The world’s most prestigious prize was awarded on Friday to the world’s best known politician – U.S. president Barack Obama. This is where all the superlatives end. No matter how much anyone can admire the first African-American president’s hard work of his nine months into the term, it is hard to define concrete actions that would justify the prize accorded by the Norwegian Committee.
It’s enough to glance at the world’s political map to see that from the 20th of January until now, none of the conflicts (cold or ardent) have been resolved. Just to name a few: North Korea, Transnistria, the two wars led by the Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan, and so many more. So what is the accomplishment that distinguished Obama to end up nominated among the other 200 candidates?
The Nobel committee’s decision happened for two possible reasons. Number one – that these prizes are made on a purely subjective judgment, and the committee’s members have suffered a sudden love for the American president, as in the case of the entire world.
The explanation offered by the Nobel Committee allows for intimations of such a love: “It has rarely happened for a person to capture the world’s attention and to offer people hope for a better future in the manner that Obama has.” Obama’s charisma is transparent, it vigorously shines everywhere.
The second reason – as in the case of past awards (Yasser Arafat in 1994, along with Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin, Mikhail Gorbachev in 1990) – resides in the fact that the prize gets to go to the Oval Office in the hope that Obama’s future pacifying actions will bring peace for the whole world. The distinguishing award is offered now with projections in the future. It could be defined as a long term investment with a high-yield profit in a couple of years.
The Norwegian Committee also offers a justification for such reasoning: “His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world’s population.”
It’s true, as Obama stated in April in Prague, the “America’s commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.” A noble purpose, worthy of a Nobel. Especially that the statement is coming from the leader of the country with the world’s greatest nuclear arsenal.
However, Obama is not the first or the last international leader with the purpose to denuclearize the world.
Many have previously tried to resolve the Iranian nuclear file and to bring peace in the Middle East. Global warming can also be mentioned, as a menace to peace in the world, and as threatening as nuclear arms.
On the other side, Obama was able to open, even if slightly, dialogue with the Muslim world and managed to press for a new tone in international diplomacy. This represents a vast accomplishment for someone that five years ago was an unknown figure with a strange name.
It is sufficient for a Nobel Peace Prize?
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