As part of the centenary celebration of the Young Christian Workers (YCW), a Public Forum entitled “The Rise of Far-Right Ideologies and Just Transition” was held on May 2, 2025, bringing together young workers, trade unionists, civil society actors, and grassroots leaders from around the world.

The forum addressed two interlinked themes: the global surge of far-right political ideologies and the critical need for a just and inclusive transition in the face of environmental and socio-economic crises.

By Dr. Heiner Wilmer SCJ

Bishop of Hildesheim, President of the Commission for Social and Societal Issues (VI) of the German Bishops' Conference

I send you my warmest greetings and congratulate you on the centenary of the Young Christian Workers (YCW). 100 years—on such anniversaries, it is customary to congratulate the centenarian on a lifetime of achievements and honor their accomplishments in the final stages of their life. But the YCW is different: it is a centenarian bursting with youth!

You are celebrating this as it should be, with an impressive program for a gathering of generations and international exchange. What would your founder, the future Cardinal Joseph Léon Cardijn, have said if he had known this in Brussels in the early days of your movement? He would certainly have been very proud. At the same time, I imagine he would be shocked by the working conditions that many people around the world still face every day. This is not a problem specific to one country—an international organization like the YCW certainly knows this better than I do. We are confronted with the concerns and problems of working people, especially young people and young adults, on our own doorstep in every country, wherever we live.

As part of the celebrations for the YCW Centenary, a series of exchanges were organized between the participants and KAJ (Flemish Belgium), CAJ (Germany), JOC Wallonia (French Belgium), and JOC Spain. These initiatives were designed to foster meaningful connections between young members of the movement and to strengthen the spirit of international solidarity that has always been central to the YCW’s mission.

Throughout these exchanges, young people had the opportunity to share their lived realities—both the challenges they face and the hopes they hold in their daily lives, communities, and workplaces. In doing so, they not only learned from one another’s experiences but also deepened their understanding of the different social and cultural contexts in which the YCW operates.

Haltern, a district of Münster in northwestern Germany, is a charming town ideal for hiking, cycling, and exploring the surrounding countryside. It is in this peaceful setting that the International YCW (IYCW) chose to continue its centenary celebrations. The KönzgenHaus training center, run by the CWM and YCW German movements, hosted the international meeting of former IYCW leaders from May 8 to 10, 2025.

This landmark event, organized as part of the YCW's 100th anniversary celebrations, brought together nearly 40 former YCW activists from different generations and backgrounds.

Brussels, Belgium — 1–12 May 2025 — The International Young Christian Workers (IYCW) celebrated its centenary under the theme “United in Dignity, Together in Action,” marking 100 years of unwavering commitment to the dignity and rights of young workers across the globe.

From May 1 to 12, over 100 YCW representatives from every continent convened in Brussels, the birthplace of the movement founded by Joseph Cardijn. Delegates came from as far as Australia and India, Argentina and Egypt, Japan and Brazil, to Germany, Ghana, Mexico, Thailand, Quebec, and beyond. The centenary celebrations served not only as a time of remembrance but also as a platform for renewal and global solidarity.

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.