Why I give to York

Professor Emerita Liisa North is a founder of the Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean at York University

"My family fled Finland after World War II because my father, for fear of a Soviet invasion, became involved in a military movement that was distributing guns to people instead of demobilizing. We moved to Venezuela and eventually wound up in North America. These experiences explain why I have devoted much of my career to researching the causes of displacement and lost opportunities. They’re also why I created the Paavo and Aino Lukkari Human Rights Fund at York and have included a bequest in my will to further support the fund in future. It honours my parents' memory while supporting the work of students who share my passion for human rights and social justice in Latin America and the Caribbean.

For me, a bequest was the best way to support York and celebrate the forty years I’ve spent at the university."

There has never been a better time to redefine the possible through gift planning. For more information about bequests in your will, gifts of life insurance or other planned gifts, contact York University at 416-650-8210 or legacy@yorku.ca.