APAY 5th Youth Assembly

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Last Updated (Tuesday, 09 May 2023 14:42)

APAY 5th Youth Assembly
YMCA International Youth Center, Chennai, India
13-15 September 2023

Theme: “Journeying Together as a Resilient Community: Transforming Lives Through Vision 2030”

Calling young YMCA active members, volunteers and staff who are committed to ensuring that solutions are put in place to address the pressing social problems of our time! Come and join us on our 5th APAY Youth Assembly, a platform aimed to build potentials of youth through spiritual enrichment, education, value formation and capacity building leading to active contribution in sustainable community development processes. Participants to the Youth Assembly must be a registered delegate of the 21st General Assembly. Although the on-going programs for youth attract and serve a relatively wide range of young people, the regional YMCA considered youth for this purpose as those 18 –30 years of age. 

The Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs (APAY) Youth Assembly is one of the major activities within the regional participation and leadership development programs. This commitment of empowering youth requires creation of spaces for young lay leaders, volunteers, student members and young staff to actively engage in learning and reflection on social realities impacting them and society. More relevantly, the youth need opportunities to plan appropriate actions in response to challenges they are confronted with such as complex concerns on war and conflicts, poverty and hunger, consumerism, the digital divide, environment and climate change, discrimination, deprivation of human rights and fundamental freedom, unemployment, education, healthcare and well-being, and the culture greed for material wealth and power.

The YMCA, as part of a wider social movement that is called to build a community of justice, love and peace, has the responsibility to illustrate and nurture these values among young people. This two-day event also intends to prepare the youth delegates to actively participate and meaningfully integrate to the entire General Assembly processes.



↑ 4th Youth Assembly participants at Yokohama YMCA Camps, Sep 2019↑ 4th Youth Assembly - Discussion o issues affecting youth and proposing actions to address the injustices

↑ 4th Youth Assembly delegates raise their voices to address Social Concerns such as ecology and women's rights

As an integral part of the General Assembly and the region’s goal of creating opportunities for youth participation and leadership development, the Youth Assembly aims to meet the following specific objectives:

  • to recognize youth’s potential and capacities as key partners in realizing the mission of YMCA;
  • to learn and reflect on social realities impacting the youth, their immediate community and the larger society;
  • to represent the concerns of the youth rooted from their local and national realities;
  • to share experiences and insights on becoming an active participant in the YMCA and in strengthening network among youth;
  • to create awareness and develop appreciation on regional YMCA identity and goals;
  • to deliberate and search together for meaningful and practical YMCA responses.

Together, the youth will be learning about the stories of young people’s exposure and experiences with YMCA (local/national) and their communities, understanding Vision 2030 and the APAY QPP, Solution Design (Program/Project Planning and Youth and Community Challenges (Social Issues)

For matters related to participation, contact Maria Cristina L. Miranda, Executive Secretary for Programs Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .


Maria Cristina L. Miranda, Executive Secretary