New Beginnings

Abstract

That could be a tall order to fill; nonetheless, separation of "church and state" (ILCA and JHL) has been well-maintained irrespective of leadership at either one. This past year and a half have seen many significant changes occurring within ILCA, which will continue to roll out through 2016. The Strategic Map was completely rewritten; the organizational values, vision, and mission were reassessed and reconfigured; and our Partners Program was introduced, impacting the way ILCA engages with the global breastfeeding community in a positive and forward thinking manner. Committees and other volunteer opportunities have been redefined and clarified, and Board Director responsibilities were realigned. The website has been completely upgraded and redesigned to a much more functional and user-friendly platform, allowing for, among other things, all important member communication. The ILCA logo has been redesigned, with colors updated and revitalized. In many ways, we may not recognize ourselves. But this has "changed (us) for good" to borrow a lyric from the Broadway hit musical Wicked.With this February 2016 issue of JHL, some of those changes are quite evident. Our cover looks different. We see the new ILCA logo. With all of our changes, we recognized that it was time for a new look that better reflects our global nature and the many powerful pieces that make up our organization. Our new logo is the result of international input by a diverse group of our members who examined our values and direction. The logo represents ILCA's expanding impact in the global breastfeeding community. It also expresses the collaboration between many different communities, work settings, backgrounds, and cultures that are needed to bring about great change. In this symbol we embrace the feel of a "swirl" in which parts of the whole mix and create something greater. Think of IBCLCs swirling simultaneously their clinical competency, counseling, scientific research, community awareness, and more in their daily roles, all of which also occurs within the pages of JHL.Our representative colors have changed as well, as evidenced by the logo, our website, and the cover of this issue. The new color scheme represents an updated version of our previous ILCA identity. We intentionally retained shades of yellow and purple to maintain continuity with our past, while shifting the tones and adding accent colors of blue to teal for a contemporary look and a more international appeal.Many beautiful photographs were submitted for the 2016 cover photo contest, making the choice of only 4 very difficult. The photos chosen for 2016 make their debut on the cover of this issue. They portray the ILCA Core Values of Equity, Diversity, and Knowledge and the global lens with which we view our work, our organization, and our journal. They come from 3 continents, multiple socioeconomic levels, resource-abundant and resource-poor settings, with well and sick babies. All are united by the love of mother and child; the need and importance of fathers, families, and suppo...