IYCS Global Response for COVID-19
The world is currently facing a global emergency of an unimaginable scale that knows no borders and is spreading human suffering, crippling the global economy and upending people’s lives. The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health crisis, an information crisis and increasingly a wider socio-economic crisis. Global Action, Solidarity and Multi-Stakeholder Cooperation are crucial in defeating this vicious enemy – COVID-19.
The COVID-19 pandemic is having a devastating impact across the world. More than 1.5 billion children and young people including Young Catholic Students are unable to go to school due to school closures by Governments in order to control the spread of COVID-19 in 191 countries. Online communities have become central to maintaining children and young people’s learning, support and play thus increasing their exposure to cyber bullying, risky online behaviour and sexual exploitation.
With the School Closures due to COVID-19, all IYCS activities in Sections (Schools, Tertiary Institutions and Universities) have been halted. This requires IYCS to reimagine and adapt how we work in order to continue serving the Young Catholic Students.
The IYCS Global Response Plan for COVID-19 aims to enable our Movement to systematically join the global war against the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring continuity of operations and service delivery, preparing for the recovery and stemming the impact of COVID-19 on the IYCS fraternity.
The Plan provides a structured approach for IYCS to contribute to the immediate response to the pandemic (emergency phase) and prepare for when the COVID-19 pandemic has been contained and the containment measures such as lockdowns, school closures have been lifted (post-emergency phase). The IYCS Global Response Plan for COVID-19 further outlines how IYCS interventions are to be coordinated and implemented from Section to International Level.
For enquiries and more information about the IYCS Global COVID-19 Response, please email mail@iycs-jeci.org.