YMCA Switzerland

Cevi Schweiz, known internationally as YMCA Switzerland, is a Swiss youth organisation and the national YMCA/YWCA-affiliated body. With around 11,934 members, it is the third-largest youth organisation in Switzerland after Pfadi and Jubla. It is organised as a federation of seven regional associations across German- and French-speaking Switzerland, plus five specialised national or international working areas. The national umbrella is a non-profit association (Verein) run on a voluntary basis, with a staffed office located in the Stiftung zum Glockenhaus premises in Zürich. It is Zewo-certified, a Swiss seal for charitable organisations. The organisation's core activity is the Jungschar, a leisure programme for children and adolescents that is usually conducted outdoors and follows Johann Pestalozzi's principle of 'learning with head, heart and hand'. Typical elements include singing, games, storytelling, devotions and outdoor skills. Members are called Cevianerinnen and Cevianer and wear a blue Cevi shirt with a coloured neckerchief indicating their local group. Many groups run spring and summer camps, often in tents, supported by the federal Jugend+Sport programme. Other activities include Ten Sing stage-show groups, Cevi Alpin (skiing, snowboarding, climbing, high tours), Cevimil/Cevi Military Service, the CVJM-Zentrum Hasliberg holiday village, Horyzon international development work, and Perspektive Leben for older believers. Cevi Schweiz is supported by the Protestant Reformed state churches and is a member of the worldwide YWCA and YMCA. It is networked with other Swiss youth associations through the umbrella SAJV. Its guiding principles are: 'We trust God with great things. We trust people with great things. We trust ourselves with great things.' The movement's Swiss roots go back to around 1768, with the first YMCA founded in London in 1844 by George Williams. Henry Dunant founded the first Swiss Cevi group in 1852. The German-Swiss CVJM federation of young men's associations was founded in 1864, a predecessor of today's Cevi Schweiz. Over the 20th century the organisation expanded into scouting, military service support, holiday centres and international development. Today Cevi Schweiz remains a volunteer-driven, church-related youth movement with a broad range of programmes for children, teens and young adults.

The Swiss YMCA movement traces its origins to around 1768, when the first precursor groups emerged in Switzerland. The global YMCA was founded on 6 June 1844 in London by George Williams. In 1852 Henry Dunant founded the first Cevi group in Switzerland. In 1855 the CVJM World Alliance was founded in Paris and adopted the Paris Basis, which remains a foundational document for the Cevi movement and was reaffirmed in 1973 at the YMCA World Council. In 1864 the German-Swiss CVJM federation of young men's associations (CVJM-Bund der Jünglingsvereine) was founded, a predecessor of today's Cevi Schweiz. In 1902 the CVJF groups of western Switzerland joined together as the comité romand. From 1911 the Cevi built up scout groups in Geneva, Bern, Basel, Zürich and St. Gallen, in Vaud and in Neuchâtel. Also in 1911, the first Cevi unemployment programme in Switzerland was offered at the Glockenhaus of CVJM Zürich, with courses in bookkeeping and arithmetic. The comité romand sought to join the YWCA World Alliance and was admitted, but without voting rights because it represented only part of Switzerland and only one national language. In 1913 the Cevi Military Service and the Swiss Scouting Federation were founded. During World War I, soldiers' work emerged. In 1918 the first CVJM youth secretary for German-speaking Switzerland was appointed. In 1919 the first camp was held on the site of today's camp de Vaumarcus; later buildings were added and it is now a large youth centre. In 1926 the responsible women of German-Swiss CVJF groups joined the comité romand, and the second application for active membership in the YWCA World Alliance was approved. In 1932 the CVJF National Federation was founded. In 1934 the CVJF National Board formed the National Commission of Jungschar groups. In 1941, during World War II, theologian Karl Barth spoke as a guest at the summer camp in Vaumarcus about the danger of National Socialism. In 1959 the Alpenblick holiday house in Wengen was purchased. In 1964 construction began on the CVJM-Zentrum Hasliberg, with many young people helping; a work and life community formed the majority of the team for years. In 1967 Susanne Hofer was hired as the first secretary for girls' Jungschar in the Basel region. Together with women from the Zürich region, the first training course for female Jungschar leaders was held the same year. In the following years, girls' Jungschar work grew visibly. In 1970 the Commission Bruderschaftshilfe/Tiers Mondes was founded by the two national federations CVJF and CVJM. The organisation continued to develop its regional structures and specialised working areas throughout the late 20th and early 21st centuries, maintaining its affiliation with the global YMCA and YWCA and its support from the Protestant Reformed churches. Today it operates as Cevi Schweiz with seven regional associations and five working areas, and remains one of Switzerland's largest youth organisations.

• 1970

  Commission Bruderschaftshilfe/Tiers Mondes founded by CVJF and CVJM

• 1967

  First female Jungschar secretary hired; first training course for female Jungschar leaders held

• 1964

  Construction begins on CVJM-Zentrum Hasliberg

• 1959

  Alpenblick holiday house in Wengen purchased

• 1941

  Karl Barth speaks at Vaumarcus summer camp about the danger of National Socialism

• 1934

  National Commission of Jungschar groups formed

• 1932

  CVJF National Federation founded

• 1926

  Women from German-Swiss CVJF groups join comité romand; YWCA World Alliance active membership approved

• 1919

  First camp held at the site of today's camp de Vaumarcus

• 1918

  First CVJM youth secretary for German-speaking Switzerland appointed

• 1913

  Cevi Military Service and Swiss Scouting Federation founded

• 1911

  Cevi builds scout groups in several Swiss cities; first Cevi unemployment programme in Zürich

• 1902

  CVJF groups of western Switzerland form the comité romand

• 1864

  German-Swiss CVJM federation of young men's associations founded

• 1855

  CVJM World Alliance founded in Paris; Paris Basis adopted

• 1852

  Henry Dunant founds the first Swiss Cevi group

• 1844

  YMCA founded in London by George Williams

• 1768

  First precursor groups emerge in Switzerland

Volunteer-driven, church-related youth organisation offering outdoor, creative and faith-based programmes for children and teens across Switzerland.

• Jungschar

  Core children's and youth leisure programme, usually outdoors, following Pestalozzi's 'learning with head, heart and hand' principle.

• Ten Sing

  Youth stage-show groups combining singing, dance and other performance elements.

• Cevi Alpin

  Skiing, snowboarding, climbing and high-tour activities.

• Cevimil / Cevi Military Service

  Support for Swiss military personnel.

• CVJM-Zentrum Hasliberg

  Holiday village with hotel.

• Horyzon

  International development work for youth.

• Perspektive Leben

  Programmes for older, believing people.

1. 1Home - Cevi Schweizcevi.ch
2. 2Cevi - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
3. 3YMCA Switzerland - Wikidatawikidata.org