A fresh start.

The new year is beginning to make its way around the globe, from the International Dateline in the Pacific Ocean through Asia and over the Indian Ocean to the shores of Africa in just a few hours.

From there it will travel across this vast continent and on to America, where it is certain to be a momentous and fateful year of political decisions.

The elections in the United States are but one element in a disconcerting mix.

The headlines from everywhere seem to conspire to shake our confidence and undermine our hopes for a happy and peaceful 2008.

And yet the new year always brings with it the promise of a fresh start, a clean slate, resolutions and resolve.

May we all find the path to peace, humility and acceptance in service to others and our planet.

Happy New Year.

Grand Opening.

Last Friday I went to Nyabiheke Camp for the grand opening of the Nyabiheke Business Center, otherwise known as the market. This is quite a place--well constructed, centrally located, with room for 70 table stands, all of which are already assigned to vendors who participated in the construction of the building.

As the sign says, the market was built with the participation of the vendors, organized by a Market Committee. ARC provided the materials and labor to erect the basic structure of the building and the participating groups built the mud walls. This type of construction creates a comfortable and pleasant space in which to do business.

The Nyabiheke Camp market is becoming so large and popular that people from the local community are now coming up the long hill to the camp to buy and sell fruits, vegetables, oil, flour and other goods. This is a good thing for both the local population and the refugees as it expands commerce in all directions and helps everyone to become more prosperous.