23rd ISF Puts Education in the Spotlight
On a bitterly cold Monday afternoon in New York City, 60 young people gathered at WYA headquarters, chatting excitedly and greeting friends old and new. The room held WYA young people from Kenya, Austria, South Africa, Croatia, Poland, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Spain, Lebanon, Mexico, the Philippines, the United States, and other countries. All were […]
CSW Ends in Avoidance of the Meaning of “Gender”
By: Mislav Barišić, WYA Director of Policy and Research The 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) marked an unprecedented moment in United Nations history. For the first time, Agreed Conclusions, traditionally adopted by consensus, were put to a vote – as we reported in our previous article. The final day […]
Procedural manipulation silences debate and impacts final CSW document
By: WYA Advocacy Fellows On the first day of the 70th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), shortly following the lunch recess, the Chair, Maritza Chan Valverde, Ambassador of Costa Rica to the UN, declared that the Agreed Conclusions draft that had been circulated in the early hours of that day had been sufficiently […]
In memory of Lew Lehrman
Lew Lehman August 15, 1938 – March 11, 2026 Lew was one of the important early donors to the work of the World Youth Alliance. I remember meeting him in the early days, trying to answer all the questions that he peppered me with. A great financier in New York City, he could not understand […]
WYA EACEA Review Reports: our response
Review reports from the EACEA issued in November 2025 concerning 3 Erasmus+ funded projects carried out by WYA Europe in 2024, alleged that aspects of WYA Europe’s educational materials and approach constituted a breach of EU values. The criticism did not concern how projects were managed or implemented, but instead mounted objections to the content […]
Parliamentary Question Calls for Clarification on EACEA Reviews of World Youth Alliance Europe Projects
A group of Members of the European Parliament has submitted a written parliamentary question to the European Commission concerning the recent reviews conducted by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) on Erasmus+ projects implemented by World Youth Alliance Europe (WYA Europe). The initiative follows earlier concerns raised by Members of the European Parliament […]
Remembering Stanley Stillman
It is with sadness that we have learned that Stanley Stillman has gone to his eternal reward Jan 1, 2026. Stanley was a long-time friend and donor to our work. I learned a lot from him. Once or twice a year, he would meet with me to sit and learn about our work: successes, challenges, […]
Why WYA Redacted Names from EACEA Review Documents
World Youth Alliance Europe has redacted the names of certain EACEA staff members from documents published on our website following a request from the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). We took this step as a gesture of institutional courtesy and good faith, and in order to avoid further diversion of time and resources […]
EU Grant Review Treats Opposition to Surrogacy as Non-Compliance
World Youth Alliance Europe (WYAE) has submitted targeted legal responses to the Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) following the recent reviews of three separate EU-funded projects: Operating Grant 2024 (OG2024), Women’s Health Goes Digital (WHGD), and Youth Act 2024. Each review raises serious concerns about the interpretation and application of the Erasmus+ Grant Agreement […]
MEPs Raise Alarm Over European Commission Review of World Youth Alliance Europe
Fifteen Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have raised serious concerns over the European Commission’s handling of three Erasmus+ youth projects run by World Youth Alliance Europe (WYA Europe), following project review reports issued by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). In a letter addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen […]