On Thursday over 40 National General Secretaries (NGS) took the stage and came together to share their processes and journey as part of the global YMCA movement focused on Youth Empowerment 4 Good.
In 2013, they awoke the YMCA movement which was like a “sleeping giant” by coming together to be co-owners and co-creators of the global strategy to move the organisation forward and work towards becoming united under one shared message.
Working together as an NGS network involved the importance of relationships – having a safe space to nurture trust, sharing and learning – building foundations together and a strategic focus
The NGS all agreed the movement was asleep and in order to wake it up they would collectively stand for youth empowerment and continued investment in research such as One Million Voices and the development of youth leadership programs like the YMCA Change Agents program.
Working together has not been with its challenges, the NGS have had to overcome frustration, stress and build trust in one another. There were times when they had different understandings about the YMCA mission and vision and the way in we should implement the strategy.
But this was all a part of the journey and through this process we are moving closer to becoming a more unified global movement. The NGS are focused on continuing the journey together with the President and Secretary General to help the YMCA grow stronger and have a greater social impact on the world.