Live simply so that others may simply live writes Christine Allen

Did you make any new year's resolutions? I recently read a newspaper report that said most resolutions never get past the end of January. Well, if you didn't make any resolutions, or feel you might not keep the ones you made, why not check out the livesimply:promise website?

The idea is that we promise to do something different about aspects of our lives that will have an effect way beyond January. I do hope you will get involved and tell your friends about it.

'Living simply so that others may simply live' can seem a trite thing to say, but it's easy to forget about the impact of our lives on the lives of others. Livesimply is a new campaign, but the inspiration behind it is 40 years old.

When Pope Paul VI wrote the encyclical Populorum Progressio the huge inequalities between rich and poor were just breaking into the public agenda. Then it was revolutionary for a Pope to express concern for a more just world. He did not write about charity, but of the need for structural change - a challenge to society and to all of us as individuals. Most challenging of all, his  words were a reminder of the importance of people. The heart of his message was that all people should have life in all its fullness, not merely be economic units. He called for people to be able to be artisans of their own destiny, not powerless in the face of global forces.
 
Today there are many active campaigns challenging poverty and global inequality. But the importance of human dignity for everyone remains crucial. Wherever human rights or human dignity are violated - by poverty, injustice or oppression - change is necessary. It is no accident that, when we became Progressio in January 2006, we chose to echo in our name the values of the church's social teaching.
 
Progressio seeks justice for all, especially for the poor, something requiring real change in policy and practice. We want change leading to development for the whole person - respecting human dignity, not just delivering an economic result. These values underlie and inspire all our work - the way we address our issues and the way we work with our partners overseas.

To celebrate a document written 40 years ago doesn't mean we are limited by it. Such an encyclical today would need to include references to inter-faith dialogue, environmental concerns, gender equality and HIV - all key issues for Progressio. But the underlying principle - concern for the fullness of life for the human person - is as critical as ever. In too many places, people are seen only as economic units, passive recipients of decisions with little or no control over many aspects of their lives. Progress isn't about earning more or having more. It is about being more.

All people should have life in all its fullness, not merely be economic units

Despite great strides in tackling poverty, the requirement for change at structural and individual levels remains. Faced with the sheer size of issues like global poverty, injustice and environmental degradation, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Making small changes might seem fruitless but they are a start. Large global movements, such as last year's Make Poverty History campaign or the environmental movement, are all made up of individuals taking action. And that's why the livesimply promise bank asks others to get involved too, and for us to hold one another to account.

Livesimply is a campaign by the main Catholic organisations, but it isn't relevant only to Catholics. Progressio is part of the campaign, and we work with people of all faiths and none for a more just world, so we call on everyone to make a promise - one that will last longer than one month!

Find out how to make your own livesimply promise.

Christine Allen is Progressio's Executive Director