CLACSO signs agreement with YMCA

On July 30, the Latin American Council of Social Sciences signed an agreement with the Young Men's Christian Association of the Argentine Republic for joint activities and initiatives based on the fact that both entities uphold and promote the value of solidarity.

The agreement was signed by the Secretary General of the YMCA, Mario Hugo Cenci, and Pablo Vommaro, Executive Director of CLACSO, which includes discounts on Virtual Seminars and CLACSO Higher Diplomas for YMCA workers and their families.

Mario Hugo CenciFor the YMCA of Argentina, it is a source of pride to sign this agreement. We have maintained an informal relationship for many years in the area of ​​training, and reaching a formal stage like this is another step on a long road that we intend to continue developing. So we are very pleased with this agreement we have signed today.

Pablo VommaroAnd of course, for CLACSO it is also a joy to formalize this relationship, which, as Mario rightly said, we have had for many years because we share objectives, principles, values, and ways of working. With the recent recognition that the YMCA bestowed upon CLACSO, the "Citizenship and Values" Award, precisely with democratic citizenship in Argentina today, in Latin America today, in the Caribbean today, in the world today, and values—values ​​that are precisely related to justice, democracy, equality, and education for social transformation, values ​​linked to equality, rights, and recognition—and I believe that both the social and community action that the YMCA carries out, as well as the social action more closely linked to knowledge, education, and an academic, but also intellectual and cultural, dimension of social transformation that we do at CLACSO, formalizing this relationship with an agreement stemming from the award that CLACSO recently received, is truly a joy, a source of pride, an honor, and I am sure that this will have various consequences. joint work, in various collaborations that we will undertake in the coming years.

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“YMCA-Citizenship and Values” Award to CLACSO

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MHCThe institution was founded in London in 1844. In this case, it arrived in Argentina in 1902, and since then, the empowerment of young people with a focus on social transformation, seeking to build a more just and supportive society, has been the organization's raison d'être. Therefore, the signing of this agreement fits perfectly within that framework, because the academic dimension of transformation is fundamental. It is not only a community action, a social action, but a paradigm shift. To change paradigms, we first have to understand; to understand, we have to study, we have to learn, we have to be able to see it. So, from that perspective, it's fantastic. The specific response relates to various services that the YMCA provides in the country, within the framework of the process I just mentioned, which focuses on comprehensive health care through various sports, social, cultural, and recreational activities. We also promote tourism with a social focus and in contact with nature. And the third project of this kind is also one of our educational projects, but focused on early childhood, primary, and secondary education. Very recently, through the organization's management, the University Institute was created, and in our case, its core focus is sports and physical activity geared towards health, which is the association's current area of ​​expertise. So, the agreement involves strengthening both organizations within this framework, for their teams and members with diverse backgrounds.

PVIt's a mutually beneficial agreement, where the association and CLACSO provide mutual benefits to our members, our employees first and foremost, and their families, of course, but also to CLACSO member centers and those affiliated with the YMCA. In CLACSO's case, it's primarily about training and professional development. We offer them the opportunity to update their training in various fields, including health and sports, certainly, but also in fields related to education, technology, artificial intelligence, environmental issues, gender issues, and geopolitics. It's also a way to better understand the changes in the contemporary world, topics related to migration, issues related to children, childhood, youth, and so on. It's quite a broad offering, a comprehensive training and professional development program in various formats. We have modular virtual seminars and diploma programs, and we think that for different interests, for different profiles of people—some looking to update their skills with a shorter, more intensive course, others seeking certification and a diploma—we believe it's an opportunity not only to benefit but also to mutually benefit from these opportunities. That is, those in the YMCA in Argentina can take advantage of this high-level training, this professional development at CLACSO, and CLACSO can also benefit in areas related to health, sports, social and community issues, and even tourism—everything the YMCA can offer in a shared space. In other words, this isn't just any collaboration; it's a collaboration where we share objectives, values, and a shared community structure. And I agree with what Mario said, also for CLACSO for many years, but above all, I believe that in the coming years, it's crucial to work with young people, to work with and from, not so much for, but with and from young people, with youth, with the new generations. That's fundamental for us, and undoubtedly, everything related to healthcare, sports, social and community activities, and continuing education are also actions directed toward and designed with young people in Argentina, in this case.

MHCAnd there we can add something we had forgotten, within the framework of the agreements we just signed, one of them is also with the YMCA University Institute of the Association, and there a window of work opens up in research that is very important for us, that is, not only the degree dimension, but also the research dimension, which is an area that we are very interested in developing.

PVAbsolutely, that is, being able to cooperate in research, being able to cooperate in training, being able to even develop joint training proposals, as we had said. And this agreement is about mutual benefits; it involves CLACSO as a network, as an organization, the YMCA as an organization and as an institution, but also incorporating the University Institute, which is like a stepping stone to a proper university. I think that also opens up other possibilities for mutual work and cooperation, without a doubt.

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