contact Jacquie Kittler to coordinate the terms of their return to work. Consistent with CDC…, Use of Paid Leave, Employees can use available paid leave (including sick, vacation and personal leave) if they are absent from work for one of the reasons above. Employees who do not have sufficient paid leave to cover their absence should contact Jacquie Kittler at jkittler@umassp.edu or 774-455-7559. If an employee is fit to perform work, but unable to report to work because they have self-quarantined from…, Work from Home, The President’s Office is exploring options to increase the number of employees who may work from home. At this time, existing work from home agreements should continue in their current form. However, supervisors should work with employees, who currently do not work from home, to develop work from home options that could be implemented in the event we need to expand the number of employees who…, Employees with Symptoms, If an employee is concerned that a co-worker may pose a health risk to others, please contact Jacquie Kittler at jkittler@umassp.edu or at 774-455-7559. We ask that any decision to send an employee home from work, or restrict an employee from the workplace, be made in conjunction with Human Resources on a case-by-case, fact-specific basis., Work Related Travel, All international and out-of-state University-related travel for President’s Office employees has been cancelled., Personal Travel, The President’s Office strongly discourages employees from traveling internationally at this time. Employees who choose to engage in personal travel should review the “Traveler’s Health Notices” that can be found at CDC Travel page . Employees should be advised that travel to certain locations may result in the need for the employee to self-quarantine upon his/her return in accordance with CDC…, Conference and Large Gatherings and In-Person Meetings, Employees may not attend external work-related conferences, seminars or events in person. Alternatively, employees are encouraged to participate remotely. Regular internal business shall continue. However, meeting organizers are encouraged to utilize alternatives like conference calls, Zoom, WebEx and other group communication tools. Additionally, employees may not host in-person meetings,…, Interviews for Employment, Interviews with candidates for employment should be conducted remotely or rescheduled., Employees with Increased Risk, Older adults and individuals with serious chronic medical conditions are at increased risk of becoming seriously ill should they contract COVID-19. Employees in these risk groups are encouraged to talk with their supervisors to review possible alternative work assignments which may include working from home. These employees may also contact Katie Temple, the Senior Benefits Generalist for the…, Bias in the workplace, Employees are reminded to be mindful of projecting their anxiety about COVID-19 onto people from specific races and ethnicities. Stigma directed towards any group regarding the virus is contrary to the facts and runs counter to the values of our University and is not to be tolerated., Additional information, Employees with specific questions regarding COVID-19, including its symptoms, spread, prevention and treatment can be found with the CDC and Massachusetts Department of Public Health at the links below. CDC Coronavirus (COVID-19) Page Information on the Outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to Jacquie…
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Event Information, Date and Time:, Wednesday, January 12, 4:00 p.m. Eastern A11yTalks presents “Fostering Inclusion in Technology: Ten Tips for a Better Sense of Belonging” with Nikki Flores, Certified ScrumMaster and Technical Project Manager. Those of us who work in technology know how to work with multifaceted and diverse teams to solve complex issues for our end users. Becoming stronger, more empathetic communicators who…, About A11y Talks, A monthly virtual meet-up featuring speakers & conversations around digital accessibility.
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Event Information, Date and Time:, Tuesday, January 11 at 7:00 pm.. A11yNYC presents, "Broke with Accessible Taste: Understanding the Economics of Digital Access in US" with Crystal Preston-Watson (Senior Digital Accessibility Analyst at Salesforce). Conversations about digital accessibility are predominantly centered on the technical and monetary expenses of implementation in products and applications. Missing from these…, Presenter Bio, Crystal Preston-Watson is an Accessibility and Quality Engineer based in Denver, Colorado. She is the Senior Digital Accessibility Analyst at Salesforce. Crystal believes that accessibility is a civil and human right and is dedicated to making innovative, inclusive, and accessible applications for everyone.
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About Native American Heritage Month, November is a month to celebrate the culture, traditions and contributions of Native Nations. It is also an opportune time to become more educated about the tribes of Native People and their individuality, and to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges Native People have faced both historically and in the present., Did you know..., There are 574 federally recognized Native Nations. There are two federally recognized tribes in Massachusetts: the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribes. There is also one state recognized tribe in Massachusetts: the Nipmuc Nation. Each tribe has its own constitution, laws, elections, and infrastructure. The federal government recognizes tribe sovereignty through…, National Day of Mourning and What It Means to Native Nations, The National Day of Mourning is held the same day as Thanksgiving each year to honor the ancestors of Native People and acknowledge their modern-day struggles. Many Native People view Thanksgiving as a reminder of the loss of their people and lands as well as the condemnation of their culture. It’s important to note that Native People do not have an issue with Thanksgiving as a holiday; rather…, Ways to Recognize National Day of Mourning, The United American Indians of New England (UAINE) has identified 7 ways you can stand in solidarity with UAINE and the National Day of Mourning if you are unable to attend the live event: Watch the National Day of Mourning livestream from Plymouth. Help to spread the word about National Day of Mourning on social media. Donate to UAINE if you can. Use Thanksgiving as a ‘teachable moment’ and…, Additional Resources and an Upcoming Event Forthcoming, A Native American Heritage Month and National Day of Mourning sub-committee has been formed this year. We are planning an event for early December to give employees an open space to talk about everything you’ve learned and any questions you might have. We will be following up in future communications with more resources and information to continue to raise awareness.
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Veteran’s Day 2022 will be observed on Friday, November 11. In recognition of this important day, the UMass President’s Office DEIA Team will host a speaker program on Wednesday, November 9 at 12:00 p.m. Our panelists are two distinguished Marine Corps veterans who have dedicated their careers to helping other veterans:, Thomas Lyons, is the founder of the South Boston Vietnam Memorial Committee, a non-profit organization that erected one of the first community-based Vietnam Memorials in the country. He is the former Executive Director of the New England Home for Homeless Veterans and is a recipient of the UMass Boston Robert Quinn Award for Outstanding Community Leadership. Tom is a Marine Corp Veteran and served in Vietnam…, Patrick George, is the Director of Veterans’ Services for the Town of Watertown. He is also the president of the Massachusetts Veterans’ Services Officers Association, the state-wide organization of veterans’ services officers. Patrick is a Marine Corps Veteran and served from 2007-2012 on Marine Corps Base Hawaii. He served two deployments in Afghanistan. The panelists will discuss their own personal…
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