Dear Colleagues,
Growing up in a Caribbean Island in Venezuela, I lacked appreciation for the beauty of the seasonal changes. I took for granted the sunny days and the never-ending colors of the flowers around me, to the point that they became invisible in my daily life. When I moved to Iowa in 2010, it was a snowy January day. My life was transformed in many ways, yet one of the first things I learned was to appreciate the value of diversity in nature around me. Seeing the seasonal changes brought to me a new perspective about the world. It made me more observant, mindful, and aware of the beauty that surrounds us. Now, just as I did in 2010, during this time of the year I look forward to the excitement of spotting the signs of spring and with it the lovely reminder of how beautiful change can be.
It seems fitting that April, filled with the multiplicity of colors of the nascent spring, is the International Month of Celebrating Diversity. It is a time to recognize and understand our differences, while honoring the common essence of our shared humanity. This celebration addresses the growing multiculturalism taking place in a globalized world. Increasing our awareness of the religious holidays observed this month is a way to celebrate that diversity. Recently I appreciated a colleague who pointed out my own oversight during the observance of Ramadan—an opportunity for growth and learning. This diversity in our department enriches our understanding of different perspectives and enhances our cultural competencies, leading to more empathetic patient care and more innovative solutions to complex health issues.
Embracing diversity also includes recognizing the multiple dimensions of it, not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, and the visible characteristics that have been traditionally associated with the term, but spanning the spectrum of human experiences and identities, including ability, age, faith, socioeconomic background, geographic origin, specialty, our roles within the organization, and many more. With that in mind, the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Committee in the Department of Internal Medicine is evolving to become the Committee of Engagement and Belonging. This change reflects the insights gained from the comprehensive faculty survey, listening sessions, and qualitative analysis that we conducted last year. These activities highlighted engagement, communication, and culture as pivotal themes that our faculty identified as priorities. We want to focus on increasing engagement with the goal of nurturing a sense of belonging and collaboration across all divisions and missions within the department, creating a vibrant community that is united in purpose and action.
In our renewed commitment to fostering a more inclusive environment that not only resonates with our faculty but also extends to staff, advanced practice providers, trainees, patients, and community partners, we are seeking applications for new members. Anyone interested in being part of this committee is encouraged to apply here.
Celebration of Excellence and Achievement among Women
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Anti-racism (IDEAS) Learning Series
Upcoming IDEAS webinars are on a variety of inclusive topics, taking place from noon to 1:00 p.m. on April 2, 9, 22, and 30.
Trauma-informed leadership considers the effect trauma can have on communication and learning. Learn about the many ways that we can incorporate a trauma-informed approach in our work to create safe environments for all.
University of Iowa “Out of Darkness” campus walk
The Out of the Darkness Campus Walks are the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s (AFSP) signature student fundraising series, designed to engage youth and young adults in the fight to prevent suicide, a leading cause of death.
UI’s Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’s upcoming workshops
The University of Iowa offers multiple workshops, trainings, and certifications, available to all employees.
On May 3, this conference will be hosted at the Courtyard by Marriott across from Kinnick Stadium between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. CME credit will be available. See the flyer in the link for details.
April events, celebrations, and holidays
- National Arab American Heritage Month: National Arab American Heritage Month takes place in April. It celebrates the Arab American heritage and culture and pays tribute to the contributions of Arab Americans and Arabic-speaking Americans.
- National Alcohol Awareness Month: This month presents an opportunity to update your knowledge about alcohol use disorder (AUD) and the adverse impact of alcohol misuse on health and society.
- International Celebrating Diversity Month: This month was initiated in 2004 to recognize and honor the diversity surrounding us all. By celebrating differences and similarities during this month, organizers hope that people will gain a deeper understanding of each other.
- Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Month: This designation calls attention to the fact that sexual violence is widespread and impacts every person in the community, and aims to raise public awareness about sexual violence and educate communities on how to prevent it.
- UI Asian Pacific American Heritage Month: Although Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is celebrated nationwide in the month of May, at the University of Iowa it is celebrated in April. It pays tribute to the generations of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the US and their contributions around the world.
- April 2: World Autism Acceptance Day: World Autism Awareness Day is an internationally recognized day annually on April 2, encouraging Member States of the United Nations to take measures to raise awareness about autistic individuals throughout the world.
- April 3: Yazidi New Year (Yazidi): The Yazidi New Year is called Çarşema Sor or Çarşema Serê Nîsanê in Kurmanji. It falls in spring, on the first Wednesday of the April and Nîsan months in the Julian and Seleucid calendars.
- April 6: Laylat al-Qadr (Islam): The Night of Power, is, in Islamic belief, the night when Muslims believe the Quran was first sent down from heaven to the world and also the night when the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad; it is described as better than a thousand months of worshipping.
- April 7: World Health Day: World Health Day is one of 11 official global health campaigns marked by the World Health Organization (WHO). The theme for World Health Day 2024 is, “My health, my right.”
- April 9-10: Eid al-Fitr (Islam): Eid al-Fitr is the earlier of the two official holidays celebrated within Islam. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims worldwide because it marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan.
- April 10: International Day of Pink: A worldwide anti-bullying and anti-homophobia event held annually during the second week of April. Though similar to Pink Shirt Day in that it also seeks to end all bullying, the Day of Pink is more specifically aimed towards anti-LGBTQ+ bullying.
- April 20: UI PowWow: This event celebrates and honors Indigenous culture and tradition with the Iowa community. It will take place from 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Iowa City.
- April 19*-May 1: Ridvan (Bahá’í): A twelve-day festival in the Bahá’í Faith, commemorating Bahá’u’lláh’s declaration that he was a Manifestation of God.
- April 22: Earth Day: Earth Day is an annual event that demonstrates support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by EarthDay.org including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries. The official theme for 2024 is “Planet vs. Plastics.”
- April 22*-30: Passover (Judaism): Passover, also called Pesach, is a major Jewish holiday, one of the three pilgrimage festivals, that celebrates the Biblical story of the Israelites’ escape from slavery in Egypt.
- April 25: International Girls in ICT Day: International Girls in ICT Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in April to stress the importance of girls in Information and Communications Technology and encourage more girls and young women to pursue STEM education.
Note: All holidays marked with * begin the prior evening. This is not an exhaustive list of cultural events and holidays celebrated in this month.
Sources: UI Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; DiversityResources.com; Wikipedia; World Health Organization; NationalToday.com.