From September 22 to 25, 2025, YMCA.mk had the honor of hosting this year’s YMCA West Balkans Initiative Coordination Meeting. This event unites the energy, knowledge and vision of leaders from across the region and beyond.

The gathering brought together representatives from the YMCAs from Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo, Greece, Bulgaria, Italy, Albania, as well as representatives from our partners from the YMCAs of Germany and the USA. In addition, it was a special honor and a testament to the importance of this initiative for the development of the YMCA network in the region to have the Secretary Generals from World YMCA, Carlos Sanvee and YMCA Europe, Juan Simoes Iglesias as special guests.

Shared Vision and Collaboration

The regional meeting focused on strengthening local and national YMCA organizations through:

• The exchange of good practices in youth work

• Deepening collaboration among countries in the region
• Developing a strategic plan through 2030, in alignment with the global #YMCAVision2030
• Training and discussions on responsible governance, financial transparency, and sustainable funding of youth programs.

These themes lie at the heart of the global YMCA mission—an organization with more than 180 years of history dedicated to the holistic development of young people and the building of stronger communities.

Learning, Sharing, Growing

Through lectures, workshops, and discussions, participants had the opportunity to learn about contemporary challenges facing young people, to hear inspiring experiences from the USA, Germany, Italy, Greece, and the wider region, and to contribute to the creation of a joint framework for the future development of YMCA in the Western Balkans. Special attention was given to topics such as leadership, camping as a tool for non-formal education, and cultural exchange to build bridges of peace, understanding, and opportunity for youth.

Adriana Stanovici and Scott T. Jackson from YMCA of the USA led an inspiring workshop on the magic of camps. Claudia Kuhn from YMCA Germany who consistently supports the Western Balkans Initiative in its growth journey led a session on capacity building, bringing the positive practices from Germany. In addition, we had sessions on the latest positive stories from Greece and Italy.

Gratitude and Recognition

Behind every successful event stands a dedicated team and volunteers, without whom none of this would be possible. Special thanks go to the YMCA.mk team and volunteers: Emilija, Jovan, Nikola, Antonio, Mila, Manuela, Jovana, Stefanija, and Miki, for their enthusiasm, support, and hospitality.

As part of the global YMCA family, our YMCA proudly contributes to building a more peaceful, connected, and stronger Western Balkans with young people at the heart of every change.