The World Council Programme takes shape

From wellbeing to climate action, peacebuilding, and migration, World Council 2026 is bringing together bold conversations that reflect the YMCA’s role in today’s world and the future we are building together.

Across the week, more than 45 sessions and 150 contributors from across the YMCA, alongside industry leaders from the private and public sectors, will come together to explore the realities shaping our communities, how YMCAs are responding in different contexts, and what it will take to move forward with clarity and confidence.

As a preview of what’s ahead:

• At the heart of the programme is a flagship session, The Community Wellbeing Pillar: YMCA’s unique global position, a global conversation led by the East Jerusalem YMCA and wellbeing leaders from across the Movement. Joined by partners like the McKinsey Health Institute and the George Family Foundation, this session will take on a big question: what does it really take to build communities where people feel connected, supported, and able to thrive? Expect fresh thinking, real-world insight, and a strong sense of where our Movement is heading.

• Looking to the future of our planet, Sustainability within reach brings together global expertise and local leadership, including Professor John E. Fernández from MIT, to explore how communities everywhere are already taking action. From youth leadership to new partnerships and practical solutions, this is about what is possible when global challenges meet local energy.

• Reflecting one of the most urgent realities shaping communities today, Migration and displacement: supporting justice, human dignity, and community transformation highlights how YMCAs are responding on the frontlines, from welcoming newcomers to building long-term belonging. It is a conversation grounded in dignity, resilience, and what it means to create communities where everyone can thrive.

• Looking ahead, The future won’t wait: how YMCA can lead the next generation of economic opportunity brings a forward-facing perspective, exploring how young people are navigating a rapidly changing world of work and how YMCAs can help shape pathways into meaningful livelihoods through skills, leadership, and global collaboration.

And this is just the start.

Throughout the programme, sessions move from understanding the forces reshaping our world, to learning from how communities are responding, to exploring the leadership, ideas, and partnerships needed for what comes next, with opportunities to connect, reflect, and take practical ideas back into your own context.

Full session details will be released with the app launch in early July.

Start thinking about the conversations you want to be part of.

And World Council is not just about the conversations we have, but the moments we create together.

The Tomorrow Party will bring us together to close the week with energy and intention, a space to celebrate the diversity of our global Movement, connect across cultures and generations, and look ahead with a shared sense of possibility. This is where the ideas, relationships, and momentum built throughout the week come together and carry forward, a collective launch into what comes next for the YMCA Movement.