Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize

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November 20, 2009 • Genevieve Deville  
Filed under BuccaNews

The Norwegian Nobel Peace Prize committee decided Obama’s promises to solve complex global issues, including working toward a world free of nuclear weapons, were worthy of receiving the reputable Nobel Peace Prize. “Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future,” the committee said. They mentioned it recognizes “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.” Obama, as well as various political correspondents, were thoroughly astonished at the outcome of the majority vote. The president felt “surprised and deeply humbled” for being chosen as the winner. He said he viewed the verdict less as recognition of his own accomplishments and more as “a call to action.”

When he received the prize nine months after he had been in office, the White House mentioned that Obama hadn’t even been notified that he was up for the prize, which held a $1.4 million cash award. Senior Adviser of the White House, David Axelrod, said Obama told his staff to give the money to charity “in a way that promotes the ideals he is talking about and that that prize committee honored today.” After being notified of his victory, Obama addressed winners from past years, and said, “I know that throughout history the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement. It’s also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes.” He humbly admitted, “To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who’ve been honored by this prize — men and women who have inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.”

Caught by surprise, most observers have an opinion in the matter. Considering nominations for the prize had to be postmarked only twelve days after Obama took office, countless onlookers believe this choice was made too early on. “So soon? Too early. He has [made] no contribution so far,” said former Polish President Lech Walesa, a 1983 Nobel Peace laureate.  Others simply believe that he is less than deserving because he has not yet achieved peace within the Middle East. In an interview with CNN’s John King, Senator McCain respectively congratulated Obama and mentioned that he believes each and every American should be proud that our president was elected for the prize. Now the pressure lies with Obama and his judgment. The prize was awarded while the decision of whether to send additional combat troops to Afghanistan for a war effort was still pending. The outcome will now be measured against the principles of the prize. “Not only will he be judged in the future against this exacting standard, but also it may complicate some decisions, such as the one he must soon make concerning Afghanistan,” said William A. Galston, a Clinton administration adviser now at the Brookings Institution in an interview with the Washington Post. Galston also noted, “While I hope that such considerations will not influence his decisions, they don’t make his life any easier.” While the president contemplates the war efforts and whether or not to send 40,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan, people won’t hesitate to criticize his consensus by the values instilled by the Nobel Peace Prize Committee. The president continues to make an effort towards peaceful interaction throughout the world, only time will tell if he lives up to the expectations of the honorable Nobel Peace Prize.