The Nobel Prize is considered by many to be the highest award of recognition in any field, and the peace prize, since its inception in 1908 has been no exception. The committee, consisting of members appointed by the Norwegian parliament, awards the prize to one or more worthy individuals or organizations who, in their opinion, have gone to exceptional lengths to promote peace. (Prize Awarder for the Nobel Peace Prize) In the past, the prize has sometimes been awarded to true humanitarians and altruists who have devoted their entire lives and sometimes at great risk, for the promotion of peace in our society. Some of the more notable names include Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King Jr. and Shirin Ebadi. (All Nobel Peace Prize Laureates) This year the prize was awarded to Barack Obama, 44th president of the United States, for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples”. But the question begs to be asked: is this enough to win the highest honor of peace in the world and to be associated with such great names as Muhammad Yunus, Nelson Mandela, and the 14th, Dalai Lama. (BBC News Obama wins 2009 Nobel Peace Prize)
It is true that Obama, by becoming the first African-American president of the USA, has broken barriers and changed the course of American politics. It is even true that his policies and actions have truly revolutionized America’s role in the world and even their domestic situation with the introduction of certain policies such as his universal health care. However can one truly call Barack Obama a humanitarian and a keeper of peace. First of all it may be important to examine whProxy-Connection: keep-alive
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Barack Obama’s contenders were for the prize. Some of them included Sima Samar an Afghan woman who was the first Hazara woman to obtain a medical degree from Kabul University. She is also the chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission and she is also a UN news correspondent for Sudan. She has set up clinics under the Taliban’s regime and has all the while been threatened by the Taliban. (The Independent- Other Nobel Peace Prize Nominees) Piedad Córdoba a Colombian politician advocating for press rights and for negotiating for peace with the notorious FARC guerilla group, was kidnapped and even nearly assassinated for her positions on peace (The Latin Americanist- Piedad Cordoba). Finally, Morgan Tsvangirai, the man who is in the process of breaking the oppressive dictatorship of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe and who has several times been threatened by Mugabe’s police force was another contender. (BBC News Profile: Morgan Tsvangirai) Compared to all of these figures who have accomplished truly humanitarian acts at great personal risk, Obama’s policy making from the safety of the White House seems to pail in comparison. Moreover, these people have devoted years of service to the cause of peace and who have managed to make enormous strides are, evidently more deserving than a man who has only implemented policies over a few months, and who has not yet had the time to prove his dedication to peace as president. While it is true that even in this short time we see a new dawn of American politics, it is simply not enough, particularly in comparison to these other names, to be able to call Obama a crusader of humanity and peace.
Why was the prize awarded to Obama?. One of the more popular theories is that the prize was given as the committees approval and support of Obama’s policies. And while it is possible that there is value in promoting the action of a man who has attempted to unify America and strengthen foreign policies it is important to not lose sight of what the Nobel prize was originally intended for. Not as a political tool but as a true homage to extraordinary people who promote peace at all costs. (Nobel Peace Prize an Unprecedented Honor for Obama- CBS news). Moreover many believe that his election is seen as the dawn of new American politics simply because it is so drastically different from Bush’s and not because it is, on its own, productive or positive and that his prize is not actually based on his successes but rather on the fact that he is such a polar opposite of Bush .
Obama accepted the prize very humbly, saying that it was a ‘call for action’ rather than a true homage to his efforts. In his acceptance he mentioned that he would continue to strive for international objectives such as reversing the global economic recession as well as attempting to solve the tension between Israel and Palestine. (Obama Nobel Peace Prize is ‘call to action’- CNN.com) Although Obama has taken concrete steps to improve relations between Israel and Palestine by organizing a three way meeting between the leaders of the states at the White House, it is also true that he has increased the american troops in Afghanistan substantially. All this to say that he is not a perfect president (Obama stumped by Israel- Times Online).
So in brief, Obama is certainly a man who has advocated peace and who has accomplished great tasks , but this does not necessarily qualify him to receive the highest honor in peace and to have his name engraved alongside those who have risked their lives, overcome oppressive regimes and given hope to people in the darkest of times, all in the name of peace.
