Emergency Partners Support Group meeting for Sri Lanka YMCA

Last Updated (Thursday, 01 September 2022 11:27)

APAY organized this meeting online on August 12, 2022, the follow-up meeting of the Aarhus, Denmark, during the World Council. The following partners, staff from YMCA Sri Lanka and APAY staff, were present at the PSG meeting: Paul Keith, Australia; Peter Dinsdale, CEO, Canada; Jessica Nkongolo, Canada; Heidi Worthington, Canada; Juan Simoes, YMCA Europe; Claudia Kuhn, Germany; Peter Ho, Hong Kong; Kohei Yamada, WFYR, Japan; Utako Sugino, Japan; Kristin (A), Norway; Kristin (B), Norway; Renata Ferrari, USA; Denise Hatton, CEO, England & Wales; Duncan Chowdhury, World YMCA; Saman Perera, President Sri Lanka; Fabian Schokman, Sri Lanka; Nam Boo Won, GS, APAY; Sunita Suna, APAY

Read more: Emergency Partners Support Group meeting for Sri Lanka YMCA

GATN networking with BERJAYA University College, Malaysia

Last Updated (Tuesday, 30 November 1999 08:00)

COVID-19 brought global travel and tourism industry to a standstill for almost 3 years. Despite the setback brought about by global lockdowns, travel and tourism industry remains one of the most important industries that creates jobs and brings in foreign exchange. Hence, many countries, especially the Small Island developing States and least developed countries are looking forward to the reopening of international borders and the resumption of international travel to rebuild their battered economies.

Travel and tourism may bring a lot of economic gains but uncontrolled travel and tourism have their negative consequences. In recent years, researches have begun to raise awareness of some negative impacts of uncontrolled tourism. Overtourism is a relatively new word in the tourism industry. It is used to describe a situation in which too many tourists visiting a particular destination and conflicts arise between locals and visitors at tourism destinations. Overtourism is when rent prices push out local tenants to make way for holiday rentals. Overtourism is when tourist consumption creates inflation in cost of goods and services. Overtourism is when narrow roads become jammed with tourist vehicles.

Tourism also impacts climate change. As the world becomes more affluent, the tourism sector is expected to grow by an average of 4% annually. This pursuit of economic growth comes with a significant carbon burden, as tourism is significantly more carbon-intensive than other potential areas of economic development. A Yale Digest reports that 80% of all flights were for holiday reasons and tourism accounts for 8% of Global CO2 Emissions. Tourists are offenders, too. Their holiday consumption habits contribute to increased use of energy, water and other natural resources. The consumerist nature of mass tourism contributes to an unsustainable activity that seriously challenges the sustainability of our planet earth.

Read more: GATN networking with BERJAYA University College, Malaysia

RTTL Telecasted 20 Years Existence of the YMCA of Timor Leste

Last Updated (Thursday, 01 September 2022 12:04)

Event Details,

Event : Talk Show (coffee break) in Radio and Television of Timor Leste
Topic : 20^th years Existence of the YMCA of Timor Leste
Date : 16 August 2022
Organized : Radio and Television of Timor Leste (RTTL) :
Participant : Antonio B.S. da Silva (GS) and
Lourdes Correia da Silva Lobato

YMCA Timor Leste was invited by the RTTL to a talk show to share about the existence of YMCA Timor Leste for 20 years.

Rosa Prega Xiemenes, the host: what is YMCA and the history of the YMCA in the world and the history of YMCA of Timor Leste?

Antonio da Silva (GS) : The YMCA, or Young Men's Christian Association, was founded in London in 6 June 1844 by George Williams, a farmer and department store owner. He recognized a need for a safe environment amid the factories and tenements of industrial England. As a result, George Williams created the first London YMCA to provide protection, socialization, and a sense of community for young men. The first YMCA was open to all classes of citizens. The YMCA grew rapidly over the next century and established in around the world until now.

YMCA has establish as National Council of YMCA in more than 120 Country with members 65 million and one million beneficiary as volunteer and staff around the world.

Timor Leste become newest country in 1999 after get freedom by referendum on 30 August 1999. The majority Timorense was voted for freedom from Indonesia for 24 years invasion and Portugal colonialization for 450 year.

Assosiasaun Nasional da Juventude Cristan de Timor Leste (ANJUCTIL) or Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) of TimorLeste was establishing on 23 November 2001 to contribute in development of Timor Leste.

Based on capability resources of ANJUCTIL that we still support small thing to develop Timor Leste based to YMCA of Timor Leste program and for the implementation will depending to commitment support from all Partner Support Group (PSG) members via APAY every year with vision and mission YMCA of Timor Leste are bellow; .

a. Vision

To be a transformer for kids, youths and community to become a family which live in peace and love for the future of Timor-Leste.

b. Mission

To serve and strengthen the members and community without race, religion, gender through the programs to develop lives as part of “body, mind and spirit” based on Christian principles.

Joana Araujo Rodrigues, the host: Can you share with us the programs of YMCA TL, benefit of the programs to you, vision and mission including the beneficiary of all program to youth until today?

Antonio da Silva (GS): Base to the resources YMCA of Timor Leste, until now still get assistance support from YMCA’s around Asia and special Asia Pacific Alliance YMCA (APAY) to implement several program as part of existence YMCA TL from 2001-2022;

1.  Soccer program, the program was establish from 2006 with objectives “to mobilize youth living in peace and harmony in community between youth in Timor Leste”. Participant; Thousands of the youth has participate in program and some of them has got as best players in National team, coach in the Football Club and also National referee.
2.  Ecumenical Program, Annual program for the YMCA members, Student Christian Movement and youth in Terra Santa
3.  Kids Program, Annual program to the kids around the Terra Santa Sub Village
4.  Youth empowerment, Annual program for youth. There is Korean Language Course in 2018-2019 was participate around 20 student, Japan Language Course was participate around 1070 student from 2019-until now.
5.  Formal Education, YMCA of Timor Leste has develop formal Kindergarden to kids around Dili. Almost 300 student was joint in the class from 2018-until now. (
6.  Income generation (Rent Tenth and Chair Project to the community), it was develop from NLAP program 2017.
7.  Organization strengthen, Participate in leadership training in Timor Leste and abroad to staff and volunteer of YMCA TL
8.  Disasters, Disaster Relief Work in YMCA TL, With Assistance support from APAY and WAY to support the victim of Covid 19 and natural disaster that hit Timor Leste in 2021.
9.  Re forest, The program was implement during leadership training in YMCA TL center 2008-2009
10.  Sewing program, The program will encourage participant to have small business in the house
11. International Peace Camp, YMCATL hosted the camp in 2008,2009 and 2013
12. Raonnati Program, Raonatti, meaning "Good friend or Friends of Asia", is a collaboration program between YMCATL and YMCA Korea special for student volunteer with sponsorship from KB Kookmin Bank (Korea). The program was conducts volunteer work annually in Timor Leste from 2008-2015.

Finally, this is same memorize information for all activity related to 20^th years existence YMCA of Timor Leste for from 2001 until now.

Agradese e Muinto Obrigado

Discussion during talk show in Tetum version with chanel youtube : RTTL.EP - KAFE DADER 16-08-2022 "Ezistensia YMCA Timor-Leste" (LIVE STREAM) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UHLGsTBLoE

By Antonio B.S. da Silva
General Secretary of YMCA Timor Leste

Special worship was held in YMCA Jeju International Youth Centre (IYC), where the APAY new office is being built

Last Updated (Tuesday, 30 August 2022 12:28)

“Once More, YMCA Movement” was the theme for the annual summer retreat of the Association of YMCA Secretaries (AOS) of the Korea YMCA was held in Jeju Youth Training Centre. 95 AOS members participated in the retreat from 25-27 August 2022. On the second day, special worship was organized in YMCA Jeju International Youth Centre (IYC) in the middle of Halla mountain, seeking God’s special blessing in constructing the APAY new office. GS Nam Boo Won of APAY, along with NSG Kim Kyung Min of Korea YMCA, was invited to the worship to briefly explain the office move and the plan of operation of the APAY office in the coming future.

↑GS Nam giving welcome remarks in the worship	↑Opening Ceremony of the AOS summer retreat

The IYC is a youth campsite of Korea YMCA on Jeju Island, where the new HQ of the APAY will be in the near future. The construction of the HQ building started after a tedious process of getting formal permission for the construction from the Jeju local government. The construction is expected to be completed at the end of December 2022, so the APAY office will start its operation in the Jeju HQ in January 2023.

Read more: Special worship was held in YMCA Jeju International Youth Centre (IYC), where the APAY new office is being built