YCW Centenary Opening Speech by Basma Louis, president of the IYCW

The centenary:

Our founder Joseph Cardijn, a "son of the working class" and a priest of the Catholic Church, began organising young workers in 1912: that was the year the first grassroots group was set up. But 1925 was the year the YCW was officially recognised in Belgium, both by the local Church and by the universal Church in the person of the Pope, who listened and responded to Cardijn's wish to "save young workers". So this year marks the 100th anniversary of the YCW!

The YCW centenary will not be an isolated event, but a process. The centenary is an opportunity to see more clearly our impact in the world and in people's lives.