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It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of our great teacher, mentor and friend, Dr. Gilberto Brenson-Lazan (10/10/2025), a pioneer in the art, science, and technology of facilitation in the Americas. Gil focused his studies in social psychology and obtained his doctorate in that field.
Gil had great respect and admiration for his parents. His father was a mechanical engineer who worked at NASA. And was devoted to his mother, who lived to nearly 100.
Gil was a founding partner at Amauta International LLC which evolved from the Neo-Humanist Foundation he founded in Bogota in the 70s, based in the neo-humanist philosophy (ethical and spiritual framework for addressing social problems, promoting social justice, and uplifting neglected communities). In the early days of the internet, Gil was also a pioneer in online facilitation both the tech and the art. He was a weaver of networks.
He worked with top management teams in the Americas to optimize efficacy and resilience through his techniques of Facilitation of Meaningful Conversations.
Gil and associates wrote several self-help manuals for adults, children, and professionals that assist in recovery work and helped many people understand and find a pathway through traumatic events, on both a personal and a community level, including (but not limited to):
And Now What… A Friend Book for Brave Boys and Girls, written with Parcia Sansary
A Light in the Dark Valley, A Guide for Emotional Recovery: 50 Things that You Can Do When There Is Nothing Else To Do, written with María Mercedes Sarmiento Díaz
Competencias Básicas de Facilitación en América Latina
– Facilitación de la Resiliencia Grupal
– Facilitating Psycho social Reconstruction. A Manual for Crisis and Disaster Intervention, written with María Mercedes Sarmiento Díaz
– The Stranger’s Feet are Small
The key concepts of the GFSC model were developed by Gil and María Mercedes Sarmiento Díaz (1947-2003), focusing on psychosocial reconstruction after natural and social disasters. In 1986, they worked with the victims of the Arenas volcano eruption and the subsequent avalanche that buried Armero, Colombia. Gilbert and associates wrote several self-help manuals for adults, children, and professionals that assist in recovery work.
Since the Armero tragedy, more than a thousand professionals have been trained and advised in these techniques in Latin America (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru and Venezuela), Europe (Spain and Poland), Australia, Asia (Hong Kong, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Taiwan), Canada and the USA.
Gil’s colleagues and friends at Global Facilitators Serving Communities (GFSC) and the Latin American Association of Facilitators (ALFA) will always be grateful for how much we received from him and will continue to honor his memory and legacy in our work and in our lives.
Gilbert’s legacy lives on through the countless facilitators and communities he mentored and uplifted. His light continues to guide us toward empathy, resilience, and shared humanity.
His loss leaves a deep void for all who loved and learned from him.
