When did it become March already! And not just March, but almost halfway through March?? The year is rapidly flicking before my very eyes.

Just because christmas is over (sad I know) doesn’t mean that the early part of the year doesn’t have cause for celebration. Here are some excuses to celebrate.

1. Labour day. Aren’t you glad you live in Victoria?
2. International Women’s Day. That was yesterday, but many are still hosting events to celebrate.
3. Harmony Day.

I’m sure there are others. I for example am celebrating an upcoming trip OS and also the lack of boiling hot days this summer. But if you’re reading this from a school or a library then you’re possibly more interested in celebrating Harmony Day than my travels. Harmony Day (on the 21st of March this year) is the day when all Australians celebrate cultural diversity. We should do that every day, but it’s nice to have a reminder.

With the rapid passing of the year, you may have forgotten to organise a celebration at your school, but we’ve got plenty of speakers who can offer inspiring presentations on cultural diversity and inclusion any time in the week beginning the 19th of March. It’s a great chance to start discussions about cultural awareness, and ties in nicely to the Australian Curriculum (understanding our own heritage and our relationships with overseas neighbours). You might have heard of some of our speakers (namely Alice Pung and Najaf Mazari) whose texts appear on the VCE curriculum, but the following you may not know and Harmony Day (or shall we just call it Harmony Week?) would be a good chance to change that.

1. Maria Tumarkin
2. Neil Grant
3. Hanifa Deen
4. Amra Pajalic
5. Meme McDonald
6. Michael McGirr

You can read more on Harmony Day here or follow the links to find out more on any of the speakers mentioned. And until I get on a plane at least, I and the other lovely Booked Outers are here to answer questions or make a booking for you.