Category Archives: News

During the World Council of YMCA’s, held in Hong Kong from 19th. – 24th. July, a new Executive Committee for the World Alliance of YMCA’s has been elected.

At the World Alliance Executive Committee Meeting held on 18th July, Rev. Johan Vilhelm Eltvik was appointed as the new Secretary General of the World Alliance of YMCAs. Eltvik will take up his new position on 1 January 2011, and succeeds Dr. Bart Shaha who will complete his second term of office at the end of this year. Eltvik’s appointment was officially announced at the 17th World Council of YMCAs held in Hong Kong from 19 – 24th July.

It is with much pleasure that we invite you to enrol participation for the next conference within the YMCA Europe Catch the Vision series this time under the motto “Young Europe–Old Conflicts”. It is designed to give a chance to young people across Europe to meet and discuss the YMCA Mission through sharing knowledge and experiences, ideas and visions, etc.

I was fortunate to have been invited to attend the opening of a new YMCA building in Spitak, Armenia, on the 8th May so I took this opportunity to visit several YMCAs and also give some training to senior volunteers and staff members from 5 local associations. I travelled from 28th April to 6th May, which also gave me some time to see a bit of the country too, accompanied by YMCA Europe staff member Vardan Hambardzumyan.

Over 110 people from 40 countries attended this year’s General Assembly which was held in the YMCA Training Centre in Litomysl, Czech Republic. The theme of the conference was “Now!”. It was the last in a series of three General Assemblies where we have concentrated on Resource Mobilisation. The theme was intended to reinforce the urgent need for all YMCAs to become better at raising resources to ensure their sustainability into the future.

Some time ago I – together with my wife and the Secretary General of Ukraine YMCA, Viktor Serbulov, and his wife and daughter – visited Gammalsvenskby (the English translation of the name would be Old Swedish Village). The visit we did on our way to Kiev after having had the annual meeting with Field Group Ukraine – for which I am the leader – in the Crimean peninsula.

In 2009, YMCA Europe commissioned an external assessment of its Roots for Reconciliation project. The assessment was led by an independent consultant from the UK – Bruce Britton.

It is with much pleasure that we invite you to enrol participation for the next conference within the YMCA Europe Catch the Vision series this time under the motto “Young Europe–Old Conflicts”.

The General Assembly of YMCA Europe this year will have strong focus on Resource Mobilisation and offer good, hands on training opportunities!