Though there are many pressing concerns facing us in Britain and globally at the start of a New Year, most issues seem to fall into the shade compared with the appalling and unimaginably large tragedy unfolding in Haiti after the earthquake - which we have naturally been following closely, as well as highlighting the various humanitarian appeals. 
 
Life and death matters haunt us in other places, too, as Vaughan Jones reminds us in responding robustly, Christianly and humanely to Lord Carey's anti-immigration stance through one of our three feature articles. Connections between migration, hospitality and faith are also picked up in our quotations of the week.
 
Our other features, meanwhile, look at political reform and voting systems in the UK, as well as the need for a better public debate about freedom of dress in the light of some disturbing recent developments.
 
In relation to research, we offer an Equality Bill briefing from Accord, the community schooling coalition of which Ekklesia is pleased to be a founder member, focussing on amendments to the Bill in relation to faith schools.
 
Thinking in Practice focuses on the wider change agenda through Power 2010, another alliance we are part of, which is promoting an imaginative exercise in 'deliberative democracy' in the run-up to this year's general election. You now have the opportunity to vote and take part in mobilising for political reform online.
 
Our highlighted event is the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, for which we offer both links to resources and access to discussions about what kind of unifying force the churches need to be in a fast-paced, conflicted, post-Christendom context.
 
There is a media round-up, as usual, and our special book choice this time is a title looking at different ways of facing up to terrorism and tyranny, drawing on Christian resources of nonviolence and alternative political practice. This is highly relevant given the banning of Islam4UK in Britain, and the response that has elicited.
 
All this illustrates that even in the darkest areas of life there are signs of hope. In that spirit, while acknowledging the terrible pain of so many in our world, we would like wish you and those you are linked to a fruitful and change-making 2010.