One of the questions I pondered with friends and family this holiday season was “how will this decade be remembered. What will the legacy of this decade be?” As this is something we only get to consider once every ten years it provoked some interesting discussion.

Among those I spoke to terrorism and technology – specifically wireless technology/ social networking, emerged as the top contenders for the defining phenomena of the decade which so recently ended.

Terrorism has greatly increased fear, hatred, divisiveness and conflict in our world. Rights, particularly human rights have been greatly affected and in many cases compromised, rescinded or disappeared outright. Technology, and particularly social media, facilitates relationship and connection. It creates a smaller and more cohesive world community. It is as if the events of this decade were simultaneously moving in two opposing directions.

I will never forget watching in horror as the twin towers fail. The first thing I said to my late husband was “the world as we know it has changed forever.” That cataclysmic event is what really shaped the decade for me. I grew up in a country of peace keepers. 9/11 changed that. For the first time in my life, my country, Canada, is at war. Canadian men and women, and most recently, a Canadian journalist, are dying in Afghanistan.

As someone committed to promoting peace and respectful relationships, this is a very disheartening reality. I recently watched a documentary on HBO about the “business of war”. Beyond those individuals that join the armed forces there are those who are hired to make war. One of these mercenaries made a comment that was both shocking and chilling. “War is a game. It is the ultimate game. Nothing can touch it.”

It is hard to remain optimistic in the face of some of the realities that this last decade has produced. It is hard to believe that we are moving to promote a better world for all of us. However, there is an old saying – it is always darkest before the dawn. As the new decade begins, I choose to believe in the possibility for positive change. I choose to tenaciously cling to my vision of a world where respect for all becomes the norm. I simply refuse to give up hope.

What about you?