The YMCA in Europe- Lost in translation?

About 100 delegates representing over 25 countries met in YMCA Europe’s General Assembly in their recently completed Training Centre in Litomysl, Czech Republic. A highlight of the Assembly was the welcoming of Macedonia YMCA as a full member of the European family of YMCAs.

The theme of the Assembly was “Lost in Translation” and inputs and workshops explored the public profile of the YMCA movement in Europe.

The experience of the Swedish YMCA which had been involved in a three year process to develop a new corporate image and communication strategy linked to a fundraising strategy was presented. This showed that with a relatively small investment a professional marketing company was able to work with the various stakeholders to produce an attractive new image and communication platform for internal and external stakeholders. Sweden is offering to share their experience with the YMCA in Ireland. 

Litomysl YMCA Centre

The Assembly also heard of the plans for the Prague festival to be held in August including the first sight of the layout of the Festival Village in the former Expo Park. The programme is looking very attractive with something for everybody! While bookings are good, a special discount price of 10K ck crowns is being introduced for bookings taken in May. For those who have already booked and who persuade a friend to join them, will get a special rebate of 750 ck crowns in vouchers to be spent in the global village. Irish delegates will be housed in just the one location this year. It is hoped that travel and identify bracelets will be issued in advance to participants so that registration can take place directly on arrival in the accommodation centres.

One of the highlights of the Assembly was the presentation by the General Secretary of the Lebanese YMCA. Given the weakness of central government and an inadequate infrastructure, the YMCA has been involved in plugging many of the gaps including providing medicines to chronically ill people through a network of 500 community NGOs; helping to build water and sewage treatment plants as well as its ongoing work in vocational training and citizenship programmes with young people and women.  

Next year’s assembly will be hosted by the German movement in one of their residential centres about 90 minutes from Hanover.

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