|
Toni Hagen
17.8.1917 – 18.4.2003 |
| |
Swiss geologist Toni Hagen born 1917 in Switzerland first came to Nepal in 1950 as part of a technical assisatnce team sent by the Swiss government to help with the tentative Stepps at introducing western-style development. That was an era when foreigners had to seek government permission to travel outside the Kathmandu Valley. As the geologist in the Swiss team, Hagen was allowed to go around the countryside, an experience that whettled his desire to see more of this “unknown” land. Thus began a relationship with a country that grew into a close friendship over the course of half a century
Toni Hagen was later taken over by the United Nations to conduct the first geological survey of Nepal, making him the original “UN expert” in the country. He spent nearly a decade doing that during which he travelled more than 14’000km on foot. His explorations took him all over Nepal and he saw the country like no one else had before him, and very few have since. Hagen’s experience of those early days, his geological findings and his views on the society and economy of Nepal have been documented in Nepal: The Kingdom in the Himalaya (first edition 1962 by Kümmerli, Switzerland, last edition 2008 by Himal Books, Kathmandu) Hand’s colour photographs in the book for the first time exposed the social diversity and varied landscape of Nepal. This was a landmark book which introduced Nepal to the world and Nepali themselves.in 19
In 1961/62 he was chief delegate of the ICRC for aid and resettlement of Tibetan Refugees in Nepal. He left Nepal in 1962 and went as UN expert to Bolivia, and later with special missions to Africa, Asia and South America. .From 1969 until 1973 he was Head of the UN Programme in North Jemen, East Pakistan and later Bangladesh. 1973 he retired from the UN and became Consultant for various organisations for development and disaster relief in Africa, Asia, Central - and South America. During this time he was also Teaching assignement at the ETH Zürich, Switzerland for the interdisciplinary post-graduate course on problems of the developing countries. 1984 he was honoured with the Birendra Pragya Alankar by late King Birendra of Nepal.
Between 1989 and 1993 he was assigned as Guest lecturer at Oxford University on disaster relief, refugee relief and resettlement and development. Besides many articles in Newspapers and Conferences he wrot e Books as “ Wege und Irrwege der Entwicklungshilfe” ( Paths and Death Ends of Development Aid) 1988 and “Building bridges to the Third World”;Memories of Nepal between 1950 and 1992 (1994).
1999 started shooting of the film “ The Ring of Buddha” in Nepal about his life in Nepal, which was launched 2002.
Toni Hagen died 2003 in Switzerland |
|
|
