Indonesian YCW leader, Ludovicus Mardiyono has been elected as the incoming president of the International YCW.

Working with him will be Itzhak from YCW Namibia as secretary-general while Arlindo Oliveira from Brazil will continue as treasurer.

Among other candidates, Ikin Rahmat also from Indonesia will join the IYCW Asia Pacific team in Hong Kong.

The election took place at the 12th IYCW International Council in Accra, Ghana.

CCI Convenor Stefan Gigacz welcomed the appointments.

"Congratulations to Mardi and his new colleagues. They have accepted challenging and demanding roles," Stefan Gigacz said.

"CCI looks forward to working with the team for the benefit of workers and to promote Cardijn."


More to come.

The 13th IYCW World Council opened in Accra, Ghana yesterday addressing the theme 'Young Workers as Actors of Change'.

"Young workers must take up the cause of young workers and continue the struggle to improve their working conditions, fight for dignity and be actors for change," IYCW president Geethani Peries told Ghana News Agency.

Mr Lucas Anao Apiining, National President of the YCWM, Ghana, said, the summit attracted about 75 workers and supporters from all over the world, to evaluate, analyse, plan, coordinate, strengthen and realize the IYCW international social protection campaign, Vibe Ghana adds.

He said the objective of the movement was to organize young workers across the World to fight for change in their living conditions as future leaders, adding that, “it’s time to build a new world fighting together, and acting together as we need to fight for the freedom of all.”

Archbishop Charles Palmer-Buckle of Accra chaired the opening ceremony at the Council.

He said young people below 35years of age in Africa constitute about 65 per cent and that they were the majority and deserved to be treated as future leaders.

He advised them to be serious with any activity that they might find themselves in and appealed to them to be dedicated and committed to their religious duties.



SOURCE

13th YCW International conference opens in Accra (Vibe Ghana)

13th YCW International conference opens in Ghana (Ghana News Agency)

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IYCW 12th World Council, Accra, Ghana

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Jose Calatayud

A recent report by the ILO points out that between 2007 and 2011, youth unemployment increased by 4 million at the global level, a huge increase on the previous ten-year period, says the IYCW in a statement issued to mark its International Week of Young Workers.

"The situation is even more critical in countries such as Spain, Greece, Portugal, Italy and Ireland," the IYCW says.

"As the ILO report points out, young people are the most disadvantaged, the most vulnerable and the worst off in all areas surveyed.

IYCW president Ms Geethani Peries also notes that 2012 marks the centenary of the founding of the movement.

“Our vision and action are based on the beliefs and values of our founder, Joseph Cardijn”, said Geethani Peries, the International President of the YCW.  “He emphasised over and over again that “young people are worth more than all the gold in the world.” We try to live that belief in our own lives and in our solidarity with young workers across the globe. As the YCW is preparing for the International Council to be held in Ghana this year, it is opportune for us at this critical moment to return to our founding spirit and examine our original charter and vision. The International Council will provide a forum for young people from forty countries around the world to raise their voices for the rights of all young workers.”

“In 1912, when Cardjin started the first group of young people, there were clear contradictions between the reality of their lives and their aspirations. One hundred years later, young workers around the world also experience stark contradictions between their working conditions and their dreams of a fulfilling life. The YCW is as much needed today as it was in Cardijn’s time.”

SOURCE

International Week of Young Workers 2012 (IYCW)

Needleworkers Union at Laeken 1912

This Easter marks the centenary of Cardijn's arrival in the parish of Our Lady of Laeken, near Brussels in Belgium. Cardijn always dated the founding of the first YCW group to 1912 making this year also the centenary of the beginnings of the YCW.

The International YCW and the Cardijn Community International are both marking this important anniversary.

IYCW International president Geethani Peries has announced a special commemoration at Cardijn's tomb that will take place at Our Lady's Church, Laeken on Sunday 26 April from 3.00 -5.00 pm.

Read the IYCW Laeken celebration invitation here.

CCI has also issued a statement to mark the centenary calling on those formed in the Cardijn tradition to renew their commitment to Cardijn's spirituality and methodology.

"The Cardijn Community International (CCI) therefore wishes to take this opportunity to express its solidarity with the YCW and all others who base their work on Cardijn's principles," the CCI statement says.

"We call for a fresh commitment to Cardijn's cause so that a new generation of young people may be able to discover their mission to transform the world together with all those working to build 'another world'.

"On this historic occasion, we also renew our commitment to promoting Cardijn’s spirituality, vision and See-Judge-Act methodology."

Read the full CCI statement here: Cardijn launched first YCW group in 1912: A Centenary Tribute

Former International YCW chaplain Fr RV Mathias died at 2.30a.m. in Trichy, India, following a massive heart attack.

"We are shocked and saddened to hear of Fr Mathias' passing," CCI President Stefan Gigacz said in a statement.

"During his term as IYCW international chaplain, he worked tirelessly to maintain the unityof the movement. For this, we will be forever grateful."

Fr Mathias was born in Edangani, Tamil Nadu on November 11, 1938.

He entered the seminary in 1953 andstudied at St Paul's Seminary, India, from 1958-60. From 1960-64 he was a guest at the Pontifical Urban College in Rome followed by catechetical and liturgical studies at the Catholic Institute of Paris from 1964-66.

He was ordained as a priest in Rome on 21 December 1963.

Among the many positions he held, Fr Mathias was parish priest, diocesan, national and international chaplain of the YCW as well as chaplain of the diocesan youth and workers  for the diocese of Trichy.

He was also Director of the Diocesan Pastoral Center, Executive Secretary of the CBCI Commission for Labor (Delhi), Vicar general of the diocese of Trichy.

In 2002 he was appointed as Executive Secretary of the CBCI Commission for the laity.

He taught at Karumathur Jesuit Theological College near Madurai, India until recently.

After taking sabbatical leave, he was named  >spiritual father at St Paul's Seminary, Tiruchirapalli in April 2011.

Fr Mathias also collaborated actively with the Centre Lebret-IRFED network.

The funeral will take place at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Paul's Seminary, Trichy.

Read more at the CCI India website: Fr RV Mathias is no more

Less than a week to go to our 10th anniversary conference to be held from 23-25 July in Bangkok, Thailand.

We are pleased to say that we have 48 participants enrolled and we expect it to be a very significant event for the development of the CCI network.

Keynote speaker will be Father Antoine Sondag, former international chaplain of the IYCS and of Pax Romana-ICMICA.

We are also happy to say that IYCW international president Ms Geethani Peries will also join us.

More details will follow over the next few days.

Stefan Gigacz, CCI Secretary

In March 2008, the ILO Governing Body decided to place an item on the agenda of the 99th Session (2010) of the Conference with a view to setting standards on decent work for domestic workers. At that Session, the Conference decided, by a resolution adopted on 16 June 2010, to place on the agenda of its 100th Session an item entitled Decent work for domestic workers, for second discussion, with a view to the adoption of a comprehensive standard (a Convention supplemented by a Recommendation)

On the 7th June, 2011, the dream of millions of domestic workers and the entire working class became a reality with the adoption of the text of the historic convention on domestic workers. This landmark convention recognises domestic work as genuine ‘work’ and places domestic workers on par with other categories of workers.

However, the final text of the convention and recommendation will come up for voting at the International Labour Conference next week. Cardijn Community International (CCI) hopes that the convention will be approved.

CCI salutes the efforts of the domestic workers’ movements, associations, NGOs and other civil society organisations including the International YCW (IYCW) and National Domestic Workers Movement in India for their tireless decades long struggle to get this declaration adopted.

CCI is of the view that mere adoption of a convention will not change the life of the domestic workers around the world. Much has to be done in sensitizing the people and to bring about a change in the ‘mind-set’ of those who employ domestic workers. The active cooperation of the member states is very essential in the implementation and monitoring of the spirit and motive of the convention.

CCI for its part will continue to be in solidarity with the cause of the domestic workers and shall include in its activities a campaign to implement the convention in letter and spirit.

International Coordination

Cardijn Community International (CCI)