Junior Chamber International (JCI) is a non-profit international non-governmental organization
[1] of young people between 18 and 40 years old.
[2] It has members in about 124 countries, and regional or national organizations in many of them. It has consultative status with the Council of Europe, with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and with UNESCO. It was founded in St Louis in 1915. It encourages young people to become active citizens and to participate in efforts towards social and economic development, and international co-operation, good-will and understanding.
# Its members are called JCI Members. It publishes JCI World, a quarterly magazine, in six languages.
# It holds an annual conference, the JCI World Congress, in November of each year,[citation needed] and regional annual meetings, the JCI Area Conferences. Senate
Some members of JCI are given life membership of the organization and become "senators."[citation needed] The JCI Senate was founded in 1952 in Melbourne, Australia; most countries with a Junior Chamber International also have an affiliated JCI Senate organization. Creed
JCI's creed depends upon the local or national organisation to which membership is owed. For example, JCI Melbourne's values are:
( i ) Diversity - opportunities for membership are offered in a manner which supports the diversity of Melbourne’s population
( ii) Integrity - members uphold the principles of honesty and integrity in all dealings
( iii ) Collaboration - members and the board collaborate and cooperate to form partnerships between members, businesses, partner organisations, and the board
( iv ) Passion - members maintain passion in their dealings and represent the enthusiasm and commitment demonstrated by JCI Melbourne
The official JCI Creed which is spoken at JCI World Congress and which was written by the Founder reads:
"We believe that faith in god gives meaning and purpose to human life; That the brotherhood of man transcends the sovereignty of nations; That economic justice can best be won by free men, through free enterprise; That governments should be of laws, rather than of men; That earth's greatest treasure lies in human personality and That service to humanity is the best work of life"
In the first line, 'god' is deliberately spelt with a lower case 'g' as the Founder did not want to exclude anyone - the line simply refers to whatever the individual believes in - it is 'faith' which is the crucial word. Founder's quote
From within the walls of the soul of this organization where in the foundation of character and good citizenship are laid, I hope a message will come in the some time of tomorrow that will stir the people towards the establishment of a permanent and everlasting world peace. - Henry Giessenbier (1892-1935). Vision
To be the leading global network of young active citizens. Mission
To provide development opportunities that empower young people to create positive change
JCI Strategic Position Statement
JCI will be the organization that unites all sectors of society to create sustainable impact. Join Us an make a difference!!!