Levi Fragell (born 30 March 1939) is a
Norwegian humanist
Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential, and agency of human beings, whom it considers the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry.
The meaning of the term "humanism" ha ...
. He has been chairman and secretary of the
Norwegian Humanist Association, and was President of the
International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) between 1987–1990 (as one member of a
troika) and, in his own right, between 1998–2003.
Biography
His father was a
Pentecostalist
Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a movement within the broader Evangelical wing of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes direct personal experience of God in Christianity, God through Baptism with the Holy Spirit#Cl ...
preacher and in his teens Fragell also began working full-time as a preacher, before his studies in philosophy and comparative religion led him to leave the church. He took a
University degree
An academic degree is a qualification awarded to a student upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education, usually at a college or university. These institutions often offer degrees at various levels, usually divided into und ...
in the
sociology of religion
Sociology of religion is the study of the beliefs, practices and organizational forms of religion using the tools and methods of the discipline of sociology. This objective investigation may include the use both of Quantitative research, quantit ...
and then worked for a year as a school teacher in northern
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
, before becoming a
journalist
A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism.
Roles
Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...
, and later working in marketing. He also became press secretary to several cabinet ministers in Norway.
In 1976, he became leader of the
Norwegian Humanist Association (''Human-Etisk Forbund'') at a time when it had 1500 members; its membership later grew to over 75,000 making it, as a proportion of national population, the largest such organisation in the world. He joined the board of the IHEU in the 1980s, becoming its co-president in 1987 and sole president between 1998 and 2003. In 2003, he was one of the signers of the
Humanist Manifesto. He later became Chair of the IHEU's Committee on Growth and Development, and has travelled widely to promote humanism, oppose racism and religious intolerance. In 2008, he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the IHEU.
,
Thanjavur
Thanjavur (), also known as Thanjai, previously known as Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the 12th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of southern Indian religion, art ...
of the south Indian state of
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
, conferred the Doctor of Letters (Honoris causa) on Fragell, he delivered the 21st Convocation Address on 4 July 2014 of the University.
References
External links
Article by Fragell, ''The Torches of the Future '', New Humanist, 2002
1939 births
Living people
Norwegian humanists
Norwegian atheists
Former Pentecostals
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