APAY held its Annual Executive Committee Meeting

The Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs (APAY) held its annual Executive Committee Meeting online for the 2nd consecutive time on 1st and 2nd April 2022. Due to travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the ECM was held via Zoom with 111 registered delegates and representatives from 21 national movements. The theme for the ECM was Navigating the Crisis: identifying opportunities for the YMCA Mission. Prof. Chen Chin-Seng, President of APAY, chaired the meeting and was assisted by Nam Boo Won. General Secretary of APAY. Carlos Sanvee, Secretary-General of the World Alliance of YMCAs and other leaders, gave their fraternal greetings. Read more

Mr. Kim Boo-Kyum, Prime Minister, South Korea, Congratulates the NCY of Korea on hosting the APAY

Congratulations on hosting the office of the Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs (APAY) on Jeju Island. It is even more meaningful as it is the largest network of civil society organizations in the Asia and Pacific region and the first time in Korea to host the office of the international alliance of civil organizations. This splendid accomplishment is the result of the recognition of our changed status and mature democracy in the international community achieved by our civil society together.  Read more

Gender Equity Committee Felicitated the writers of the International Essay Contest

The felicitation ceremony of the International Essay Contest on “Towards a Better World for Women and Girls: Gender Justice by 2030” as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence was organised virtually on April 29, 2022. Around 25 participants joined the meeting, including members of the gender equity committee (GEC). The achievers of the essay contest are from YMCAs of Vietnam, India and the Philippines were felicitated and awarded certificates. Read more

#EarthHour2EarthDay - A 28-Day Climate Action Challenge 2022

The “EarthHour2EarthDay” challenge has been organized for the second year as a 28-day Climate Action Challenge, starting from “Earth Hour” on 26 March to “Earth Day'' on 22 April 2022. Each day, APAY uploaded a challenge to commit to the following day. The challenge has provided interesting and challenging ideas on how our actions and habits can help to save our mother earth. Some challenges were: Walking 10,000 steps and picking up 10 pieces of trash on the way. Read more

# I am for Zero Waste Campaign

The ‘I am for Zero Waste’ invites individuals and YMCAs to make their individual or organizational contributions to zero waste by mainly adjusting their consumption patterns and practices. To help educate and encourage others to join the movement, the challenge is to share each zero-waste action on your Facebook ‘Story’ every 3rd Friday of the month starting May 2022. As stories are a great way to connect with each other, regular content sharing will run until February 2023. Read more

ICF organized a ToT on Nonviolent Communication

From March 7th to 30th, 2022, the Interfaith Cooperation Forum conducted a ten-day Peace Institute of virtual Training of Trainers (ToT) on Nonviolent Communication. Twelve participants attended the training. Six (6) of them were male, and 6 were females from six Asian countries, namely, Bangladesh, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Nepal, and Timor-Leste. The training-of-trainers sessions were held for three hours every week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Tuesdays and Thursdays were set aside to work on assigned tasks to participants for practical learning. Read more

“Healing a Broken World”-National Student Assembly 2022 by NCYI

The National Student Assembly was held at the International Youth Hostel Mysore, India, during March 18 – 20, 2022, on the theme, “Healing a Broken World”.

The Assembly, revived after several years, attracted the participation of some 130 students from YMCAs across the nine Regions and their fellowship of Uni-Ys and Hi-Ys, NCYI. The National Student Assembly started with devotion, and a message by Mr. Bhen Samson, Regional Secretary, North India Region of YMCAs, on March 18, 2022, at 2:00 pm, followed by an orientation to participants. Read more

Responding To The Fifth Wave With The YMCA Spirit

With the unprecedented rise of COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong, our city’s underprivileged are facing even more challenging times than ever before. Hong Kong is a city populated with over 7.6 million people where over-crowdedness is a social problem, especially in the district of Sham Shui Po. Elderlies living alone, the unemployed, new immigrants, low-income families living in subdivided flats and scavengers concentrate in this area. Under normal circumstances, they already encounter many challenges in living and working, and now they have to face substantially more hardships under the fifth wave of COVID-19. Read more

Strategic Meeting with Local YMCAs by NCYB

The National Council of YMCAs of Bangladesh (NCYB) has organized a two-day strategic Meeting on 25-26 March 2022. The Strategic Meeting was held at the Conference Hall of YMCA International House, Savar, Bangladesh. The National Council of YMCAs of Bangladesh invited all local YMCA Presidents, National Executive Committee (NEC) Members and General Secretaries to participate in the strategic meeting. So the Lay Leaders and professionals of the Bangladesh Y movement have a wonderful opportunity to gather and participate in the essential Strategic Meeting. Read more

Eye Camp 2022 Conducted by YMCA Cuttack

YMCA Cuttack regularly conducts Eye testing camps in different parts of the city, rural areas and its periphery in April. In 2022, an Eye camp was conducted at YMCA, Bhagatpur Project Centre, Dist: Cuttack on 23rd Apr 2022. The panchayat consists of 17 villages with more than 7000 villagers. YMCA Cuttack reached out to the villagers, announced the scheduled programs and encouraged the villagers to visit the testing centre, where testing and surgery are done free. Read more

Inauguration of Gosaba Rural Project of Calcutta YMCA

The Gosaba Rural Project was inaugurated by its Chairman, The Rt. Revd. Dr. Probal Kanto Dutta in the presence of the Gen. Secretary Mr. Niladri Raha and other members of Calcutta YMCA on 2nd April 2022. It was a beautiful and successful programme. There are three (3) pre primary and primary free tuition centres and one Adult literacy centre. Local residents are happy and excited about the project, especially Adult literacy centres students, as they will learn to read and write in Bengali and English. Teachers of the centre, students and local committee members welcomed the YMCA leaders gleefully. The beautiful moments of the day will be our sweet memories until the end of life, said Mr. Niladri Raha, thanking the Lord Jesus Christ for the project. Read more

Appeal for support to deliver emergency relief to the affected families in Leyte, Philippines

On behalf of the Leyte YMCA in the Visayas, the YMCA of the Philippines appeals for the generosity of the YMCA family and members to support the delivery of emergency to those affected by Typhoon Megi (Agaton). The passage of Tropical Storm Megi (locally known as Typhoon Agaton) on April 10-11, 2022, over the Eastern Visayas Region in the Philippines caused floods and landslides, resulting in casualties damage across the region and the neighbouring areas. Read more

World Council begins in 60 days

In two months, 1,000 people will come together in person in Aarhus, Denmark, and 1,500 people will come together online. Registration for the in-person event continues until 31 May.

A call for applications was sent out here for Co-Lab facilitators, and the global office has had a great response. There is still time to register your interest. Register and Read more

NCYI, together with the YMCA Madras, welcomes you to the 21st General Assembly of the APAY in India in 2023

APAY Annual Report 2021

“……In the spirit of solidarity and mutual support towards unity in diversity in mission, we continued to be faithful to the Quadrennial Program Plan (QPP) 2020-2023 while being sensitive to our region's constantly changing realities and contexts and the world. The 2021 Annual Report is thus an expression of our collective intelligence and action in witnessing God’s unfolding ministry in times of continuing uncertainty and vulnerability.

Following the last year’s practice, a shortened version of the Annual Report has been published in advance in collaboration with the World Alliance of YMCAs and other Area Alliances. APAY will publish a full-fledged Annual Report for those who want a comprehensive understanding of the APAY’s activities/programs……”. Read more

To download the APAY Annual Report 2021 click here

OBITUARY

NCY of Sri Lanka sadly announced the demise of Mr. Santha Fernando on April 20, 2022

Mr. Fernando was the Chairperson of the Finance Committee of NCYSL and former President of Moratuwa YMCA. He was a well-known Executive Secretary of the Asia & Pacific Alliance of YMCAs. A dedicated YMCA volunteer and a professional who, till his final breath, continued to dedicate his life to the service of young people and the community through the YMCA movement, said Mr.Theonis Charles Brownson, NGS NCY of Sri Lanka and requested to pray for Mrs. Fernando and her family at this time of grief. Read more