IT IS not all about basketball... For the first time, YMCA has joined hands to celebrate young people and attempt a world record of the largest number of people shooting hoops in 85 different countries at the same day.
This was initiated by the World YMCA in October 12, 2012 where 432,000 people gathered shooting hoops for the Guinness world record dubbed the “YMCA World Challenge”.
On June 9, 2014 the same event was launched by the World YMCA as part of the challenge throughout the world with 11,200 local YMCA’s in participation and to host a variety of youth- focused activities in their own communities with this year’s theme “I STAND – UP FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND I WANT THEIR VOICES TO BE HEARD.”
Part of the world challenge is for YMCA’s to ask individuals through a signature campaign to stand up for the youth as a petition to recognize the importance of investing in our young people and allowing their voices to be heard for a global declaration that calls for a widespread support for the youth.
The YMCA of the Philippines on this day has embarked to respond to the call of the youth with all local YMCA’s joining hands in campaigning for the cause. Local YMCA’s in the area have gathered the youth in different youth activities highlighted by shooting hoops also to attempt for a world record.
Also, a signature campaign was gathered to serve as a petition in a time of history where there are a great number of political processes and development agendas in discussion that need to take the voice of the young people into account. However, although young people around the world speak loudly and with confidence, in many case, these voices have been ignored and left at the sideline.
The effort of the World YMCA Movement as a matter of principle is to amplify the voices of the youth so they may be heard prominently throughout the world, this declaration therefore is addressed to the leaders of communities, government and the United Nations as partners in promoting the welfare of the youth, for future generations.