Wise News Communique 328

IN REMEMBRANCE

On January 17, 1990, Mads Knudsen, 41 years old, died peacefully in his sleep in Copenhagen, Denmark. Mads was active in the Danish OOA virtually from its inception in 1974.

From the beginning, Mads' main love and occupation at the OOA was the collection and systematic registration of information. Mads had the foresight from the beginning to realize that no matter how impassioned one's arguments were, it was vitally important to have correct information present in one's arguments, to gain credibility in the public arena, especially when debating so controversial and emotional a subject such as nuclear power. Through the years, the OOA library has, under the leadership and guidance of Mads, developed into a leading center of information on nuclear power and related subjects. The OOA library has played a major role in the Danish energy debate over the past 10-12 years. Countless people, ranging from school children to scientists and journalists have been helped by Mads in their research efforts. In recent years, the OOA library has reached an even greater audience as more and more requests for information come from foreign countries.

But Mads will be remembered by those who knew him first and foremost for his wonderful personality, by his ability to see things clearly in those difficult moments when problems and pressures seem to encroach from all sides, by his sense of direction and most importantly, his gift of treating everyone with whom he came in contact with respect and fairness.

It will be difficult in the beginning to continue with out Mads, but we will do our best. While we who knew him have our memories, he will nevertheless be sorely missed.

Dale Lovett,
on behalf of the Danish OOA (Organisationen til Oplysning om Atomkraft Energikontoret)