Cardijn was born on November 13, 1882. The 140th anniversary of his birth will be celebrated in the church of Our Lady of Laeken, Belgium on November 13, 2022 at 11:15 am. You are welcome to attend! You could also organize a celebration wherever you are!
In the church of Our Lady of Laeken, there is a very simple tomb: the tomb of Joseph Cardijn, the founder of the YCW, who died in 1967 at the age of 85.
A sentence is written on the wall: A young worker is worth more than all the gold in the world. It is a CRY, a CRY of denunciation of a dominant system that destroys personal dignity, solidarity, the environment...
It is a CRY of demand, a goal of action and struggle, a rallying CRY. That sentence sums up the feeling that drove Joseph Cardijn deep inside.
On the 23d of October 2022, the IYCW held the public opening of its 15th International Council in Peru as a symbolic show of unity of the struggles of the young workers organized by the movement. The context in which this international council took place was characterized, on the one hand, by the tide and ebb of the Covid19 pandemic and its various consequences on the people, such as the increase of unemployment and social inequalities. It was also marked by the great complexity of the international economic, cultural and political tensions between the current super industrial powers which even led the world to international armed conflicts. On the other hand, this council provided an opportunity to highlight the growing mobilization of the people, especially of the youth who were longing for a more just and fraternal world, as Pope Francis puts it, and for a more serious concern for their environment.
This important event took place in Casa de Retiro San Francisco de Asis in Lima. The public opening began with a wonderful cultural ritual performed by an indigenous woman from Peru who helped the participants connect with Mother Earth, Pachamama, and our ancestral spirituality. This was followed by the Eucharistic celebration, presided over by Dom José Reginaldo Andrietta, bishop of the Diocese of Jales in Sao Paulo Brazil, who was himself a former international chaplain to the IYCW. Bishop Reginaldo Andrietta was assisted by Father Alejandro Cussinavich, chaplain to the Peru YCW, and Fathers Santiago and Humberto Boulango from Peru.
The International Young Christian Workers (IYCW), together with YCW Peru, will be organizing its XV International Council and exchanges of actions and good practices on engaging young people in Lima, Peru, from 23rd October to 8th November 2022 with the theme, “Called to Act for Just Work”.
This will be the first event we are holding in person after the spreading of Covid-19 and the many challenges we had to face, and we will count on the presence of 14 national movements and more than 45 delegates from Asia-Pacific, Africa, Europe and Latin America.
Responding to Pope Francis’s call for young economists, entrepreneurs, practitioners and changemakers to “give a soul to the economy” and work towards an ecologically responsible economy that cares for all and leaves no one behind, more than a thousand young people from different parts of the world came to Assisi, Italy for the Economy of Francesco 2022 Global Event from 22 to 24 September.
They were days full of meaningful encounters, bridges and harvest. A space to share and listen to the stories, to learn about diverse initiatives and best practices, to connect with young people from other parts of the world, and to be part of a shared global commitment that seeks change.
Young people, including the representative of the IYCW and the network on the Future of Work After Laudato Si project where we belong, shared powerful spoken word pieces, echoing the very essence of the Economy of Francesco: “We are the women and men of listening and dialogue, connecting bridges and seeking to give soul to the economy.” Motivated and empowered by the encounter, the community proceeded to build bridges as ongoing projects were shared and ideas exchanged. Possible collaborative actions were sought to identify ways to transform towards an ecologically and socially responsible economy.
The activists of the Venezuela YCW (JOCV) held their XXVII National Council (NC) in the city of Sanare, Lara State, on April 8-9-10, 2022, with the participation of many people, among them 34 young official delegates from 5 regions of the country (Caracas, Bolivar, Lara, Portugueza and Zulia), with the support of adult collaborators and a representative of the International YCW Secretariat as guests.
The NC was held in memory of our companion Paul Priou, a great reference for the YCW of Venezuela who left this world a few months ago but who remains present in the heart of every young worker as mentioned by Elibeth Villaroel during the official opening of this XXVII NC.
The JOCV had developed an extensive process of preparation, in times of pandemic, convening all current activists, former leaders and adult collaborators, in the national territory and outside the country, in order to enrich the process and the conduct of this NC, despite the impacts created by the international economic blockade and the internal crisis that the country is facing.