At the World YMCA Executive Committee’s first meeting of the year on 17 January 2026, many voices echoed this view aired by a Committee member from the Asia Pacific region.
‘Wherever we look in the world, we see the challenges facing young people: climate, jobs, , polarisation, conflict – in fact, war. And the more I see the work of the YMCA worldwide, the more I see how much the world needs the YMCA and other community-based, trust-based organisations like it. This is such a big year for us: let’s continue to step up to be the YMCA the world wants us to be.’
The world’s evident problems underline the need for the YMCA. ‘I am always humbled when I see the work that our local YMCAs do in a turbulent world’, said a member from Europe.
The Committee discussed YMCA Vision 2030 and our collective work in Community Wellbeing, Meaningful Work, Sustainable Planet and Just World as our shared global framework and priorities, and the 21st YMCA World Council in Toronto in July as our immediate goal.
World Council Event Coordinator Kerry Reilly of World YMCA and YMCA Scotland shared the news that over 1200 registrations have been received for the event, including some 500 standard registrations, 270 discounted ones for young people under 30 and delegates from countries needing support, as well as some 70 YMCA Change Agents and over 100 National Movement Board Members. In all, some 75 countries will be represented, and at least 250 delegates will be under 30.
Carlos Sanvee presented the outline World YMCA workplan for the year 2026, drawing out 14 priority projects under the four main ‘strategic directions’ of:
- Strengthening the global YMCA Movement
- Strengthening collective YMCA impact
- Strengthening global youth voice and YMCA profile
- Strengthening World YMCA’s efficiency and sustainability