The World Alliance of YMCAs was founded in 1855 at its first World Conference, held in Paris. At that time, conference participants developed the YMCA’s first mission statement, the Paris Basis.
Since then, the YMCA’s mission statement has been interpreted to reflect contemporary realities, first in 1973 with the Kampala Principles, then in 1998 with Challenge 21, and most recently in 2022 with YMCA Vision 2030.
Vision 2030 states:
Our YMCA vision is a world where every person lives in harmony with self, with society and with creation.
Our YMCA mission is to empower young people and communities worldwide to build a just, sustainable, equitable and inclusive world, where every person can thrive in body, mind and spirit.