The Big Six Youth Organizations represent the world’s largest youth movements, engaging more than 250 million young people globally.
The Big Six comprises WAGGGS, World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award (The Award).
Together, we form a unique alliance to advance the rights and wellbeing of young people and support youth-led development worldwide.
Since its formation, the Big Six alliance has collaborated primarily at the CEO level (e.g., through strategic consultations and preparing joint advocacy statements and publications), as well as through ad-hoc project collaborations among our local and national organisations.
In 2020, the Big Six launched the Global Youth Mobilization (GYM) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. GYM is a global campaign that supports youth-led solutions to the long-term impacts of the crisis, including education disruption, mental health, economic inequality and gender-based violence. Developed with and for young people, it empowers them to shape the decisions affecting their lives.
Today, GYM exists in its second phase, with funding from the Youth Empowerment Fund. Launched in October 2023, this €10 million initiative provides support for youth-led projects that contribute to the sustainable development of local communities.
The Big Six continue to collaborate through GYM and other platforms to champion youth-led solutions that promote equity, wellbeing and sustainable development.
“We believe in young people’s agency and know that with the right support and opportunity they can imagine and lead the solutions to the global challenges we face today. In coming together through the Global Youth Mobilization, the Big Six Youth Organisations have shown that by listening to young people and providing them with the space and resources to act, our organisations and young people can make a huge collective impact.”
Find out more about The Big Six here.