Peace: 1901

1) Dunant, Jean Henri, pronounced doo NAHN, zhahn ahn REE (1828-1910), a Swiss banker, was the founder of the International Red Cross. As a young businessman, he accidentally saw the battle of Solferino in 1859. He was shocked at the lack of care given the wounded. His book, Recollections of Solferino (1862), influenced the rulers of Europe tremendously, and in 1863 the Permanent International Committee was organized in Geneva. In 1864, delegates of 16 countries agreed to the Geneva Convention for the treatment of wounded and prisoners. Dunant went bankrupt and for 15 years his whereabouts was unknown. He was found in 1890, living in an almshouse, and in 1901 shared the first Nobel Peace Prize. He was born in Geneva.

Contributor: Alan Keith-Lucas, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Social Work, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

2) Passy, Frederic pronounced pah SEE, (1822-1912), a French economist and pacifist, was awarded the 1901 Nobel Peace Prize for founding a French peace organization.

Passy promoted free trade, believing that drawing nations together as partners in commerce would avoid antagonism and war. In 1867, he established the Ligue Internationale et Permanente de la Paix (International and Permanent Peace League). Later, he became one of the three presidents of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which he had helped to set up. This organization, made up of presidents throughout the world, sought peaceful solutions to international conflicts, particularly in situations where arbitration (the settlement of a dispute by a third party) seemed desirable.

Passy was born in Paris, where he lived all his life. He studied law before entering the civil service as an accountant in the State Council and, later, studied economics.

In 1857, a collection of his essays was published as Melanges Economiques (Economic Mixtures). From 1881 to 1889, he served in the French Chamber of Deputies (national parliament).