ENGAGEMENT PANELS & PLENARY

The Engagement Panels will be a core component of the World Council programme. They will be interactive and hybrid in delivery, with an opportunity for delegates to pose questions and engage in panel debate. Their purpose is to:

  • amplify learning on how YMCAs and peer organisations are addressing key global challenges and opportunities relevant to Vision 2030
  • inform and augment Co-Lab component of the World Council programme with insight and application of practical solutions being advanced by local YMCAs.
  • position the YMCA Movement as a partner of choice with other global organisations and funders
  • inspire the YMCA Movement to build relationships with other YMCAs and peer organizations that can help strengthen local action.

What you need to know

For in-person delegates:

Engagement Panels will take place on Tuesday, July 5th and Wednesday, July 6th, beginning at 14:30 CET. There will be three panels per day, and registration is not required. Please refer to the World Council schedule for the location of each session.

For virtual delegates:

Engagement Panels will be live-streamed Tuesday, July 5th and Wednesday, July 6th. All Panels will be recorded and available on Attendee Hub for viewing.

Engagement Panels: Tuesday, July 5

Panel 1:  Community Wellbeing and Mental Health

Tuesday 5 July, 14:30-16:00 CEST

This interactive panel will explore how YMCAs and peer organisations around the world are addressing youth mental health. It will showcase examples of best practice, both in early intervention and therapeutic treatment.  In particular the panel will consider:

  • What issues are becoming more evident as a result of the pandemic and recent conflicts?
  • What specific programs have been developed, how are they funded, and what is their impact?
  • What can we learn from these programs through the lens of impact and scalability?

Panel 2: Meaningful Work

Tuesday 5 July, 14:30-16:00 CEST

This panel will stimulate thinking and examine where the potential lies to work with multinational corporations and NGO partners to transform the pathways for young people through education and training into meaningful and sustained employment.  In particular the panel will consider:

  • What is the unique role YMCAs can play, enabling young people to prepare for, and thrive in work?
  • How are YMCAs engaging today with young people, schools entrepreneurs, and employers to help build pathways into decent work?

Panel 3:  A Just World

Tuesday 5 July, 14:30-16:00 CEST

This interactive panel will explore how YMCA and other organisations are addressing issues associated with diversity, equity and inclusion within their communities. Topics are wide-ranging and manifest themselves in different ways around the globe: race equity, recognition of indigenous heritage and rights, embracing diversity in policy and practice.

In particular this panel will consider:

  • How YMCA can examine and learn from its own colonial past and ensure that as a Movement it does not perpetuate barriers, systems and communities that enable power imbalances and inequity
  • How we can learn from each other as we strive to accelerate equity and inclusion

Engagement Panels: Wednesday, July 6

Panel 4: Climate Action

Wednesday 6 July, 14:30-16:00 CEST

This panel will examine our global YMCA aspirations and commitment to carbon neutrality and question the changes we are willing to make (both as YMCAs and individually) to implement and support climate change action. In particular, the panel will consider:

  • What specific programs have been developed, how are they funded and what is their impact?
  • What effective strategies are helping YMCAs embed sustainability practices in day-to-day operations?
  • What are realistic ‘stretch’ goals we can set as YMCAs?

Panel 5:  Digital Equity

Wednesday 6 July, 14:30-16:00 CEST

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of digital connectivity and digital literacy has rapidly increased. Yet, large parts of the world’s population are being left behind because they lack digital skills and the ability to connect to an increasingly digital world.

Increasing connectivity and building digital literacy are critical to fostering the development of resilient and prosperous communities, economies, and individuals.  In particular, this panel will consider:

  • How YMCAs and organisations in different parts of the world are accelerating digital equity.
  • What specific programs have been developed, how are they funded and what is their impact?
  • What can we learn from these programs through the lens of impact and scalability?

Panel 6:  Peace Building

Wednesday 6 July, 14:30-16:00 CEST

YMCA believes that every individual has a human right to live in peace, free from the tyranny of violence, war or persecution.  As a non-political movement, we seek to achieve this by working across community and national divides to promote peace and reconciliation.  This panel will explore how YMCA addresses peace-building in areas of conflict, civil war, recent conflict or military standoff between neighbouring countries.  In particular, this panel will consider:

  • How is YMCA proactively promoting peace-building between communities?
  • How can YMCAs support civil society in reconciliation work beyond conflict?

Engagement Plenary: Thursday, July 7, 14:30-16:00 CEST

What does it really mean to be Youth-Led?


The goal of this plenary is to reinforce the worldwide YMCA Movement’s commitment to supporting Youth-Led programs in engaging ways by elevating youth voices and leadership to lead the charge for change.


This panel will showcase the most innovative elements of the YMCA Youth-Led Solutions Initiative (YLSI), including the solutions from the Youth-Led Solutions Summits on climate action (October 2020), the future of work (June 2021) and mental health and wellbeing (October 2021) as well as the Global Youth Mobilization (GYM) projects.