OVERVIEW
Full name of organisation	Young Christian Workers’ Movement
Short description	The YCW started in 1912 in Laeken, Belgium, guided by priest Joseph Cardijn. Initially focused on improving working conditions for girls, a similar group for young men emerged in 1913 as Young Trade Unionists, later renamed Young Christian Workers in 1925. By 1950, the YCW expanded to 60 countries, including Australia. Separate boys’ and girls’ organizations existed there, merging in 1959. With 38,000 members and 485 groups nationwide, the YCW engaged in social and political issues during the late 1960s and 1970s, opposing the Vietnam War, addressing wealth inequality, and promoting laypeople’s roles in the church. Despite financial challenges in the 1980s and 1990s, the YCW rebuilt and expanded globally. In 1995, the International Council was established in South Africa, attended by Nelson Mandela.
Organisation type	Community Group
Thumbnail or Logo
URLs	https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110901142?searchTerm=%22Young%20Christian%20Workers%27%20Movement%22
	https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/250207327?searchTerm=%22Young%20Christian%20Workers%27%20Movement%22
Group Affiliation(s)	Christian
Key Terms/Slogans	Their motto “a service for every need”.
Founder	Cardijn, Joseph
Linked from	The School in Society 1968 (TAS: School Education)