Reflection of Two YG Teens Experiencing the World Council 2026
Two Youth and Government teens took the opportunity to attend the 21st YMCA World Council in Toronto, Canada this past summer. They took the time to write a reflection piece of their experience during the conference:
Countless people, languages, and backgrounds. Walking into the opening ceremony, I was greeted immediately with so many sights and sounds, lots of diversity. Delegates from all walks of life were in that room, all united under one movement: I didn’t yet know how the week would go, but I was excited for what it had in store.
This past summer we had the privilege of attending the 21st YMCA World Council in Toronto, Canada. It was a transformative experience, and reshaped how we view the YMCA as a global organization. This council is meant to bring leaders from around the world together to share ideas and learn from each other. It is to remind us that the movement is bigger than just our local branches, even when it may not seem so. This week also shaped how we view the need for youth participation - and how that participation can look - and most importantly what basic leadership and decency look like.
The theme of this conference was Vision 2030. A concept that seemed, at first, abstract, but came to be a defining ideal that we were trying to recreate in our home YMCAs. Unveiled at the World Council Denmark in 2022, Vision 2030 is a plan to help create a more equitable world through 4 pillars: “Community Wellbeing, Meaningful Work, Sustainable Planet, and Just World.” That is the actual definition, but throughout the passionate work of countless people I met this week, I realized that it was not just a plan but a promise. A promise that the YMCA will do whatever it could to improve the communities it serves; the embodiment that the YMCA is not just an outside organization that focuses on community-based humanitarian efforts, but instead is the foundation for the people.
A significant component of shaping a better future is by listening and learning from the next generation of leaders. Through many speakers and carefully coordinated sessions, we heard perspectives on what is important in paving the way cultivating an environment that makes this effort possible. We heard from François Taddei, the co-founder and president of the Learning Planet Institute, that meaningful participation in the creation of a youth-led future involves careful listening to youth voices, and how institutions that do not lose relevance to the youth. Then, we heard from Gurvinder Singh, the Child Protection Advisor for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, about how special consideration must be taken to consider young perspectives at every level of decision-making, instead of just asking for feedback after decisions are already made. Additionally, we heard from Dorina Lluka-Davies, National General Secretary at YMCA Kosovo, that the uncomfortable truth is institutions are risk-adverse to recruiting youth that may create a better future, fearing the power they may lose from a changing status quo. The various sessions carried the same message: the youth should not only be suggesting change, but be critical to every stage of the decision-making process. These key advocates seek to transform the idea that younger generations are the leaders of the future, and fight for their acceptance as the leaders of today.
Finally, our idea of leadership evolved as a result of this conference. It is often thought that leadership comes from always being able to make the hard decisions, being confident, and well spoken. While it certainly is many of those things, what resonated with me the most was that true leadership comes from approaching the role with a mindset of serving others. It is making the hard decisions, but with the best interests of everyone in mind. It is being confident, but not being arrogant or acting superior than others. It is being well spoken, to use your voice in uplifting others. Coming home from the conference, I truly hope to be able to emulate this servant leadership style.
Truly it was an honor to attend this conference, and incredibly educational. The YMCA is committed to bettering the world and to see this firsthand was inspirational. It works to ensure that the future generations have a beautiful world to call home. This conference has taught us that we must not work only for ourselves but with each other for the future. As François Taddei put it, “how do we learn to hear the voices of the future and leave a good legacy?” The conference showed us that leaving a legacy means investing in young leaders now. The future of the YMCA and the fulfillment of the Vision 2030 means working alongside youth leaders as true partners, and with trust.
Written by:
Andrew & Easton