With the New Year come resolutions. Someone once said, “To live is such a privilege, to love is such an art.” If I had a resolution or two, other than not to make resolutions, I think learning how to stay with the moment would be high on my list. Resonate. Reflect. Rest. Learning to live and to love. Now that’s resolve…Anytime of the year.

It seems the world is divided on the whole resolution thing: Some see them as an opportunity for a fresh start, a time to make a change; others see resolutions as a way to put things off until a later date or an easy excuse if they fail. The world seems divided on change too: It can happen versus it has too far gone to even try.

SoChange is on the “It can happen” side of the scale. Why? Because we see sustainable, positive change happening around us each and every day, by regular, average, engaged citizens like you. Individuals who see the world as a glass half full kind of place. Sure, there are problems, and some of these problems are pretty major, but there’s nothing to be gained by throwing our hands up and joining in the destruction. No, there is indeed a lot that can happen to make our world a better place. There are small, everyday changes each of us can make to help even the scales and turn our world around.

Worried about the water crisis? Turn off the taps while brushing your teeth. Only run full loads in your dishwasher and washing machine. Take timed showers. Don’t water your grass. Practice rain water harvesting.

Is it climate change that has you hot under the collar? Rely on carpools, public transit or your own energy to get you where you are going. Take small steps each day to help reduce your ecological footprint.

Tired of oppression the world over? Then let your voice be heard! Follow the lead of WEMC alumnus Ian Smilie and write an opinion piece or letter to the editor. Write your government representative at all levels. Sign a petition. Join a cause.

By simply following this blog you are acknowledging that our world needs help, and you are learning about how you can be a part of the change!

Ready to take action now? Join SoChange as we welcome Stephen Lewis and Panel to Redeemer University College January 22. “Global Health: Hope or Deterioration?” promises to be an engaging lecture on global health care, followed by a panel discussion about what can and is being done to make it better. Order your tickets today - they’re selling fast!

The New Year means new opportunities - what steps are you going to take to leave the world better than you found it this morning?

It’s hard to believe that we are in the middle of the holiday season. No snow on the ground. Carols rolling around in my head and we are already watching a few of the seasonal classics. The Grinch is without a doubt one of my favourites – he’s such a lovable villain. He kind of reminds me of Alan Rickman in Die Hard. Ok, so maybe not that much of a villain.

SoChange has had such a busy year, filled with involvement in some amazing work. It’s hard to know where to begin a year end reflection. Long flights and plenty of time wandering through airports – a literacy project in Mongolia, capacity building in Thailand and health education in Cambodia. I watched others eat deep fried tarantulas and have stood on the edge of the Laos/Cambodia border –incredible people, stimulating conversations, and a number of great events. 2009 has seen SoChange effecting positive, sustainable change in partnerships around the world. We’re working with UNICEF and the Mosquitoes Suck Tour was launched. We have partnered with Make Poverty History on At the Table, a G8/20 major advocacy and awareness raising campaign for 2010. Watch for it – more details are coming soon.

Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t take the time to reflect on Why Everything Must Change (WEMC) 2009. This is a reflection I’ve wanted to post numerous times; however the latter part of this year was so busy I’ve found myself looking forward instead of back.

WEMC welcomed over 200 like-minded participants to discuss current issues of social justice and international development. The two day conference welcomed a wide-array of speakers, including, though not limited to, Paul Young, Baxter Kruger, Julia Moulden, Ian Smillie and Fatmire Feka. Greg Boyd, a keynote and breakout speaker at the event commented about his involvement in WEMC on his blog, saying “This was a marvellous conference…I felt honoured to be a part of this and came in contact with some amazing people and engaged in some marvellous ministries that confront justice.”

At the close of the weekend, participants and speakers shared stories of feeling challenged and compelled to live lives that would create positive, sustainable change. And while the door of WEMC 2009 was closed, the doors for WEMC 2010 in Hong Kong and 2011 in Nigeria and Vancouver have been opened. Ychange Global has been born. Stay tuned: Things are building. It seems the world is ready to stop complaining about our current state, and that global citizens desire to be encouraged, empowered and equipped to become agents of change.

With all this talk about change and active engagement, I have to ask – what’s next for you? Perhaps it’s walking versus driving, drinking fair trade coffee, or even giving up bottled water. Consider the impact a firm, resonant hand shake might have at your next meeting. Simple words of encouragement can go a long way.

Heading into the close of the year, then, I challenge each of you to think about what you can do. Sometimes it really is the little things. Consider the possibilities.

Consider a line of dominoes. When one tile is removed from the line, the chain is broken. The momentum grinds to a halt. One minor adjustment to the line results in a major change. Individual acts do matter.

Whether we acknowledge it or not, we are agents of change. What we do affects the environment and others around us. Like giants walking through a miniature town, we are often too oblivious to the effects of our actions. Each one of us can have a profound, positive effect on the world.

In accepting that individual choices make a difference, we begin to see that we cannot be satisfied with the status quo. While it is true that without darkness you can’t even begin to understand the light, many countries in our world are still sheathed in unbearable darkness. Infrastructure matters. Our actions matter.

But the road to social change remains the road less traveled. Too often wealth, status and celebrity subvert a socially just and relevant heart. In the Pensees Pascal wrote: “Man’s sensitivity to the littlest things and insensitivity to the greatest things are marks of a very strange disorder.” Has darkness triumphed because we have a distorted focus, one that centres on our own success and getting there regardless of the costs to others? Are we walking the road less travelled, or are we merely traveling the road less and less?

Change is imminent. Change is on the horizon. We are the dominoes. We are falling gracefully, and we must trust in a long line of historical renewal that will not leave others behind.  

At SoChange, we consider ourselves active policy advocates; for this reason, we’re looking forward to the 2010 G8 Summit in Huntsville, Ontario with great anticipation.  The June 25-27 conference will bring the world’s most powerful leaders to the collective doorstep of Canadians, and presents a unique opportunity for us to express our views regarding issues of human rights and international development.  The folks at davezak.com are equally interested in helping Canadians make their voice heard next year in Huntsville - check out the following clip, which is the first of a series of upcoming vidblogs, for some info on the preparations for the conference.

The story of malaria is, at first glance, a depressing one.  Statistics such as “over one million deaths yearly” and “fourth leading cause of death for children in developing countries” can have the effect of making one feel - at best - unsure of where to start in tackling the problem.  At worst, such staggering figures threaten to mire us in discouragement and helplessness.  

Look into the issue a little more closely, however, and you’ll discover the good news: malaria is easily preventable.  Organizations such as UNICEF have discovered that by supplying individuals in malaria zones with $10 mosquito nets, their chances of contracting the disease  are drastically reduced.  With Mosquitoes Suck: The Tour, SoChange is allowing high schools around Ontario to participate in UNICEF’s malaria-prevention program.

For more information on how to get your school involved, visit  www.dontbiteme.ca!

It’s easy to think and talk about the need for change.  After all, it’s necessity is clear - one only needs to glance at a newspaper or walk down an inner-city street to realize that the status quo simply isn’t going to cut it.  The slightly more challenging step, as we all know, is acting upon that initial conviction.  Why Everything Must Change (WEMC) 2009 is a conference that aims to help you take the seeds of change that you possess - dissatisfaction with the norm - and grow them into the tangible initiative that our world needs.

“How is another social justice conference going to help transform mere good intentions into action?”  This is a question that may immediately come to mind, and astutely so.  At SoChange, we believe that for all of the wonderful ideas that exist, there is very little awareness of the underlying societal problems that prevent them from blossoming into true change.  By bringing together experts from fields as diverse as religion, psychology, and political science, WEMC hopes to help participants understand just how much our society needs to evolve if things such as environmental justice and social equality are to be achieved.  In addition, towards the end of the conference, attendees will be given opportunities to share their dynamic ideas with other individuals who are motivated to make a difference.

Overall, if you’re idealistic, community-oriented, and discontent with the way things are, then WEMC 2009 is a conference you won’t want to miss.  Keep checking out out www.ychange.ca for details on this fall’s event - we hope to see you there!

Who: Wide range of speakers, including Paul Young, author of NYT bestseller The Shack, and Greg Boyd, acclaimed theologian and author of Letters from a Skeptic

When: October 23-24, 2009

Where: The Meeting House, Oakville, Ontario map