Introduction
My first exposure to broad religious and cultural calendrical sensitivity occurred during my first career as a clergypers...
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I didn't even have to read the full article to know this is something we've probably all overlooked! Thanks for adding it.
I'm so here for this!
I've lost count of how many great conferences I've had to self-select out of because they overlap with a Saturday (Shabbat) or a Jewish holiday.
I understand scheduling can be tricky and I generally don't expect the world to revolve around my needs, but if I hear of a conference or event that went out of its way to accommodate a calendar conflict that automatically let's me know that's a conference yet values inclusivity.
If any conference organizers ever want someone to look over a schedule for conflicts with the Jewish calendar I'll be very happy to help!
Interesting article. I am always up for inclusivity and I find that the road for real true inclusion is still long.
I am not a rastaman nor even closely a reggae fan but i always like quoting Bob Marley's song War ( which quotes Haile Selassie )
Unfortunately, I don't really feel to agree with you when it comes to religious sensitivity because as you pointed out - I firmly believe that religion is indeed a personal choice.
That does not mean that I don't care about it - and I too find that if an organizer chooses a specific date over another that could indeed be an act of cultural - religious supremacy over a minority.
Simply, I don't feel such an urge to defend this. Sorry. :-)
Nevertheless, trying to be kind and inclusive to anyone does no harm.
So if an organizer has the time and budget to do that, well good. but please don't feel offended.
By the way. could you please mention some cultural sensitivity examples beside religion?
Hey, thanks for your comment!
I love the quote from Bob Marley, and totally agree that "trying to be kind and inclusive to anyone does no harm," which is why I offered some practical tips in the post about how to be calendrically sensitive! :)
I do think it's interesting that just about every reasonable person agrees nowadays that gender, mobility, racial diversity are non-negotiable. That, as you know, was not the case for a long time, and is only recently such an obvious idea for lots of people.
However, we still have problems with thinking that people's lifestyle, regardless of how much of a choice it is or is not, should also be included in inclusion work. You could say that a diversity of ideas is exactly what makes us human! Respecting and being mindful of that diverse marketplace of ideas is actually respecting our humanity.
re: cultural calendar sensitivity -- absolutely! First of all, speaking personally, being Jewish is not only about religion. It is a cultural expression, an ethnic expression, and a national expression, all together, so special dates on the calendar are not only religious dates, but also cultural, ethnic and national. But, more broadly, we just passed Cinco de Mayo, which is an important cultural and national date for Mexicans worldwide.
Have a great day! :)