It is a real delight to announce that our General Assembly 2024: “Living the Vision”, on the 23rd to 26th of May has been a real accomplishment, hosted by the team at YMCA Athens, in Greece.
The assembly represented our main annual governance meeting, connecting leaders from across our continent, as well as representatives from World YMCA, and Y USA, under the theme of “Living the Vision” – Vision 2030 being a centre-piece of our discussions, events, and plans.
On the very first day of the program we had the opportunity to connect with volunteers, young leaders, friends of the YMCA, partners, and General Secretaries from across Europe, and learn about our joint vision and mission.
Led by our President Emma Osmundsen and the Executive Committee Team, the delegates and guests were warmly introduced, collaboratively adopted the agenda, and experienced a heartfelt spiritual welcome from the team at YMCA Athens.
On the second day of the General Assembly, the participants were welcomed by the Secretary General’s report addressing the challenges, opportunities, and partnerships, as well as our strategy of continuous development aligned with YMCA Vision 2030.
The sessions involve meaningful discussions, presentations, and the opportunity to build stronger networks, especially with our partners and representatives from World YMCA and The Y USA.
Young leaders are at the core of the YMCA across the continent, and we are delighted to have had the opportunity and offer a platform for them to lead the “Carte Blanche” session led by YMCA Finland – where all the participants to the General Assembly came together to learn more about each other and unite as fellows & colleagues from Europe and the world.
We had the pleasure of having Soheila Hayek, President of World YMCA, as the main keynote speaker expressing her gratitude to every national movement in Europe for their resilience, hard work and commitment to implementing and being a model of leading our joint vision.
Another key aspect of the General Assembly 2024 was represented by the successful re-election of our President – Emma Osmundsen, Eneko Lopez de Dicastillo as Recording Secretary; Diana Zarembiene as Assessor, and the election of Hilmar Jónsson, Jean Paul Mifsud and Iina Salmi as Assessors in the Executive Committee.
Another highlight was the Resolution on Refugees, Migrants, Asylum Seekers, Displaced Persons proposed by YMCA Europe’s Working Group on Refugees. and formally adopted by all delegates representing the national YMCAs across Europe. With this resolution, YMCA Europe reaffirms its role as a leading advocate for human rights and continues to work tirelessly to provide safe and inclusive environments for all individuals seeking refuge and protection.
We also concluded a successful National General Secretaries meeting, discussing important topics on developing our initiatives, actions, and future strategies to develop the working pillars of our mission and vision.
During a hybrid session, we met with YMCA Ukraine leadership and some of their partners from across the world. We are focused on supporting the YMCA in Ukraine and its development, ensuring they have the resources and guidance needed to thrive during these challenging times and beyond.
From best practices and initiatives at YMCA England & Wales in digitalisation to mindfulness support at YMCA Sweden and an incredible visit to YMCA Branch of Nikaia BC discovering not only an amazing youth facility but also a welcoming host for all of us.
And we had the chance to witness an incredible performance enriching us in body, mind and spirit – Peace Choir Project, a unique YMCA initiative with a truly powerful story behind, touching souls, and strengthening our communities.
Connecting people, ensuring strong peace-building opportunities and programs through our partnerships with our members, as well as uniting for a stronger and more relevant digital-first future, we are overjoyed with the enthusiasm of all those making this event happen, and our heartfelt gratitude goes to the leadership and volunteers of YMCA Athens for making this dream a reality for us all.
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