Defining the Year Ahead
With any new year, we often carve out time to reflect and reset. Here at FTG we are no different. It’s imperative that we take time to evaluate what we are doing, how we’re communicating, and the ways in which we invite others into this work. Some years, it’s an inspiring exercise with lots to celebrate, while other years it feels that more needs tweaking or fixing or redoing than not. Both are valuable; both are needed.
Greg Arthur, our co-leader and Director of Strategic Development, often reminds us of the necessity of naming things – without naming things clearly and directly, we are at risk of misunderstanding each other, of having unspoken expectations, of not acknowledging what’s right in front of us. Naming and identifying is vital.
As we began this practice in 2023, we realized it may be time to not only name and identify, but go one step further and define. Defining provides clarity, it ensures we are all on the same page. In my own life, I have found that when I take the time to look up a definition, I learn something. Perhaps I’ve been using a term slightly differently than what it actually means. Maybe I learn a whole new aspect of what a word encompasses.
So join us this year as we identify and define important terms and phrases in this work. Phrases like “human trafficking” and “trauma-informed” have become so widely used, let’s make sure we know what they really mean on a practical level from actual experts in the field. Words like “survivor” and “reintegration” and even “impact” mean different things to different people – these are words we use often at FTG and it’s worth defining what we mean when we say these things. “Future” and “freedom” are deeply personal ideas and we will never define those for women in our program. We ask regularly for the women to define terms for us, but we want to include you in the process this year. And, lastly, you are just as important in these conversations. How do you define generosity, being a world-changer, your place in the global fight against human trafficking?
We aren’t 100% certain what we’ll learn this year. But we’re ready for it. I anticipate the need for refining some of the definitions we use internally and learning how you identify and define certain pieces of this massive social justice puzzle. So come along; you’re most welcome here.
