It is with great sadness that we have learned of the death of a dearly liked and respected colleague, Helga Serrano. Helga worked as Communications Officer at the World YMCA from 1999 to 2003.
In particular, she left her mark over the 4 years as editor of our YMCA World magazine. With a keen intelligence, passion for politics, social justice and gender equality, her writing combined substance, clarity and accessibility.
Bilingual in Spanish and English, she was always mindful of the importance of providing access to information in multiple languages. It was one of the few times in our history that the YMCA World magazine was fully translated into Spanish.
Her sharp and global vision allowed her to lead many campaigns, such as those on eliminating debt (Jubilee 2000), AIDS awareness and prevention, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and domestic violence.
I had the privilege to part of the team during this period, and was very struck by her passion for global justice.
We extend our sincere condolences to her family and friends.
Carlos Sanvee, Secretary General