India is the land of colors and festivals. One can find color in everything ranging from food to attire to architecture. So much so, that the country has a festival of colors too – Holi.

Some light up a bonfire one day prior to celebrate the victory of good over evil.

Others prepare Holi specific delicacies.

People laugh, rejoice, spread joy and forgive.

And at the end of the day, almost everyone ends up colored.

Holi. My favorite festival.

Maybe because of the laid-back vibes it exudes. One does not need to dress up, if they do not want to.  No elaborate setups are required. People get together to simply celebrate life. It is the festival of happiness. One that strengthens our belief in the victory of good over evil. One that is celebrated by all, regardless of religion, region, caste or creed. So much so, that it is no longer considered as a Hindu festival, rather – an Indian festival.

Playing with colors has always fascinated me. It still does. It brings out my inner child. It makes me remember the times we used to chase our friends, holding water balloons in our hands (oh, we hit them sometimes, too!). The celebrations used to start almost a month in advance. It was the time for family get-togethers and carnivals in school. Today, while the family meet-up ritual remains unchanged, the school carnival has been replaced by office celebrations. No, I am not complaining.

Not at all.

That is because, for me, Holi celebrations at FleishmanHillard are an extension of celebration with family. The way all of us bring our cultures together during festivals is heartwarming. It never ceases to amaze me how each one of us has a different way of celebrating the same festival. Some people follow the traditional ritual of Holika Dahan. According to Hindu mythology, Holi is the celebration of the killing of Holika, an “Asura” (demon) by the God Vishnu in order to save Prahlad, one of his devotees, so people light up a bonfire one day prior to Holi. Others make special food items and delicacies like Gujiya (an Indian dessert much like doughnuts, except it’s shaped like a dumpling), Kanji (a drink made out of carrots) and Bhang (an edible mixture prepared from cannabis leaves or marijuana). In fact, Holi celebrations in India are considered incomplete without Bhang. As per ancient Hindu sacred scripture – Atharvaveda, the cannabis plant, is described as one of the five most sacred plants on Earth. It was referred to as a source of happiness and a liberator. Although consumption of certain parts of the cannabis plant such as Charas, Ganja, Hashish, etc. was prohibited in India from 1985 onwards, the leaves are an exception. That, I believe, is the beauty of India. Despite having different cultural beliefs, we are very open to adopt and adapt to each other’s rituals.

Apart from India, Holi celebrations are also observed in different parts of the world such as Dubai, the UK, Spain and elsewhere, where much like India, the way of celebration, influenced by local traditions, differs from individual to individual. However, what remains the same is the playful vibe, the celebration of co-existence and life in its entirety.

So, this Holi, I wish you are able to embrace everything that life has to offer. And while at it, splash some colors and have fun!

Gauri Khanna is a senior account executive based in our New Delhi office. She works with the consumer team and supports the FleishmanHillard Brand Marketing practice from the region.

Young people are hungry for success but often can’t find the opportunities they need to help them get there – this is the challenge Junior Achievement aims to address. And through our FH4Inclusion program in Charlotte, we aim to support.

Junior Achievement of Central Carolinas impacts nearly 6,000 students with hands-on curriculum programs surrounding preparation for the workforce, personal finance and entrepreneurship for K-12 students. It’s backed by the support of 5,000 annual volunteers and 350 corporate and community partners. While the organization seeks to serve all students across its 53-county service area, it puts a significant emphasis on supporting students who don’t have access to as many opportunities.

Today, mentors and volunteers are provided curriculum program kits based on the student’s grade level. These kits are originally purchased from the Junior Achievement headquarters and cost $120 to make and ship. To help offset these expenses, the local FleishmanHillard team volunteered to rebuild kits for students in first and second grade, repurposing the materials from old, returned kits, and rebuilding new kits from remaining materials for future student mentors. Our efforts saved the organization a total of $2,050 in kit costs that can now be allocated elsewhere for the benefit of local students.

“A child’s socio-economic status should never impact their ability to receive a quality education or learn about what the future has in store for them,” said Alex Portugal, a member of FleishmanHillard Charlotte’s Social and Innovation team. “So many children in the Charlotte community benefit from the work completed at Junior Achievement, and our helping hands truly support their mission.”

Our Charlotte team is excited to support Junior Achievement in its future endeavors, continuing to empower students and provide them with the tools they need to strive for success.

Katelyn Suiter supports our social and digital innovation team, and Elizabeth Comtois supports our media relations and corporate reputation groups. Both drive FleishmanHillard Diversity, Equity & Inclusion efforts in our North Carolina offices, with Katelyn sitting in Charlotte and Elizabeth sitting in Raleigh.

When I was little, Chinese New Year was my favorite time of the year. No school. Pretty new clothes. Late-night fireworks. Delicious snacks… My dad would dress the house with flashy red and gold decorations and my mum would cook us big meals with all the “auspicious dishes” like chicken and fish. It was always buzzy with greetings and visits with the relatives, and kids like me were usually most excited about the red packets, the “lucky money” in red envelopes, given by the elders.

It was not until I left home to study and work in different places that I realized Chinese New Year meant so much more. Being away from my family has made me appreciate this festival even more because it is the time for a reunion – like many others, on Chinese New Year’s Eve, I am anxious to hit the road to meet my family and join them for the once-in-a-year reunion dinner. During the feast, we celebrate the precious time of being together.

During the past eight years, I have found a lot of joy celebrating Chinese New Year here in Hong Kong, too. The FleishmanHillard and BlueCurrent family has been like a home away from home for me. The Hong Kong office has a good tradition of holding symbolic activities like the lion dance, giving Lai See (red packets in Cantonese), Hoi Nin Fan (lunch gathering to celebrate the start of the lunar new year), etc. I feel privileged to be working in an international company that respects the local culture and heritage where it operates.

It is also interesting to see how Chinese New Year is celebrated around the world. My husband, before moving to Hong Kong, used to BBQ in his T-shirt in Australia where Chinese New Year falls in Summer. My relatives in the U.S. go to China Town for Yum Cha. My Chinese friends in Europe make dumplings and have hotpot, sometimes followed by board games.

Rich in traditions with thousands of years of history, Chinese New Year, thanks to ever-changing technology, is honored in some modern ways, too. For those I cannot meet physically, now I can give them red packets in e-cash through WeChat, wish them well via video calls or simply create funky personalized short videos and stickers and send them around as greetings.

Wherever you are, whatever you do, Chinese New Year is all about being together with your loved ones and welcoming a fresh start with wishes for all the great things. To those who celebrate it, may the new year be filled with health, success and happiness! Kung Hei Fat Choy!

Cheryl Pan is an account director based in our BlueCurrent Hong Kong office.  

What can I do outside of my day-to-day work to fuel my ambition for social impact and inclusion? In my client work and through my involvement with FH4Inclusion, I felt like I was helping advance my clients’ purpose and the agency’s goal of making FleishmanHillard “the most inclusive global communications agency there is and nothing less.” But I was hungry to do more.

Only one-quarter of Americans take the time to volunteer, according to the latest survey results by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. And, according to the National Index of Nonprofit Board Practices, a number of nonprofits boards are looking for increased diversity, strategic thinking and a higher level of engagement in advocacy.

About a year ago, I met a like-minded social impact communicator who was part of the Net Impact San Francisco Chapter Leadership team (NISF) – an organization that strives to build and empower a network of professionals with the vision, connections and resources they need to drive positive social and environmental change. She knew about my interest and portfolio of work in social impact and inclusion and invited me to attend a couple networking and panel events organized by the chapter. After I attended a few events, I realized I wanted more from this experience and the timing was perfect. My contact reached out to me asking if I was interested in applying for a leadership position with the chapter.

For almost a year now, I’ve served on the Net Impact San Francisco Professional Chapter Leadership team. During my time, I’ve leveraged my client service, communications and public relations skills to create a community of impact professionals. I’ve also organized events and programs that connect people in the area, allowing them to use business as a force for positive impact. In particular, I look for ways to advance inclusion by ensuring that our programs cover a wide range of topics beyond the environment and sustainability; and strive to create a space where individuals of varying backgrounds, industries, levels of expertise and perspectives can collaborate and unfold creative solutions to drive social and environmental challenges.

Here are a few of my favorite things about being part of this board:

• No matter my age or experience, my perspective and hunger to make a difference are always welcome.
• By bringing my professional skills to the board, I can expand my impact.
• The opportunity to connect with passionate people who are leveraging their expertise to make a lasting impact in their backyard.
• Learning and continuing to expand my skills, such as managing a social media account for an organization and learning to create mutually beneficial partnerships.

There are many organizations around the world working to advance inclusion that are looking for board members. I encourage anyone who is interested to get involved, explore your passions and put your skills to use for good.

Maritza Rendon is a member of the Corporate Reputation and Social Impact teams in our San Francisco office and a global FH4Inclusion ambassador.