The Archive embodies the idea that we learn through action and reflection.
In the twentieth century, the Young Christian Workers (YCW) emerged as one of the largest youth movements in the world. In Australia, thousands of men and women have been formed through the YCW’s ‘See, Judge, Act’ methodology.
The YCW (Holdings) Archive and Research Centre, launched in August 2013, has four broad objectives:
- to gather written records relating to the Australian YCW and the NCGM (which changed its name to the YCW in 1959);
- to record the personal memories of former YCW members;
- to plan for the safe-keeping of archival materials;
- to facilitate use of the Archive.
The vision for the Archive extends beyond the retrieval and housing of documents and the capturing of personal memories. The Archive team seeks to work in community. That means:
- reaching out to people across Australia who may wish to make a contribution to the Archive and participate in its development;
- encouraging research by making the Archives accessible and welcoming to students and researchers;
- working with current YCW members to encourage dialogue with former members.
The Archive co-ordinator is Melissa Walsh, who completed a PhD in History at the University of Melbourne in 2012. She reports to YCW Holdings and consults regularly with an expert advisory group chaired by Bill Armstrong.
