Elsy Wakil, Southwest Asia and North Africa Region, Secretary General for the Arab House for Adult Education and Development (AHAED)

I remember very well the first time I met Youssef Hajjar. It was in Paris during a meeting of the Global Campaign for Education. I had heard a lot about him from my friends, his role in the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF), in addition to the ideas, initiatives, and achievements associated with his career. Therefore, my first meeting with him was filled with a mixture of curiosity and preconceived appreciation. I was honored to meet him personally, to discover firsthand the person I had heard so much about, to learn about his experience and accomplishments, and to listen to his ideas. From that moment on, Youssef was no longer just a name or a figure I had heard about from friends. He became someone I had known and met. His presence, image, and dedication to ecumenical and humanitarian work remained vivid in my memory.

As time passed, my appreciation grew for his career and the role he played in the WSCF Middle East Region, where he served as Regional Secretary. His name became synonymous with a pivotal period in the history of the Federation, its programs, and the leadership responsibilities he undertook. He viewed these responsibilities not merely as administrative or organizational positions, but also as a responsibility towards a mission he believed in and towards generations of young people where he saw vital potential for shaping the future.

Youssef’s leadership of WSCF marked a significant phase in his career. He saw the programs, activities, and meetings as genuine opportunities for dialogue and interaction, fostering a spirit of cooperation and openness, and giving young people space to express themselves, participate, and assume responsibility. Hence the importance of his leadership presence. For him, leadership was not about power or position, but about responsibility, a mission, and daily work that demanded listening, initiative, and the ability to unite people around shared goals.

Perhaps what distinguished his experience with WSCF was his ability to combine a focus on the mission with a focus on the people. Programs, no matter how important, do not survive on their own. They are brought to life by the people who believe in them and work for them. Youssef was one of those who understood that the success of any organization depends largely on its ability to build relationships and create an environment where everyone feels he/she is part of something larger and his/her contribution is valuable and meaningful.

During his leadership of WSCF and its programs, his presence implied this understanding of teamwork. The goal was not simply to implement a program or accomplish an activity. More importantly, it was to ensure that the program left a lasting impact on the participants, that meetings became spaces for getting to know one another, reflecting, and exchanging experiences, and that what began within WSCF continued to resonate in the lives of participants and their communities.

I think that this aspect of Youssef’s character explains why his presence remains in the memories of so many who knew him or worked with him. Those who truly leave a lasting impact on organizations are not necessarily those whose titles and responsibilities are remembered, but rather those who are remembered for how they made people feel, how they encouraged them, how they opened new doors for learning and participation, and how they made collaborative work more human and closer to the heart.

In this sense, his presence transcended the boundaries of his job or responsibilities. The leadership he demonstrated within WSCF became an integral part of his character and his perspective on public service. He believed that institutions are strengthened not only by their systems and programs, but also by the individuals who faithfully carry the message and the human relationships that develop within them and endure beyond the end of their official duties.

Speaking about Youssef today also opens the door to talk about an entire generation of youth and civic leaders who believed that dialogue between people, cultures, and traditions could be a means of building a more open and understanding world. In this context, Youssef’s experience with WSCF was part of a broader movement based on faith in young people, empowering them with trust, space, and responsibility, and recognizing them as genuine partners in shaping the future, not merely recipients of programs and initiatives. 

For Youssef, WSCF was more than just an institution he worked for. It was a space where people, ideas, and experiences converged. It was a field for practicing the values ​​of cooperation, solidarity, and openness. Therefore, his impact on WSCF is not measured solely by what was achieved during his leadership, but also by the relationships, memories, and experiences he left in the hearts of those who shared that era with him.

As we bid farewell to Youssef Hajjar today, we are not only saying goodbye to a leader who assumed responsibility within WSCF, but also to a friend, a colleague, and a human being who dedicated a significant part of his life to a cause he believed in. The loss of individuals who worked for values ​​they cherished leaves a void that words cannot easily fill, since what remains of them is not merely a record of actions and achievements, but a living memory for those who shared their journey.

Youssef is one of those whose memory lives through people. It remains in those who worked with him, benefited from his programs, and met him at various stages of his career, in addition to the relations he built during his years of work and dedication. Perhaps, this is the most beautiful meaning of any human endeavor: that its impact continues in others even after the person is gone.

From my personal perspective, I feel today that Youssef’s passing brings to mind many chapters of the WSCF history and journey, reminding us of those who dedicated their time, intellect, and energy to ensure that these spaces remain open to young people, and that the values ​​of dialogue, cooperation, and solidarity remain present in our lives. Youssef was one of those who shouldered this responsibility with seriousness and conviction.

For all these reasons, honoring Youssef lies not only in mourning him or recalling his memory, but also in upholding the values ​​he worked for: belief in the importance of youth, dialogue between diverse perspectives, collective action, and institutions that place humanity at the center of their mission. It also lies in remembering that true leadership is not measured by the position one holds, but by the legacy one leaves behind.

May God bless Youssef Hajjar, and grant his family, friends, and all who knew him strength and patience to endure this loss. To us, his memory will forever be linked to a period of dedicated service and giving within the World Student Christian Federation, and to a man who faithfully shouldered the responsibility of leadership, believed in the mission of collective action, and left behind a legacy worthy of remembrance and preservation.