The global YMCA’s Movement’s engagement in a worldwide consultation process on its Vision 2030 took an important step over the last week, with over two-thirds of its membership attending information webinars on the subject. The webinars provided a platform for some 350 people to discuss the document, and the process leading up to its approval at YMCA’s World Council in July 2022.
‘We’re delighted at the level of engagement with Vision 2030’, said Carlos Sanvee, World YMCA Secretary General. ‘These ‘Mentimeter’ images say it all: they record real enthusiasm and motivation for collective action, as we take the historic step of having a Movement-wide strategy for the first time. I was thrilled to hear how YMCA National Movements and YMCA regional Area Alliances are linking their own ongoing strategic planning consultations with the global one. That is the whole idea: not that we are all uniform, but that we are aligned. We have discussed Vision 2030 as our ‘North Star’, which means that wherever you are in the YMCA world, you see the same thing.’
Sessions were presented by members of the Global Staff Team, with Nam Boo Won, Secretary General of YMCA Asia Pacific, leading the first English one, and Tom Valentine, Vice President International at Y USA, the second. The Spanish event was led by Antonio Merino, Secretary General of YMCA Latin America & Caribbean, and Juan Simoes, Secretary General of YMCA Europe. The French event was led by Nirina Rakotomalala, Secretary General of YMCA Africa, supported by Juan Simoes.
Several key themes came out of the meetings, including the primacy of hearing young people’s voices in the consultation process, the imperative of linking all plans to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the need to incorporate working in partnership (inside and outside the global YMCA Movement) into the document.
The first consultation period ends on 15 October. The findings will then be presented to the World YMCA Executive Committee at end-October. A second draft of Vision 2030, incorporating all changes, will be circulated by the end of 2021 for further consultation and finalisation by end-March 2022. Vision 2030 will then be presented for adoption by World Council in July 2022.
Watch the recordings of the meetings:
- English #1, 8 September 2021. Access Passcode: u3KsP@+y
- Spanish, 9 September 2021. Access Passcode: @?e#rv3m
- French, 15 September 2021. Access Passcode: 7*xT&KRS
- English #2, 16 September 2021. Access Passcode: J6suI.RT
Register to the next session on 4 October
‘So great was the interest in and demand for the webinars, that we have decided to arrange a fifth session. We encourage all YMCA National Movements to promote it in their networks, and specifically to encourage young people to attend.’ The extra session will be on Monday 4 October at 14:00-15:00 CEST (Geneva time): please register here.