Steps That Shape Our Work
Your window into what’s happening at YMWS—from recent updates to landmark events.
Latest Updates
Events That Shaped Our Journey
Moments Guided by Mother Teresa
Miles for Millions
On 26 February 1976, YMWS organised Miles for Millions, a public walk from the Ramakrishna Mission Cultural Centre in Golpark to the Maidan in Kolkata. The walk raised awareness for community welfare and social responsibility. Mother Teresa joined ministers Bholanath Sen and Shankar Ghosh, and Canon Subir Biswas, turning the event into a powerful moment of unity and hope.
City of Joy, 1990
In January 1990, YMWS hosted the four-day City of Joy festival to mark Kolkata’s tercentenary. Mother Teresa joined artists and cultural figures such as V. Balsara, Ustad Rashid Khan, Ananda Shankar, Habib Tanvir, and P. C. Sorcar Jr. Former Chief Justice of India Ranganath Misra also attended the celebration.
Evergiving: A Tribute to Mother Teresa, 2016
On 4 September 2016, Evergiving brought together students and teachers at Kalamandir to honour Mother Teresa. Children’s Foundation School led the tribute with support from Young Horizons School, La Martiniere for Girls, Calcutta Girls’ School, and The Heritage School.
Igniting Young Minds
Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam visited Children’s Foundation School on 17 February, 2012 to speak on “Inspiring Deeper Humanness in Society and the Role of Teachers.” His message highlighted the power teachers hold in shaping curiosity, character, and courage in young minds — a belief central to YMWS’s work.
When the Dalai Lama Visited Us
On 15 January 2007, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama inaugurated the 40th anniversary celebrations of YMWS. His presence reinforced the organisation’s values of peace, compassion, and courage in learning.
A Visit of Hope and Equality
In 2014, civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. visited Khelaghar Bhagawatipur during a children’s festival, bringing a message of dignity, equality, and hope. His time with the children connected local dreams to a larger world, showing young learners that their aspirations have a global echo.
Celebrating Spirit of Peace With Gen. V. K. Singh
In January 2010, Gen. V. K. Singh inaugurated Spirit of Peace, a photography exhibition at ICCR featuring 11 international and 4 Indian photographers. The event invited visitors to reflect on harmony and shared humanity through visual storytelling.
Youth Festivals
Asian Youth Festivals, 2012 & 2017
Young people aged 13 to 19 from 17 Indian states and 4 Asian countries came together for six days of cultural exchange, learning, and teamwork. Across the two editions, 345 participants discovered their strengths and built friendships across borders.
Knit India: National Youth Festival, 2010
Knit India brought 350 young people from 15 states to Kolkata for six days of shared programmes, dialogue, and cultural exploration. Participants from regions including Kashmir, Gujarat, Kerala, and the North East celebrated unity through diversity.
UNESCO World Youth Festival, 2006
In July 2006, 14 students and 3 teachers from YMWS schools travelled to Stuttgart to represent India at the UNESCO World Youth Festival. They performed The Wonder that is India at international events attended by Union Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Stuttgart’s Lord Mayor Dr. Wolfgang Schuster.
