The International Council has always been the most important governing body of the IYCW. As the democratic and representative representation of all national YCW’s, it has a rich history. Although the first official meeting was in Rome in 1957, the first initiatives towards an international, democratic and representative body were taken more than a decade earlier during the International Study Days in Brussels (1945). The IYCW-archives shed an invaluable light on the humble beginnings of the International Council.

The archive file contains a note made in preparation of the International Days with annotations from Jozef Cardijn (p.1-2). It concerned essential questions like ‘what should we discuss and who will attend?’. Among the topics to be discussed were mainly the establishment of an International Secretariat in Brussels and the basic principles of international collaboration. The second question was harder to answer than it seems nowadays; Canada and Luxemburg had already confirmed by telegram, the US will soon send one, the Netherlands, England, Scotland and Ireland will probably attend, shouldn’t Switzerland and Portugal also be alerted? Communication was quite the adventure…

On February 23th, 2021, the archives of the International Young Christian Workers (IYCW) were moved from the International Secretariat in Brussels to KADOC Documentation and Research Centre on Religion, Culture and Society connected to the Catholic University of Leuven.

The IYCW has a rich history and pre-history. From its origins in the Young Christian Workers (YCW) (1925) movement, to its official recognition as an international movement in 1957 and beyond, it envisaged the emancipation and education of young workers all over the world. Through the years, the IYCW has produced vast archives containing written correspondence with the national branches and local (Church) authorities, documents on daily governance and activities, information on personnel and finances,… It really reflects the history of more than seventy years of IYCW.

Global reality is complex and threatening. Ordinary citizens are at a loss as to what to think when they turn on the radio, watch the news, read a newspaper or browse the headlines on social media. We witness armed conflicts, open wars in different parts of the globe, people displaced from their places of origin and their homes. All kinds of weapons, fruit of the industry of death, continue to circulate with impunity.

If we turn our eyes to the dominant nation, we see with dismay that the elections in the United States have confirmed candidate Trump, a leading figure of the far right who advocates policies of regression of rights around the world. His arrival at the White House is not only an insult to our intelligence because of his fake news and anti-human statements, it is the harbinger of transformations on the global economic stage, creating greater uncertainty in every country. The emergence and gradual consolidation of artificial intelligence is set to have a major impact in many areas, such as science, consumer patterns, health, social benefits and, of course, the organization of work. This is a major challenge to which we need to pay close attention.

The political and economic choices being made are having serious consequences in terms of climate change. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) seem increasingly anecdotal, so fragile are the commitments of nations. The failure to respect agreements reached within the framework of international cooperation is clear. Furthermore, impunity for crimes against humanity is blatant, as in the case of the major geopolitical conflicts we are witnessing (in Gaza, Ukraine or Lebanon, for example).

We wanted to raise these international issues, which are not exhaustive but essential, and we invite you to analyze them. It is in this context that we are publishing this new issue of the newsletter, which focuses on 100 years of YCW experience around the world. Enjoy your reading!