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Harmony Day 2012

H is for Harmony Day

Have you ever enjoyed a beautiful piece of music? What makes it beautiful, soothing or exciting to the senses? The fact that all the notes are in harmony, of course! The same goes for mankind, if everyone was in harmony with each other imagine what a beautiful world we would live in. Harmony Day, which falls on 21^st March, is a gentle reminder that ‘Everyone Belongs’. Yes, everyone belongs to this world irrespective of race, creed, religion, colour, region etc. This learning starts very young. Little children should be taught what it means to be accepting of others because they are the hope for the future. Here are some tips on how you can make this Harmony Day a learning experience.

1. Discussing acceptance: Very young children might find it hard to understand what acceptance means. But take this opportunity to explain the concepts to them by using simple questions and definitions. For instance, ask your early learning class how they feel if someone doesn’t like the colour of their hair?
2. Introduce the theme: The theme for 2012 is Sports. Introduce this theme to your class by asking them what types of sports are played in the countries they come from. Discuss sports that are common to countries, for example cricket is the main sport in parts of Asia, England and Australia. Identify sports that are different. Encourage them to choose a sport that may be new or unfamiliar and learn how to play it.
3. Harmony Day card: Create Harmony Day cards using cultural motifs from around the world. For instance, the motif for Australia may be Kangaroo, for India it may be a Tiger.
4. Sing songs: Resources like Whole World Mini Book and CD are great to get your children singing different songs from around the world. Or try Putumayo's Sesame Street CD which is sung in 12 different languages including Rubber Duckie in Chinese!
5. Play dress up: On Harmony Day, ask your children to wear a dress native to their culture or bring any one cultural object that is meaningful to them from home.
6. Exploration: Use a world map to explore the different parts of the world. Ask them questions like: What do you think people in Japan eat? Why do people in the Middle East wear a headdress? Alternately, you can use "We are One" exploration cards and "We are the One book" to explore concepts such as "Unity, Harmony, Self Acceptance, Creativity,” etc.

 The path to a world without conflict and barriers lies in the hands of our children. Teaching them to be accepting, tolerant, fair and respectful towards other cultures will make a big difference. But that doesn’t mean it is only the children who have to do the learning, if you’re one of the big people here are some tips for you:

1. Plan a multicultural food day at work: Get your colleagues to bring in a food unique to their culture. Don’t be afraid to experiment; instead make a whole-hearted effort to enjoy different cuisines.
2. Play Secret Santa: Yes, you can play this game on Harmony Day too. Just remember to choose gifts that are culturally significant to the person you will be giving gifts to.
3. Spread the awareness: Start a campaign in the office to spread awareness. You can do this by creating meaningful posters.

 This Harmony Day only your imagination is the limit to make sure everyone feels like they belong. Happy Harmony Day!