Nansen Awards for the 53rd time

This year’s laureate – the Japanese Akio Kanai

 

The traditional award presented by the United Nations organization – The Nansen Refugee Award 2006 went in the hands of the Japanese optometric, Dr. Akio Kanai, president and executive director at Fiji Optics, which, with great enthusiasm and devotion, has been improving and alleviating the life of over 10 000 refugees by examining their sight and providing them with glasses.

The Nansen Award is given on the occasion of the World Refugees’ Day – 20 June. It is awarded to people who have contributed for improving the life of the refugees. The award is financial -100.000 US dollars, provided by the governments of Norway and Switzerland. Last year, the award for 2005 was given to Margarita Brankice, also known as “the angel of Burundi”, and in the past it used to be awarded to people and organizations like Eleanor Roosevelt, Doctors without Frontiers, The Queen Juliana from Holland, etc. The award was named after the famous Norwegian researcher of the polar areas and a well-known ecologist, Ftidhof Nansen , who was appointed First UN High Commissioner for Refugees in 2001. Known as extremely humane individual, he helped millions of refugees return to their homes. He is also the creator of the so-called Nansen passport that helped a number of refugees return to their home countries.

 

M.I.