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World Service Council: 100 Years of Service and Leadership Journey
The World Service Council reception for World YWCA delegates in New York for the UN's Commission on the Status of Women in 2014

World Service Council: 100 Years of Service and Leadership Journey

 In 1942, the World Service Council (WSC) acknowledged its 25th year by including in the minutes of its annual meeting how the WSC got its name. It was explained by a Mrs. Lapham that at the close of the first World War, inspired leader Mrs. Morris “felt that the interest of YWCA’s War Work Council should be continued in some enduring way.” The name World Service Council came to her in a dream, and all those who heard Mrs. Morris speak wanted to become a member of the World Service Council.”

This year the YWCA World Service Council is celebrating its centennial year of service as the philanthropic link between the YWCA USA and the World YWCA. Due to the many unknowns about the rest of this year and how long the pandemic safety protocols will continue around the world, the WSC has postponed an in-person meeting this year. As a prelude to a celebratory event in 2021, the World Service Council will provide an exciting virtual platform in October for WSC and YWCA members to hear facts and stories, including member interviews, and a historic video focused on WSC’s significance over a century.

When the YWCA USA became a force for educating and training women during the Industrial Revolution, it was already world focused and joined with three other countries (Great Britain, Sweden and Norway) to form the World YWCA in 1894. Its early work, spanning two World Wars, is one of the greatest stories of NGO international activism with far reaching results.

Tapped by President Woodrow Wilson and in response to appeals for help from war torn YWCAs in Europe, the YWCA USA formed a War Council Overseas Committee and a Foreign Division that sent Secretaries abroad to help with reconstruction efforts after World War I and to welcome YWCA women from other countries to train in the USA. Coinciding with what the national office was doing, from 1917 to 1920, socially conscious women of influence like Mrs. Stewart Cushman and Mrs. John Rockefeller raised large sums of money for restoring YWCAs in the aftermath of the First World War.

One of the first World YWCA interns
Muna Killingback, soon after she first arrived in Geneva

During its 100-year history, the WSC has worked with the World YWCA and the International Building Fund to provide capital funds to YWCAs in more than 70 countries. The WSC has also actively helped finance yearly educational programs around the world especially those focused on the training of young women for service and leadership. Supporting the World YWCA internship program has been a major fundraising priority. Muna Killingback from Massachusetts was one of the first one-year interns. “Calling it a turning point in her life,” Muna represented the YWCA at the UN NGO meetings and, though fearful, was told the “YWCA believes in baptism by fire.” Interns help implement the movement’s strategic priorities, support international training events, and represent the World YWCA at key international advocacy platforms.

Funds from the WSC have also gone to the revitalization and creation of YWCAs in developing areas of the world, such as in several countries of the former Soviet Union.  Also, over the past 20 years the WSC has provided the World YWCA with financial support to respond quickly to emergencies in areas where YWCAs have been affected by natural disasters or conflict.

Connie Tates from World Service Council and World YWCA
intern from Armenia, Ashkhen Aslykyan in New York during
the UN Commission on the Status of Women in 2017

Another major focus of the WSC is its long -term involvement with the UN dating back to the 1940s. Several of its leaders have been registered World YWCA representatives at the United Nations for decades where they continue the YWCA’s role as a leading NGO, and have supported the UN, UNICEF, and CSW on women’s issues. YWCA leaders such as Mildred Persinger, Nita Barrow and Elizabeth Palmer played major roles in initiating three UN World Conferences for women in 1975, ‘85, and ‘95. These drew thousands of attendees and helped show the need for support of women’s work, which in turn led to the scheduling of annual sessions of the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN in New York.

Joyce Mims who has been one of the longest serving chairs of the WSC (1989-2011) has reflected on WSC meetings as a time for reaffirming the YWCA as “a place where women’s voices are respected and heard; a place where truths can be told about violence and anti-neighborliness; and a place where imagination is nurtured to challenge hate with hope and positive change.”

Click here to learn on how the World Service Council will be celebrating World YWCA Day 2020 this coming 24th of April.

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