Our work

We believe that a just world can be achieved by addressing the root causes of poverty and injustice created by humans. We aim to be bold and challenge established positions within our network and society as a whole. Through our efforts, we reach over 25,000 children, youth, and women annually. More than 50,000 lives are affected by the work we carry out in collaboration with local partners in 9 countries, and we take pride in operating efficiently to maximize the impact of every donated dollar.

In all our work, we have four consistent themes. We advocate for active involvement and inclusion of young people in all our endeavors, recognizing them as valuable resources and experts on making the world a better place. We strive for the inclusion of all individuals in society, regardless of their level of ability. Together with our partners, we prioritize ensuring that all programs have a neutral or positive impact on the environment and nature. Collectively, we work towards achieving gender equality in all aspects of YMCA-YWCA Global’s work and that of our partners.

this is our four main targets

• Climate justice Read more about how we work towards fair climate policy and green action alternatives.
• Economic justice Read more about how we work with individuals and society to ensure justice for all.
• Gender justice Read more about how we work towards equal rights for all and include men and boys in the conversation.
• Just peace Read more about how we include and provide youth and women with non-violent tools to create lasting peace.

This is where we work

We work to provide people with new opportunities and to build strong democratic local communities. Our projects are carried out through partnerships with local YMCA and YWCA offices. The YMCA and YWCA are among the world’s largest movements, spanning over 140 countries with grassroots, member-driven organizations. These are our partners, governed by the residents of their respective regions. They are deeply ingrained in their communities, intimately familiar with the challenges and effective strategies for progress. While one person may have limited impact, collective action can yield substantial change. We firmly believe that by uniting forces, we can achieve far-reaching transformations.

• Here is an overview of all our partners Have a look!

This is how we work

In a world marked by injustice, growing economic disparities, human rights violations, the climate crisis, and loss of biodiversity, we must change course. Our vision is to collectively construct global justice and peace. Our role is to empower young people to reshape the world. We aim to support the mobilization of youth-led social movements worldwide and facilitate youth-driven change. Here’s how we do it:

Safe local communities

To empower young individuals to change the world, they require supportive and secure environments where they can grow and unleash their full potential. Our focus is on cultivating safe, inclusive spaces that offer access to diverse services while also enabling young people to prioritize their physical, sexual, and mental health.

Meaningful employment

For young people to be able to change the world, their basic needs must be met, including access to income, food, and shelter. With these essentials in place, they can make independent choices and contribute to societal development. Unemployment rates are high worldwide, with youth being among the most vulnerable. We strive to ensure decent, flexible, meaningful, and equitable access to employment, entrepreneurship, and educational opportunities.

Sustainable planet

Global justice and peace cannot be achieved without a sustainable planet. Young people are working tirelessly to combat climate change, and our programs will sustain their initiatives for environmental sustainability and climate justice. The climate crisis, pollution, and loss of biodiversity are destroying our planet and leading to injustice. We advocate for global solutions and policies to support a fair transition to a green economy while ensuring that no one is left behind as we work together to rebuild and protect our planet.

Just world

Human rights and equal rights for all are fundamental to a just and peaceful world. Young people are actively engaged as “peacemakers” locally, nationally, and globally. We support their fight for global justice and peace. Injustice and discrimination based on ethnicity, economic status, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity and expression exist worldwide. Young people live in ongoing war and conflict. We must combat systematic discrimination, racism, injustice, inequality, and economic disparity.