New YCW NEC Member

We are incredibly pleased to announce that we have a new member of our NEC.

The NEC is being joined by Esther Watson from our Group in Sandbach and she will take up the position as Assistant to the National President.

Esther has done some incredible work in Sandbach - including leading on a successful refugee sponsorship scheme in the Parish.

Marc Besford, National President of the YCW, said: “Esther will be an amazing addition to our new NEC. She has proven herself to be an amazing leader in Sandbach and one who takes seriously our commitment to “raising the world” as Cardijn said. We plan to continue building our new NEC and look forward to even more additions over the next few weeks.”

Youth Ministry Training Day Coming Up - YCW Will Be There

The YCW will be present at an upcoming Youth Ministry training day for Salford Diocese. The day comes as part of the Diocese’s “Hope in the Future” programme and is aimed at providing the skills and knowledge to assist parishioners to take on roles in their parishes.

Details:

Thornleigh Salesian College, Bolton, BL1 6PQ
Saturday 14th September 2019
10am- 3pm

The day will have workshops on engaging young people in parish life and one of these will be led by a local IMPACT Group.

Programme

9:30                       Registration with Tea/Coffee
10:00                     Welcome/Introduction to the Day
10:10                     Opening Prayer – GIFT Chaplaincy Team
10:20                     Overview – Fr Chris Gorton: Our Vision for Youth Ministry
10:40                     Chris Knowles: Youth Synod
11:10                     Q&A

11.20                     Workshops 1
12:00                     Lunch (Packed lunches and time to visit the stalls)
12:45                     Move to workshops
12:50                     Workshop 2
13:30                     Change Workshops
13:35                     Workshop 3
14:20                     Move back to main space
14:25                     CYMFED Faith in Action Award – How can you help?
14:45                     Closing Liturgy
15:00                     Departures

Marc Besford, YCW National President, said: “I am really pleased that we have been invited to share our YCW perspective and mission. The IMPACT Group who are running a workshop will be a fantastic example of how our SEE-JUDGE-ACT method can transform young people into young leaders, grounded in our Catholic faith.”

Anniversary Of First International Congress Of The YCW

Today (25th August) is the anniversary of the first International Congress of the YCW, held in Brussels in 1935. The gathering included a range of events, speeches and training sessions, forming part of an International Study Week.

Joseph Cardijn opened the Congress saying: “The congress is the sincere expression of the spiritual and moral revolution that the YCW realises night and day in a humble and hidden fashion in thousands of souls, homes and workplaces, and which is in the process of imperceptibly changing the face of youth and the working class 

No, the YCW is not to be found in processions, in congresses or in noisy demonstrations. The YCW lives and works in the uninterrupted effort of thousands of young workers, who, with all the energy of their intelligence and their will, have decided to regain their comrades and everyone in the world of work to their divine origins and destiny. 

Not slaves, not beasts of burden, not machines, but sons, collaborators, inheritors of God!”

It was also an opportunity to share the 3 Truths of the YCW. Cardijn explained: “Three fundamental truths dominate and illumine the problem of the working youth of the world. They inspire, explain, and direct us towards the solution that the Y. C. W. has to give: 

1. A truth of faith. The eternal and temporal destiny of each young worker in particular and of all the young workers in general.

2. A truth of experience. The terrible contradiction which exists between the real state of the young workers and this eternal and temporal destiny.

3. A truth of pastoral practice or method. The necessity of a Catholic organisation of young workers with a view to the conquest of their eternal and temporal destiny.”

On this anniversary we hold in our prayers the continued good work of the ICYCW and all those around the world who bring young workers together in solidarity and uphold their God given dignity.

Next year will see the ICYCW International Congress gather again, this time in Ethiopia, and we intend to send a delegation from England and Wales to participate.

Young Christian Workers Across Europe Meet To Discuss The Future Of Work

Young people from the European Young Christian Workers’ (YCW) national movements of Portugal, Spain, Catalonia, France, Italy, England and Wales have gathered together in Porto, Portugal in order to discuss “The Future of Work”.

This REM (Rencontre Européen Militant), which is a meeting of young YCW leaders, took place between 25th-29th July 2019 and was attended by members of the International Secretariat of the International Coordination of the Young Christian Workers (ICYCW).

During this meeting, young people were able to share their experiences of working life, for example: what motivates them and what makes them happy. We also discussed our concerns about the future of work, since we are facing a new revolution in many forms of work. With the growth of automation, robotics and artificial intelligence, we have reached a point of unprecedented challenge.

Below is our joint statement detailing what we discussed, our concerns and what we propose needs to be done in response.

There are also some great pictures of the REM we wanted to share.

Thank you to all those who attended, especially to JOC Portugal for their hospitality and those who organised it.

A Worker's Perspective

Young people from the European Young Christian Workers’ (YCW) national movements of Portugal, Spain, Catalonia, France, Italy, England and Wales gathered together in Porto, Portugal recently in order to discuss “The Future of Work”.

This REM (Rencontre Européen Militant), which is a meeting of young YCW leaders, took place between 25th-29th July 2019 and was attended by members of the International Secretariat of the International Coordination of the Young Christian Workers (ICYCW).

During this meeting, young people were able to share their experiences of working life, for example: what motivates them and what makes them happy. Callum, one of our YCW leaders from England And Wales gave JOC Portugal a perspective of his work as a young person. Please have a read of it below:

YCW Attends Centenary Conference Of The International Labour Organisation

In its 100th year, the ILO came together to explore how the next century could progress the “Decent Work” agenda - one that seeks to prioritise the quality of employment alongside the quantity - as well as deal with the rapidly changing nature of work due to technology, demographics, automation and climate change.

The ICYCW attended the Conference as observers, alongside a wider group of Catholic-inspired organisations and NGOs. The YCW in England and Wales sent a member - Eamonn O’Brien - to join the ICYCW delegation in Geneva, where the Conference was being held.

The Conference structured its agenda around the desire for an agreed Centenary Declaration, a specific focus on violence and harassment against women and men in the world of work and a series of thematic debates and events on various work issues.

Each day had a range of sessions, meetings and committee gatherings, as well as speeches in the main hall.

Outside of the main programme, there was also a series of events for the Catholic Inspired Organisations (CIOs) to get involved in. This included training around fundraising, sessions on how we can build links between organisations and strengthen our advocacy efforts.

Importantly, there was also the opportunity to think more strategically about how we can influence the discussion on the future of work, global value chains social dialogue.

It was great to be able to work together with out brothers and sisters in the International Young Christian Workers (IYCW), who were also in attendance. We used this time to share ideas and reinforce our common mission, as well as socialise and get to know each other.

Due to the special nature of this years Conference, there were a lot of high-profile visits and speeches from world leaders. We were able to observe these in the plenary hall and listen to the remarks alongside the delegations.

Angela Merkel - the German Chancellor - praised the work of the ILO and expressed her commitment to the idea that “labour is not a commodity”, a cornerstone of the ILO since the 1944 Philadelphia Declaration.

President Emmanuel Macron of France described how the foundations of peace since World War Two had been laid on social justice. He explained how a crisis in capitalism risked the rise of populism and required a multilateral response to put humanity at the centre of decision-making.

The then Prime Minister - Theresa May - highlighted the work of the UK Government in tackling modern slavery. She argued that this despicable practice was far more pervasive than many realised and that it required authorities to be continually vigilant in rooting it out.

There was also an opportunity for the ICYCW to address the Conference Hall and the honour was given to our delegate from England and Wales - Eamonn O’Brien - to present our contribution. This was the first time in YCW history that we have had this opportunity. The speech was prepared collaboratively and sought to use testimony from YCW members around the world. This was because a key part of our international mission is to be a voice for young workers.

Overall, the Centenary Conference had a dual purpose. It was an opportunity to reflect on the genuine advances in the world of work over the past 100 years, but with a very clear understanding that these gains were not permanent or globally shared.

It resulted in an ambitious centenary declaration to maintain the progress made but also action to tackle the future challenges around mechanisation, automation and environmental needs.

ICYCW Delegates with the Director-General of the ILO, Guy Ryder - who hails from Liverpool.