Modernisation and updating of the exhibition in the church of Notre-Dame de Laeken on the history of the YCW and its founder, Cardinal Joseph Cardijn

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To mark the 100th anniversary of the Young Christian Workers (YCW) in 2025, the exhibition on Cardinal Cardijn in the church of Notre-Dame de Laeken will be modernised and updated. The exhibition, which has existed for more than 20 years, will be updated to reflect the lasting impact of Cardijn's work and the YCW's current actions.

Cardinal Joseph Cardijn, founder of the YCW, was a visionary who defended the rights and dignity of young workers. His message of ‘see, judge, act’ is still relevant today and continues to inspire young people around the world. The renovated exhibition will highlight not only his life and work, but also the evolution of the YCW over the years.

Today, the YCW is present in many countries and continues to defend social justice, lifelong education and the empowerment of young people. In Belgium, the YCW organises various projects and initiatives that help young people make their voices heard and participate actively in society. Around the world, the YCW works with other youth organisations to achieve common goals and have a positive impact on the lives of young people.

The modernisation of the exhibition will use interactive screens, QR codes and multimedia. The personal stories of YCW members and leaders, here in Belgium and around the world, will be presented, offering visitors a deeper and more engaging experience. Combining historical context with contemporary actions, the exhibition will bridge the past and the present, underlining the enduring relevance of Cardin's vision.

Part of the exhibition reflects the impact of the YCW on the lives and work of key social leaders in Belgium and around the world.

Part of the exhibition will be built around the current activities of the YCW in Belgium and certainly around the actions developed in more than 80 countries, to which end we will show images of these activities.

A digital version of the exhibition, which will be accessible worldwide via a website hosted by KADOC, is also being developed.

With this new exhibition, the YCW, in collaboration with Maison Jociste and Centrale Jociste, aims not only to honour Cardinal Cardijn's testament, but also to inspire new generations to carry on his legacy of ‘see - judge - act’ and contribute to a fairer world.

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About the International Cardijn Association

cardijn

The International Cardijn Association (ICA) is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to serve the present and future generations of young workers throughout the world.

Officially created in September 1998 on the initiative of the International YCW, the ICA mission is to provide financial support to the projects implemented by young workers in order to improve their capacities to take responsibilities and to change their living and working conditions. In this direction those young people can find the place they deserve in society and the dignity inherent in all human beings.

Throughout his life, Cardijn, who founded the International YCW in 1957, never ceased to disseminate his message that “Each young worker is worth more than all the gold in the world.” Convinced that this message is still true today, the ICA wants to help young people – apprentices or unemployed, domestic workers, workers in the informal economy, casual workers, those exploited in export-processing zones, those excluded from society – to carry out projects which will allow them to live with dignity.

 For its functioning, the ICA relies on a team of volunteers who are involved in raising funds. Those funds come from donations by people or movements wishing to support a just cause: that of young workers. The capital is invested ethically and the interests are used to fund projects which are initiated by movements or groups of young workers who struggle to change their living and working conditions. Decent jobs, reasonable working hours, adequate salaries, weekly day-offs, the eradication of sexual and moral harassment, social protection for all … are the focus of the struggle to be carried out in a globalized world, where human beings often feel powerless when faced with walls of injustice.
 
By providing financial support to young workers’ projects, the ICA simply wants to contribute to building a society with more justice and a world with more solidarity.

 

 

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