Strategic Direction for the National Council of YMCSA of Bangladesh
- Membership Development:
All local YMCAs are now giving much emphasis to recruit more members in the YMCA, who would be considered as strength of the YMCA being their services available for the YMCA. Movement strengthening also depends upon membership development. All the delegates from 11 Local YMCAs identified and agreed these major areas of (i) Membership campaign, (ii) arranging membership month to recruit potential person as members and (iii) Membership workshops.
- Youth Empowerment:
The Youth has always been the guiding force for the YMCA. The YMCA being a youth organization shall continue to encourage youths to get involved in the YMCA in all levels of activities. The YMCAs shall focus to make more active of youth forum undertaking youth focus activities such as; youth gathering, youth camp, youth workshop, cultural exchange program and sports (to assist young people to build strong relation and solidarity) etc. The agenda of youth workshop/seminar could be Leadership, Good Governance, Green or Climate Change, Value based, Social issues etc. to transform the young with appropriate knowledge, increase experience and building their capacity.
- Development of Professionalism:
It is always pre requisite of qualified professionalism for delivering services to the community. Initiatives shall be taken to enhance the capacity of the professionals for better service delivery to the society arranging in-house training for the staffs and professionals of local YMCAs as well as lay volunteers. We will also seek overseas training opportunities for them.
- Good Governance:
The YMCA is established on the principles of Good Governance, which is one the greatest strength of the YMCAs. Steps should be taken for enhancement of governance in the YMCAs. More focus will be given to arrange regular board meeting, on time annual general meeting, ToT workshop on good governance. These initiatives will contribute to maintain better governance and dynamic leadership practice for the transformation of a vibrant YMCA in Bangladesh.
- Gender Equity:
Gender inequality is a concern in Bangladesh. However, Local YMCAs are now open recruiting women as member. National Council of YMCAs of Bangladesh arranged Gender Awareness Workshop in 2013, Gender ToT Workshop in 2014, Gender Mainstreaming Workshop (National level) in 2016 and Regional based three Gender Mainstreaming Workshops in 2017 and invited the youth delegates, staffs and lay leaders in all of the workshops. The participants (boys and girls and Lay leaders) from Local YMCAs were able to equip themselves with better understanding on gender sensitizing aspects, the power relation and gender based violence in Bangladesh. They are now committed to play active role with the aim to establish a gender sensitize and just society. Strategic plan is focusing to arrange more Gender Mainstreaming Workshop by Local YMCAs and Gender Mainstreaming Workshop by NCYB.
- Children development:
Children are the future of the country. It is our responsibility to support, educate and nurture them to be worthy future citizen of the country. National Council of YMCAs of Bangladesh is planning to continue the Children Education Program through Local YMCAs. In addition the following activities such as; Art competition at Local YMCAs, Cultural competition (caring the talent of children and helping them to promote and flourish their talent), Advocacy on Early Marriage and Awareness Raising on Earthquake in the schools will be undertaken for the further development of children.
- Climate Change:
Climate change is one of the most urgent issues to be addressed in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is badly affected by the impacts of climate change, although it does not contribute proportionally to carbon emissions. The following programs and activities such as; Climate Change Workshop and Tree Plantation Program will be undertaken to deal and respond the issues of climate change.
- Fund Raising:
The Strategic Plan Workshop came up with the recommendation to carry out the following activities with the aim to raise fund for child, youth and gender focus programs such as; Raffle Draw Program and Starting Kinder Garden Schooling Program
- International Solidarity:
The Bangladesh YMCAs was formed with the patronization of the International YMCA Fraternity. Since its inception, strong relationship has been maintained worldwide with YMCA abroad including the World Alliance of YMCAs and Asia & Pacific Alliance of YMCAs. The Bangladesh YMCA also adheres to the policies laid down by them; a) Maintain good communications with international bodies, b) Participation at Statutory Meetings and Program internationally, c) Host International Programs and d) Contribute towards programs with humanitarian causes.
- Public Relation:
YMCA movement in Bangladesh will put continue focus branding of the YMCA and continue to maintain better public relations, and take much effort to publicize and project the activities to the public holding annual public meeting in which the delegates from GO, NGO and Church leaders, publishing Annual Reports, Newsletters (Prochesta) regularly to circulate to the general public, release frequent press release of YMCA activities and frequently advertise in the news media.
- International Days observation:
National Council of YMCAs of Bangladesh and Local YMCAs will jointly observe National and International Days including Probin Dibosh (Senior Citizen Day) with due respect.