Welcoming a new year

Christine Campbell

Quit smoking;  get in shape; get out of debt; organize your life. The promise of the New Year brings hope of new successes, but it can also bring the pressure of a daunting laundry list of self-improvement standards. All too often we throw up our hands in frustration and abandon our resolutions before we make it to February. 

I think we need a different approach. To start the New Year off on the right foot, we need to spend more time celebrating our achievements and reflecting on the challenges we overcame, and putting the knowledge we acquired to use. 

Year in and year out Crossroads International keeps working on the same resolution, and we are not discouraged. We aim to reduce poverty in some of the poorest parts of the world, and support women in attaining equal rights. It's a tall order, and it will not be achieved in a single year, but it’s a resolution that we’ll never abandon. We don't expect to close the book on poverty or women's rights in 2014, but we do know that we can make important strides towards these goals. 

This year holds a lot of promise for Crossroads and our partners. This month another shipment of fair trade coffee will arrive in Canada from a cooperative supported by one of our partners in Bolivia.  In Ghana, we will double the reach of the Access to Justice project which helps women realize their human rights.  And we’ll be launching 20 more girls empowerment clubs in Swaziland. Why don’t you choose a resolution this year that will survive long after January is through?  Support us in meeting our New Year’s resolutions and we’ll guarantee that you’ll be keeping this one all year long. 

Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year, 

Christine Campbell, acting Executive Director