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What is Global Diversity Awareness Month?
October marks Global Diversity Awareness Month, a time to honor the vast spectrum of human identities and cultures around the world. This month is rooted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which the United Nations General Assembly adopted in 1948.
For remote and hybrid teams, it’s an opportunity to learn, share, and connect over the unique perspectives that each human being brings to the table. Celebrating diversity fosters empathy, encourages collaboration, and strengthens team bonds, so start planning your team building activities today!
Here are ten ways to celebrate cultural diversity and make a meaningful impact this month:
1. Create a diverse digital resource library 📚
Build a digital resource library filled with articles, videos, podcasts, and other content related to global diversity. Make this library accessible to all team members via a shared drive or collaboration platform, and encourage its ongoing use for personal and professional development.
Regularly update the library with new resources to keep the content fresh and relevant. This initiative supports continuous learning and reinforces your team’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
2. Online Diversity and Inclusion workshops 👥
Host interactive workshops focusing on global diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). These sessions could cover topics like unconscious cultural biases, DEI conversations at work, the importance of allyship and inclusive language, and more.
Utilize breakout rooms for smaller group discussions and activities, which help foster more intimate conversations and ensure everyone's voices are heard.
Encouraging participation and valuing diverse perspectives during these sessions can help create a more inclusive environment where every team member feels respected and understood.
How to get started 👉 Take a Diversity & Inclusion workshop with Confetti! Teams will leave with a renewed understanding of DEI fundamentals and actionable steps to promote diversity both in and out of the workplace.
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3. Virtual cultural potluck 🍽️
Embrace diversity with a virtual cultural potluck, where each member shares a recipe and story from their cultural background. Encourage participants to cook their dishes beforehand and share photos or videos of the process. This creates an opportunity to discuss the cultural significance of each dish, share personal stories, and connect over the universal experience of food.
Promote an open discussion where everyone can ask questions and learn more about different traditions. This event is not only fun and interactive but also provides a way for your team to explore and appreciate each other’s cultural heritage.
Ask everyone to send in the recipes they chose to create a cookbook that showcases the global expression of your diverse teams.
4. Question of the Day ❓
Introduce a "Global Question of the Day" in your team's Slack channel to spark curiosity and cultural learning. Each day, post a trivia question related to different countries, traditions, languages, or global events.
This daily activity can include fun facts, lesser-known cultural practices, or significant historical events from around the world. It’s a simple way to promote continuous learning and engagement, making diversity and inclusion a part of your team's daily routine. Plus, it can inspire friendly competition, build camaraderie, and help team members discover new perspectives and knowledge.
How to get started 👉 Want to play a hosted game of trivia? Confetti has plenty of cultural trivia games to choose from, making them perfect for your Heritage Month celebrations all year long.
5. Start a film club 🍿
Here's an idea you can kick off during Global Diversity Awareness Month and continue year-round. Organize a virtual movie night featuring films from diverse cultures. Use streaming services with watch-party features or screen share capabilities to host the event.
After the screening, hold a team discussion to explore the film's themes, cultural insights, and relevance. This activity provides a platform for open conversation and helps team members gain a deeper understanding of different perspectives and experiences.
6. Start a cultural book club 🔖
Organize a virtual book club where team members read and discuss books by authors from diverse cultural backgrounds. Each month, select a book that explores different cultures, experiences, or perspectives ranging from fiction to memoirs, historical accounts, or social commentaries.
After reading, schedule a virtual discussion where participants can share their thoughts, insights, and reflections.
How to get started 👉 Read our blog on how to start an office book club!
7. Collaborate on a global playlist 🎵
Invite your team to collaborate on a global playlist by contributing songs that represent their cultural backgrounds or personal tastes. Use a platform like Spotify or YouTube to create a shared playlist where everyone can add their favorite tracks—whether it’s traditional music, contemporary hits, or songs that carry special cultural significance.
This not only introduces team members to new genres and artists but also serves as a way to connect through the universal language of music. Once complete, the playlist can be shared and enjoyed individually, or during virtual meetings and celebrations, adding a vibrant and diverse soundtrack to your team’s interactions.
8. Virtual Museum Tours 🖼️
Take your team on a virtual tour of some of the world's most renowned art and history exhibits. Confetti's Exploring Art tours highlight various cultural representations, such as AAPI Art, LGBTQIA+ Art, Hispanic & Latin American Art, Native American Art, Women in Art, Black Art, and more.
These tours provide a fantastic learning experience and are followed by a Q&A session, during which participants can ask questions and dive deeper into the art and cultures represented. It’s an enjoyable way to promote cultural awareness and appreciation as a team.
How to get started 👉 Book one of Confetti's Exploring Art tours today!
9. Language exchange Lunch and Learn 💬
Did you know human beings have created almost 7,000 languages? Set up a language exchange program by pairing team members from different cultural backgrounds to see how many are spoken in your office. Host a team Lunch and Learn and ask those who speak a second language to teach basic phrases or greetings in their language, fostering a lighthearted and educational exchange.
It’s a great way to celebrate cross-cultural understanding and linguistic diversity while enhancing team camaraderie.
How to get started 👉 Make it a Lunch Party! Confetti will send participants a meal voucher gift card so everyone can pick out their lunch for the day.
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10. Support global diversity through charity and volunteering 🤝
Highlight virtual volunteer opportunities with organizations that promote diversity and inclusion. Encourage team members to participate in these initiatives as a way to give back to the global community and if possible, give your team days or half days off for their volunteer efforts.
Ask your remote teams what organizations are important to them and align your fundraising efforts with those employee cares in mind. Fundraising and volunteering as a team not only supports important social initiatives but also fosters a sense of shared purpose and unity in the organization.
How to get started 👉 Read our blog on Corporate Social Responsibility for more tips on charitable team building!
Celebrate different cultures with Confetti 🌏
Celebrating Global Diversity Awareness Month offers a chance for remote and hybrid teams to connect, learn, and grow together in appreciation of the diverse perspectives that each person brings to the table. By embracing these activities, teams can foster an environment where all members feel valued and included, leading to a more globally aware and inclusive work culture.
Remember, the commitment to diversity and inclusion shouldn’t be limited to just one month – make it an ongoing effort with regular team building activities and meaningful conversations.
Ready to put some of these activities on your Diversity Calendar? Get in touch with Confetti to book your team building activity today!
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