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IYCW NEWSLETTER
Dear [FULLNAME],
August 2025
Special issue: YCW’s 100 years & International YCW Day
We are pleased to present to you a new edition of the IYCW Bulletin.
In this issue, we share updates on the continuation of activities related to the centenary celebrations and, more specifically, on the International Day of the YCW, celebrated on August 25. These events are part of our timeless mission: to build a just and dignified future for all young workers.
You will also find a summary of our participation in the International Labour Conference in Geneva, where we raised the voices and concerns of young workers from across the world.
We wish you an enjoyable read and invite you to continue our shared commitment and actions towards a more just and solidary world!
Enjoy your reading, and let's move forward with new actions!
ACTION CAMPAIGNS
International YCW Day: Remembering the Road Covered and Shaping the Future
August 25, 2025 marks a new milestone in the centenary celebrations of the YCW. This date holds special significance for the International YCW, as on August 25, 1957, the movement organized a historic global gathering in Rome. On St. Peter’s Square, more than 32,000 young workers from all over the world came together with Pope Pius XII, with Cardijn, Church authorities, and over 10,000 invited guests to reaffirm and consolidate the YCW as an international movement of young workers.
Once again this year, national YCW movements – from local to national levels – are organizing their own centenary celebrations, including the International YCW Day. These initiatives aim to carry forward the pioneering spirit of previous generations, deepen the understanding of our history, encourage consistency in the commitment to the movement, and strengthen grassroots action.
AUGUST 25: INTERNATIONAL YCW DAY
The international dimension of the YCW is a fruitful “gift”
The international dimension of the YCW was a fruitful “gift,” a powerful beacon that set the course. The celebration of the YCW's centenary in May 2025 was one of its highlights, and the “International Day” encourages us to continue building this international dimension.
ROME 57: a large international gathering
By Marlyse Thommen
The year 1957 was when I discovered YCW in school at the age of 14. Jeanine, a friend who was already an activist in a grassroots group, asked me to help her fill out an enquiry that the movement was conducting nationwide on wages and money. It was my first invitation to observe and form an opinion: SEE, JUDGE...
Shortly afterwards, she told me that the movement was organizing a large international gathering that year with delegates from every country: it was ROME 57!
From Rome 1957 to the Present Day: a Symbol of Faith and Resistance in the Hautes Fagnes Plateau (Belgium)
As part of the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the YCW, a ceremony was held in the Hautes Fagnes Plateau (High Fens), in the Walloon Region of Belgium, on June 24, 2025. The event commemorated both the centenary of the YCW and, more specifically, the pilgrimage of local YCW members to Rome in 1957. On that historic occasion marking the creation of the International YCW Coordination, a cross was erected in the Fagnes.
ICA (International Cardijn Association)
Jorge Luis Silva Morales: a Jocist at heart, a man committed to the dignity and rights of workers
In the context of the Chilean military dictatorship (1973-1990), in 1982, at the age of 20, Jorge was unemployed and selling Berliner doughnuts outside a polyclinic in the city of Talca, in Chile's seventh region. This is where his journey with the YCW began.
In 1989, he was elected continental leader, supporting and strengthening the work in countries such as Colombia, Venezuela, Costa Rica, and Mexico. He left behind a legacy as a YCW activist and a true friend.
INTERNATIONAL
Young Workers Speak Out at the ILC 2025: A Call to End Informality
At the 113th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC), the International Young Christian Workers (IYCW) brought the lived realities of young informal workers to the global stage. The movement participated in both the plenary sessions and the Workers’ Group Commission of the Committee on “Innovative approaches to addressing informality and promoting the transition to formality for decent work.”
The IYCW’s plenary statement was read by Rony Robinashya, IYCW Asia-Pacific (ASPAC) Regional Coordinator, and featured the testimony of Abel Leonardo Luque Vilca, a young worker from Peru.
IMPORTANT
The IYCW International Day and International Solidarity
The International Day of the IYCW represents a unique opportunity to strengthen solidarity.
On this occasion, the IYCW calls upon everyone — activists, former members, friends, and supporters — to contribute according to your means, by donating the equivalent of one day’s wage or any amount you are able to give.
Your support will help fund the actions and activities of the IYCW at the international level. Your contributions are essential to:
Bank details:
Every contribution counts! Together, we move the movement forward and strengthen our mission for decent work and a better life for all young workers.
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