A NOBEL LIFE The Nobel family lives on through Michael Nobel. His spends his life trying to make the world a better place. But he doesn’t think that makes him special, he just does what he feels he needs to do. “Alfred was a lonely man. I feel kind of sorry for him,” says Michael Nobel, the great- grandnephew of the childless Nobel Prize founder. Michael is the Nobel family’s official representative in his role as chairman of the board of the society, but that is far from the only thing he does. He spends much of his time on non-violence and peace projects, and he sits on a dozen corporate boards, mainly to do with the health-care industry. “You have to try to make the world better,” he says passionately. “When I get really old I want to look back on my life and be able to say that I have had a good life, and that I have at least tried to do good for other people.” Down to earth Words fly from his mouth at a hundred miles per hour, but not in a stressed way. It has more to do with the fact that there is so much to share, but so little time. Our time here on earth is short, especially if you, like Michael Nobel, don’t believe in the afterlife. “Time is all we have, and funnily enough you get a lot more of it from poor people,” says the globetrotter. “I honestly believe that some poor people are happier than the rich who never seem to have time for anybody.” His down-to-earth approach, reaffirmed by his casual appearance in a green sweater and beige slacks, makes me forget that he is one of the world’s most sought after speakers. The wall behind him in his office, in a hidden leafy cranny of Östermalm is covered with awards from around the globe. Wherever he goes he is greeted with a just about holy reverence. “It is remarkable in Anglo-Saxon countries and Asia; people are really proud to press my hand. I prefer the Swedish way, where we are more down-to-earth about family heritage and nobility.” Love, peace and education The non-violence project that uses up much of Michael Nobel’s time is a non-profit organisation that aims to reduce violence among youth around the world. “Violence will never disappear, but if I can change one person, it is worth all work. One must remember too, that even though it may seem impossible, you can change attitudes on a large scale.” “When you try to make a change, one mustn’t forget evaluation. How can you otherwise possibly know whether you are working in the right direction?” He says it is unfortunately neglected everywhere, from the United Nations all the way down to grassroots organisations. “Hopefully our work has something to do with figures showing a decrease of 30 per cent in some of the schools participating,” he says humbly. Credibility and royalty Being a chairman in the Nobel society does not mean he is actively involved in selecting the laureates. He does respect all choices made by the deciding bodies, but also sticks his chin out a bit. “My great-granduncle wanted to award younger scientists. In the will it says ‘Those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit to mankind’. Of course that is impossible, since you have to confirm the value of the laureates, and that takes time. But it would be good for science if the committees could be a lot quicker, not wait for decades like they sometimes do now. “ Has your ancestor’s involvement in the arms industry influenced you in your life’s choice? “No, it has nothing to do with it. If he was dealing with weapons, that’s his problem. But we must remember that Alfred actually believed in a primitive form of terror balance. He really thought that if nations had weapons strong enough to annihilate each other, there wouldn’t be any wars. History proved him wrong, and unfortunately some of his 355 patents came to use in the arms industry.” An industry whose budget in the US only is 200 times larger than the total budget of the United Nations. How can we turn those figures around? “You tell me, and you’ll get the Peace Prize.” – Anders Modig © 2006, Swedish Bulletin. All rights reserved