History of World YMCA
Young Men’s Christian Association is a worldwide movement based on the Christian principles was founded on June 6, 1844 by a group of young men at London under the leadership of George Williams. The aim was to take care of the Physical, Intellectual, Spiritual and Social well being of the Young people and Society at large. Since then, the YMCA has gone on encompassing the world. Now it is the largest Non Governmental Organization spread over 140 countries around the World with 15000 Local Associations and 30 Million Members.
The news about the successful functioning of London YMCA spread far and wide through young men visited London and by those migrated from London to other continents. 1851 to 1855, the London YMCA carried out an extensive correspondence with similar organizations abroad and movement made roots in Europe ,America, and Australia. This paced the way for the first YMCA conference in Paris in 1855 which is called as “Paris Basis”.
During the last 150 years YMCA movement has spread to 130 countries and geographical regions with over 12000 local YMCAs with nearly 30 Million members. As the years passed the focus of YMCA has changed from Individual development to community development. 1954 witnessed the birth of the fist YMCA India at Calcutta. Meanwhile in the year 1977 Asia Pacific Alliance of YMCA was formed for coordinating and leading the YMCA in the region.
Young Men’s Christian Association is a worldwide movement based on the Christian principles was founded on June 6, 1844 by a group of young men at London under the leadership of George Williams. The aim was to take care of the Physical, Intellectual, Spiritual and Social well being of the Young people and Society at large. Since then, the YMCA has gone on encompassing the world. Now it is the largest Non Governmental Organization spread over 140 countries around the World with 15000 Local Associations and 30 Million Members.
The news about the successful functioning of London YMCA spread far and wide through young men visited London and by those migrated from London to other continents. 1851 to 1855, the London YMCA carried out an extensive correspondence with similar organizations abroad and movement made roots in Europe ,America, and Australia. This paced the way for the first YMCA conference in Paris in 1855 which is called as “Paris Basis”.
During the last 150 years YMCA movement has spread to 130 countries and geographical regions with over 12000 local YMCAs with nearly 30 Million members. As the years passed the focus of YMCA has changed from Individual development to community development. 1954 witnessed the birth of the fist YMCA India at Calcutta. Meanwhile in the year 1977 Asia Pacific Alliance of YMCA was formed for coordinating and leading the YMCA in the region.
- 1844: George Williams was a 23-year-old draper, typical of the many young men who were being drawn to big cities by the Industrial Revolution His colleagues were similarly employed, and they were concerned by the lack of healthy activities for young men in cities such as London. The alternatives were often taverns, brothels, and other temptations to sin. On June 6, Williams founded the first YMCA in London for "the improving of the spiritual condition of young men engaged in the drapery and other trades."
- 1851 There were YMCAs in Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Australia, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and France.
- 1855 YMCA delegates met in Paris, France, at the First World Conference of YMCAs, marking the beginning of the World Alliance of YMCAs. The conference adopted the Paris Basis[3], a common mission for all present and future national YMCAs. Its motto was taken from the Bible, "That they all may be one" (John 17:21). Other ecumenical bodies such as the World YWCA, the World Council of Churches and the World Student Christian Federation, reflected elements of the Paris Basis in their founding mission statements.
- 1857 The first YMCA in Asia was started at the then Capital of India Calcutta though a beginning was made in August 1854. On February 27, 1857, the Calcutta Christian Juvenile Society of 1822 formed by John Lawsan, a Baptist Missionary associated with William Carey changed its name to Calcutta YMCA.
- 1865 The Fourth World Conference of YMCAs, Germany, affirmed the importance of developing the whole individual in body, mind and spirit. The concept of physical work through sports was also recognised. This was a new concept for the time.
- 1878 The World Alliance offices were established in Geneva, Switzerland, where they have been ever since.
- 1880 In some of the member countries the YMCA was the first national organization to adopt a strict policy of equal gender representation in committees and national boards. Norway adopted this policy in 1880.
- 1891 The National Council of YMCAs of India was formed in Madras on February 21, 1891 through the initiative of David McConaughy.
- 1902 The headquarters of The National Council of YMCAs of India is shifted to Calcutta in May, 1902.
- 1910 The YMCA was an early influence upon Scouting, including the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and German Scouting. Edgar Robinson, a Chicago-area YMCA administrator, briefly left the YMCA to become the BSA's first director.
- 1916 K.T. Paul became the first Indian National General Secretary of India. Paul had started rural development programmes in India through co-operatives and credit societies. These programmes for self-reliance of marginal farmers became very popular. He also coined the term "rural reconstruction", and many of the principles he developed were later incorporated into the Government's nation-wide community development programmes.
- 1923 Y.C. James Yen of the YMCA of China devised the "thousand character system", based on pilot projects in education. The method became very popular, and in 1923, it led to the founding of the Chinese National Association of the Mass Education Movement.
- 1939-1945 The YMCA became very involved in war work. The YMCA increased its international work with displaced persons and refugees and set up War Prisoners Aid to support prisoners of war by providing sports equipment, musical instruments, art materials, radios, gramophones, eating utensils and other items.
- 1947 The World Alliance of YMCAs gained special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.
- 1955 The First African President of the World Alliance of YMCAs was elected, Mr. Charles Dunbar Sherman from Liberia. At 37 years, he was the youngest President in World Alliance history.
- 1964 The headquarters of The National Council of YMCAs of India is shifted to its present location, New Delhi from Calcutta.
- 1985 The World Council of YMCAs passed a resolution against apartheid, and campaigns against the system began under the leadership of Mr. Lee Soo-Min (Korea), the first Asian Secretary General of the World Alliance.
- 2006 YMCAs are present in 124 countries. The current president of the World Alliance of YMCAs is Martin Meissner from Germany, and Bartholomew Shaha of Bangladesh is Secretary General.
GEORGE WILLIAMS
|
K.T.PAUL
|