On 7 July 2022, the Global Youth Mobilization (GYM), powered by the Big 6 Youth Organisations*, won the Excellence in Healthcare Partnerships award at the prestigious Communique Awards in London, UK. The Communique Awards celebrate the best work in healthcare initiatives and communications that achieve results and deliver successful campaigns in the healthcare sector.
GYM secured the award in partnership with the communications and strategy agency, MHP Mischief. The win is fantastic recognition for the power of youth-led solutions to the impact of the pandemic, the importance of youth decision-making and the impact of effective partnership work. It is also testament to the commitment and hard-work of the Big 6 Youth Organisations that power the GYM and the WHO and UN Foundation who generously support and sustain it.
Since our launch in December 2020 GYM has worked with MHP Mischief to create and implement an integrated communications and public affairs campaign to put young people at the forefront of the COVID-19 response and recovery. Developed with inputs from young people, with the coordinated collaboration of the Big 6 Youth Organizations who power the GYM, the partnership has helped to secure significant results and raise the profile of the initiative.
Commenting on the win and recognition of the initiative, Carlos Sanvee, Secretary General, World YMCA said: “The YMCA is proud to be in the coalition of youth organisations that promote youth mobilisation at global scale by partnering with other global stakeholders. We will continue to fully activate the potential of youth-led solutions particularly as the world continues to heal from the challenges caused by the pandemic. Through this initiative we have listen and amplified the voices of young people, providing them with the tools and platform to engage with their peers and design appropriate responses and solutions to the disruption brought by COVID-19.”
Reflecting on his experience as a Youth Panellist – the young people who govern and decide which youth-led projects receive funding from the GYM Local Solutions – Benson Onyango from Uganda said:
“Half of the world’s population consists of young people under the age of 30 and there cannot be solutions to the problems they face without their own input. I have seen how young people have the energy, passion and courage to challenge convention needed to identify and address complex global problems with high levels of innovation”.
*About the Big 6 Youth Organisations
Formed in 1996, the Big Six Youth Organizations are the Young Men’s Christian Association, YMCA; World Young Women’s Christian Association, YWCA; World Organization of the Scout Movement; World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts; International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, IFRC; and The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, which together actively have a reach of 250 million young people worldwide.