“So this is Christmas
And what have you done?
Another year over
And a new one just begun.”
John Lennon’s words of more than 51 years ago enjoy continuing resonance as the new millennium gathers pace – but it will be historians that will decide if the first near quarter has overseen progress or regress.
2022. Another year donated to history’s haul, another year of discarded diary entries. Another year over and what have you done? Well, quite a lot judging by the monthly testimonials of your projects and inputs in our magazines. These efforts and successes have been achieved against a multi-layered background of negative forces: the aftershocks of Brexit; the slow emergence from the darkness and deprivations of Covid into an uncertain light; the cataclysmic repercussions of the war in the East of Europe; the accumulative effects on energy and food security and supply; the crippling effects of soaring inflation and the attendant surges in the cost of living.
And you have soldiered on in the face of different diversities trying to fill the gaps left by partial public policies, and often in the face of indifference and ignorance. The largesse of your donors is a great boon, but it would pall if it were not for your individual and collective drive and determination. Current global circumstances will inevitably impact on the implementation/delivery of your projects but you continue to find ways to circumnavigate these obstructions.
And all the time, and one of the most impressive facets of your work, is the continuing personalisation and humanisation of the recipients who benefit from your actions – there is no place in your narratives for us and them. We are all one.
“And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young.”
The European Year of Youth starts to dismantle its props from the stage now and will be followed by analyses, reviews and – hopefully – follow-up actions. It is customary at the end of each year, personally and professionally, to take stock, look back, look forward and make projections and promises. Despite all the year’s drawbacks it has been a very busy year under the ‘youth’ umbrella. There have been lots of activities; but unless those activities combine and coalesce into meaningful collective actions a lot of honest endeavour will be wasted. Pushing first, and then pulling, the next stage in this evolution should be advocacy while we are all moving towards the 2023 – Year of the Skills and Competencies. This is the proper pathway, that ensures also that events are not stand-alone, once-off happenings but develop into processes that will eventually allow the launching projects be contributors to policies.
“A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let’s hope it’s a good one
Without any fear.
And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The world is so wrong.
And so happy Christmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones
Let’s stop all the fight”
“War is over
If you want it
War is over
Now”
Not yet, John, not yet. Soon? Insha’Allah; Please God.
On a more personal note, many thanks to all the readers for your patience and understanding. It’s been quite a while since we’ve had an opportunity to meet up. Maybe 2023 will offer that chance to go ‘live’ again and not to be spent hiding behind Zoom exchanges. As the director will also, undoubtedly say, thank you for your selflessness, for your tirelessness, for your stubbornness in being there for the less fortunate. And thank you for providing me with fodder, through your projects and stories, for these monthly articles. Here’s hoping for further progress, new openings and the broadening of our family of readers.
A happy and healthy new year to all.
