2006 has indeed been a momentous year for the CRN+ family. Reflecting on the past year, I am reminded of my remarks in the 2005 Annual Report where I indicated that 2006 would mark a significant milestone in the life of CRN+ - our 10 th Anniversary. But, although it has been an incredible year for us, our joy is bittersweet because, while there has been much to celebrate about our lives as people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS and the tremendous growth and development of our Network, in the midst of all the celebration there was also great loss.

Over the years we have lost many loved ones: members, friends, husbands, wives and children. This year, as we began preparations for the “Greatest Celebration of Living Positively” we lost three members whose unique spirit would have surely enhanced our festivities. In January, we were all stunned by the news of the passing of our long-time patron, Dr. Dorothy Blake. Then, while we were still coming to terms with her passing, we were even more shocked to learn of the deaths of our beloved Michael D. Fox (one of my dearest and closest friends), and Godfrey Sealy, actor, playwright and one of our longest standing members. Thus, our celebrations in October, at the place where it all began, were tempered with the sombre reality that as life in all its glory needs to be celebrated, with life comes death.

The following excerpt of a poem entitled “Forget Me Not,” written by a young Trinidadian poet, is dedicated to their fond memory:

“In your thoughts keep me always

For it is there that I shall touch you

It is there that my tongue and hands shall stay

To soothe and comfort you

As a picture fades, it becomes less treasured in the eyes of some

Thus the moment caught is washed out as sand with the tides

But in your mind shall I stay

An eternity shall I spend with thee

With each day being a monument

A treasure built of sweet experience

Touched by the Master's Hand”

For those of you who were not able to attend our celebrations, you surely missed out on the event of the year. The Academy and Grammy Awards couldn't hold a candle to the exuberance, pomp and circumstance and the immense pride and joy that filled the Cascadia Hotel Ballroom as members, friends, family, partners, supporters and well-wishers alike gathered in their finest to pay tribute not only to the incredible woman who had a vision, but also to the many people who over the years held that vision and had the strength and determination necessary to keep the vision alive and share it with as many others as possible. It was truly a night to remember.

So, now that the lights are out, the balloons deflated, the champagne drunk and the Sunday finery put away for another day, what lies ahead for CRN+? Our 10 th Anniversary, while some may see it as the culmination of a long road filled with many ups and downs and innumerable trials, actually marked the beginning of a new chapter for us in the Network. It marked the beginning of the next 10, plus 10, plus 10 years in our existence. Reflecting on the last 10 years has provided us with a clearer vision of the future. There is a saying that, “The only way to know where you are going is to understand from whence you came,” and it was in that spirit that we viewed our anniversary.

The Board of the Network, though only an Interim Board for 2007, is determined to change the way that we do business and to build on the strong foundation which has already been laid to take CRN+ through the next ten years. Each Board member is committed to not only each other and the development of a strong sense of “team,” but also to the Network's membership and to providing something, which has been lacking in the rapid growth and development of CRN+: strategic leadership and governance at the board level.

We understand that it is only through effective governance and leadership that we will be able to continue to grow from strength to strength. We are committed to leading the process of strategic change as we prepare to conduct the revision of our strategic plan, which will govern the priorities of the Network over the next five years. These priorities will of course be in sync with our Regional Advocacy Agenda, which was launched in Toronto in August and will focus on the areas of Care, Treatment and Support; the Reduction of Stigma and Discrimination; and the Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV/AIDS.

One of the projects we also hope to realise will be the establishment of a Leadership Development Programme. We see this programme as a continuation of the process of capacity building for our members, which begins with the Community Volunteer Programme, and additionally aims to provide a mentorship component to ensure that our members are prepared for the responsibilities of leadership within the Network. We understand that we have set the bar for ourselves in the coming year incredibly high, however, we also recognise and own our past weaknesses and have pledged to accelerate the process of leadership empowerment in order to achieve all that we set ourselves for the coming year. So, as we reflect on the tremendous things that we have in fact achieved over the past ten years, we also recognise that much more still remains do be done and this Board, under my leadership, is prepared to do so. That is “OUR PROMISE” to our membership, the team at the Secretariat, our partners and, most importantly, ourselves.

Suzette Moses-Burton