Bombing in Oslo – Condolences

Date: 22 July 2011

Dear Friends in YWCA-YMCA Norway

This is indeed a terrible, terrible day. First we learnt about the bomb in the centre of Oslo, downtown, where people walk and work and live, and we saw wounded people lying on the sides of the roads, bleeding.

Then we learnt about the horrors on Utøya, where children were shot at with no mercy. Young people, organised the same way as we in the YMCA, meeting for peaceful camp activities and political discussions, and then experiencing horrors not possible to imagine.

We feel for you, we pray for you and for all the victims and their relatives and friends.

In the days to come, when the shadow of this day is still falling dark, we will continue to be with you in our thoughts and prayers, and we in the worldwide YMCA bow our heads and stand in deep solidarity and sorrow with the AUF, the Organisation of Young Social Democrats of Norway, and together with them we will remember the innocent young people they lost today.

On behalf of our President, Ken Colloton and the Executive Committee of the World Alliance of YMCAs.

Rev. Johan Vilhelm Eltvik
Secretary General
World Alliance of YMCAs