Nansen: Explorer and Humanitarian

Marit Fosse · John Fox

Nov 2015 · Rowman & Littlefield

About this ebook

Visionary, explorer, researcher, diplomat, humanist―Fridtjof Nansen was no ordinary man. Nansen was a dedicated scientist who made an outstanding contribution to marine zoology and oceanography, an audacious adventurer who pushed our knowledge of the Arctic to new frontiers, and an indefatigable savior of human beings displaced by conflict. As a young man Nansen led two successful polar expeditions and became a national hero, participating in the birth pangs of his country―Norway. As a respected international elder statesman he began a new career in 1919 by bringing home hundreds of thousands of prisoners-of-war from the remotest corners of Europe and Siberia. He created the “Nansen Passport” for stateless people under his responsibility and sought to give the Armenian people a secure homeland. For his efforts in favor of prisoners of war, famine relief and Russian refugees, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922.

About the author

Marit Fosse is a writer, journalist, entrepreneur, and creative manager with a broad-based background in highly competitive and dynamic organizations. She set up Diva International and succeeded in making it a reference magazine for the international community in Geneva, Switzerland, and has published hundreds of articles and co-authored several books. She is also the vice-president of the World Trade Center in Dakar, Senegal, and is involved in developing business in Mali.

John Fox is a former publications officer for the BBC and UNESCO and a retired international civil servant. He is a contributor to and co-editor of Diva: International Diplomat and co-author of The League of Nations: From Collective Security to Global Rearmament.