Some individuals, by virtue of their actions, are acclaimed by the world. Such an individual was Fridtjof Nansen. Unheralded in North America, Nansen had a remarkable life and career, in actual fact, multiple careers. He was a capable man who reached across disciplines in his many accomplishments. Nansen was renowned in his day as an explorer, author, athlete, oceanographer, statesman and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Today, among other feats, he is revered for his work on behalf of refugees that saved many thousands of lives in the aftermath of the First World War. Like many talented and practical people, Nansen was appalled at the sheer carnage and waste of human life brought about by war and vowed to do something about it. Although it's difficult to place a value on his many talents, perhaps Nansen's refugee work can be seen as his greatest legacy.

Nansen was born in 1861, in what was then a rural community just outside Oslo, Norway. His heritage included a former commander-in-chief of the Norwegian army and a one-time mayor of Copenhagen. The family was known for its dedication to public service, capacity for learning and unyielding integrity on the part of both of Nansen's parents. It was no great surprise then, when their offspring exuded the same qualities and more. Fridtjof Nansen was single-minded in his pursuit of excellence no matter what the discipline. He had a far-ranging sense of wonder and when questions nagged at him, let no obstacle stop him form finding the answer. For example, during an early voyage to the Arctic Ocean, he found a piece of driftwood on the ice. This discovery sparked a chain of thought, which, years later, led to the famous ship "Fram" and verified his theory on the drift of ocean currents. It also lead him to his chosen field of scientific study, the emerging field of oceanography. Nansen postulated bold theories that the scientific establishment viewed with skepticism. "Fram" means forward, and in the spirit of moving ahead, Nansen proved his theories and silenced his critics.

It was this formidable spirit and determination that Nansen brought to his refugee relief work. Without these qualities, Nansen or anyone would have accomplished little. As it was, he was disappointed with the politics being played as the lives of the helpless hung in the balance and the lack of commitment on the part of the world's powerful nations. Nonetheless, Nansen persevered in his efforts.

Today, we see images of them on television, read about them in the newspaper, hear politicians discuss their problems. We learn of names now familiar--Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia, Somalia, Rwanda, Chechen, Ethiopia, Burundi and on and on. We hear about refugees but they are not us. Their problems are not our problems. We ask ourselves why should we care.

Throughout the course of this teaching unit, you will work with your students on a process that will lead to understanding, awareness and recognition. That is, understanding what Nansen stood for, awareness of Canada's role in helping refugees worldwide and recognition for these efforts. But there should be recognition too, that so much more needs to be done and that the world today would benefit greatly from the presence of a Fridtjof Nansen.

In 1986, the country of Canada was awarded the Nansen Medal in recognition of "the major and sustained contribution made by the People of Canada to the cause of refugees". This teaching unit is designed to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the awarding of this prestigious prize. Prior recipients have included Eleanor Roosevelt, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, King Olav V of Norway, Princess Princep Shah of Nepal and M. Valery Giscard d'Estaing, President de la Republique francaise, among many other distinguished individuals and organizations. Canada is the only nation to have received this prize.

Integrated into this unit are the following curriculum areas:

• Language Arts
• Geography
• History
• Social Studies

This unit is recommended for Grades 4+.