Artificial Intelligence (AI) and ‘Trust’ were the two topics of debate as YMCA National General Secretaries met online on Thursday, 23 April 2026.
Mark Cameron, a Board member at YMCA Victoria, Australia said, “Don’t see Artificial Intelligence as just another remarkable piece of technology that can spit out ‘outcomes’ faster and cheaper. See it as like being given a paintbrush and a canvas: its real power is unique to you and how you use it to interact with information and solve increasingly complex problems. That is its true power.”
Several National General Secretaries responded with summaries of their own approaches to AI, which focus on governance and ethics, as well as adding capacity for better delivery.
Jamie Kieffer, Managing Director of the global public affairs consultancy Edelman, presented the 26th annual version of its Trust Barometer. He charted the global trend from Polarisation (disagreement) to Grievance (active conflict over that disagreement), and finally to Insularity (as swathes of humanity retreat and turn in on themselves).
‘As economic anxiety, geopolitical tension, and technological disruption intensify, people are narrowing their world to smaller, familiar circles that reflect their views, and this hinders economic and societal progress.’
Jamie spoke of diminishing trust in global institutions and increasing trust in the local organisations which are nearest to the people they serve.
“This is a world made for you in the YMCA as a truly global and a truly local Movement”, he said. “Winning brands like yours can become brokers of trust, and mediators of discussions about the issues that people can actually agree to talk about, just like you’re already doing in the field of young people’s quest for Meaningful Work. Stay true to your convictions, but don’t shout them out quite like you did: instead, be a broker for conversation, for alignment, for solutions, for healing, for hope”.
Upcoming World Council
Also in the meeting, Kerry Reilly, CEO of YMCA Scotland and global events coordinator at World YMCA, reported on preparations for the 21st YMCA World Council in Toronto on 19-25 July, with registration now closing and over 1,300 people scheduled to attend. “We were delighted to be oversubscribed in our ‘Call for Content’ which solicited ideas for likely sessions, speakers and focal projects for the event, and we have also received 70 exceptional nominations of projects for the World YMCA Awards of 2026″, she said.
Tadahiro (Teddy) Ota, the new General Secretary of the National Council of YMCAs of Japan, was attending his first online NGS meeting. Issam Bishara of YMCA Lebanon reported on continuing conflict and hardship, with “parts of the south of the country looking like Gaza”. A YMCA Lebanon humanitarian appeal continues.