The countdown to the International Exchange and 16th International Council of the International Young Christian Workers (IYCW) has begun.
From the 4th to 22nd of October 2026, young leaders of the IYCW from different continents will gather in the Philippines to share their experiences, listen to the realities of young workers around the world, assess the journey of the movement, and collectively define its orientations and priorities for the years ahead.
Taking place in a particularly complex global context, the International Exchange and the and 16th International Council are both a call to action and a strong affirmation: together, we build tomorrow!
Society as a whole, and the working class in particular, are going through a period marked by profound transformations. Fundamental human rights, the achievements of the workers’ movement, international law and the balance of international relations are increasingly being challenged. In many parts of the world, conflicts and wars are multiplying, while enormous resources are being devoted to military expenditure instead of being invested in human and social development.
These situations contribute to reinforcing socio-economic systems that produce and reproduce extreme inequalities and fuel violence, exclusion, insecurity, and instability.
In this context, young workers in particular are facing major challenges such as, including the growing precariousness of work, unemployment and informality, limited access to social protection, insufficient and unequal incomes, and the transformations brought about by the digital and platform economy.
The Council will also provide an opportunity to reflect on gender equality and justice in the world of work, including the recognition of care work, women's participation and leadership, and the forms of discrimination and inequality that continue to affect young workers.
It is precisely in this context that the International Exchange and the 16th IYCW International Council become so important. They provide a space where the experiences, struggles, reflections and hopes of young workers from different countries can meet and be transformed into a common vision and collective action for the future.
Exchange of Experiences at the Heart of the Activity
In the Philippines, the YCW movement is actively preparing to welcome delegates, leaders, and representatives of young workers from different countries around the world.
This preparation includes visits to the different regions and communities that will host the action exchanges during the Council. These visits enable the Philippine movement to work together with local teams, better understand the realities that participants will encounter, and ensure that the exchanges are deeply rooted in the real lives and struggles of young workers.
The exchange of experiences is at the heart of the YCW method. It is not simply about visiting places or discovering different situations. Above all, it is about meeting people, listening to their experiences, understanding their realities, sharing experiences, and collectively seeking ways to take action.
Recent experiences of the YCW in the Philippines demonstrate the richness of this approach. Regional visits and meetings have brought young workers together with fisherfolk, students, informal workers, and other communities. These encounters create spaces where realities can be confronted, experiences shared and new forms of collective action can emerge.
During these exchanges, which will serve as a true prelude to the IYCW International Council, delegates will have the opportunity to compare their own experiences with those of the YCW in the Philippines. Together, they will discover and analyse different strategies, forms of organisation and initiatives developed by young people to respond to the political, social, cultural, and economic challenges they face, both at local and national levels and on the global stage.
The aim is therefore to transform the diversity of experiences into a collective strength for international action.
National Movements Prepare from the Perspective of Their Own Realities
As preparations move forward in the Philippines, IYCW national movements around the world are also preparing for the Council.
For many movements, this preparation is taking place on two levels: political preparation and technical preparation.
At the political level, national movements are beginning or continuing their reflection on the realities experienced by young workers in their countries: the situations they face, the actions they have undertaken, the results achieved, the difficulties encountered and the lessons learned from these experiences.
This preparation is essential because the Council must start from the concrete realities of young workers themselves. The strength of the IYCW lies precisely in its method: starting from the lives and work of young people, observing, and analysing these realities together, confronting them with our values and convictions, and taking action to transform them.
National movements are therefore preparing their contributions, evaluating their experiences, and discussing the challenges facing young workers. They are also reflecting on the priorities they would like to propose for the future of the international movement.
In this way, the Council will not simply be a moment of decision-making for the IYCW. It will also be the result of a long process of reflection and action carried out by young workers in their communities, workplaces, and national movements.
Together, We Build Tomorrow
The International Exchange and the 16th International Council will therefore be much more than a meeting of leaders from different countries.
Through exchanges, discussions, encounters with local realities and representation activities, the IYCW will strengthen its role as an international movement committed to young workers: mobilising, organising, educating, and defending the rights and dignity of young workers around the world.
These moments will also help strengthen the connection between the experiences and initiatives developed by YCW groups at local and national levels. They will contribute to giving an international dimension to the struggles and aspirations that emerge from the everyday realities of young people.
Finally, the Council will provide an opportunity to transform this wealth of experiences into common orientations and a strong and mobilising international action plan, capable of responding to the current and future challenges facing young workers.
An action plan to continue our commitment to decent work, gender equality, social justice, and dignity for all young workers.
Because, faced with the uncertainties and transformations of our time, we do not want to be mere spectators of the world that is coming.
We want to build it.
Together, We Build Tomorrow!
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