When I think about the Nobel Peace Prize, the names of the following recipients are foremost in my mind:
- Tenzin Gyatso
- Aung San Suu Kyi
- Nelson Mandela
- Médecins Sans Frontières
I could suggest that few would argue the qualification of these people. Nevertheless, there are recipients that have been, and remain controversial, such as:
- Yasser Arafat
- Al Gore
- Barack Obama
Yasser Arafat shared the prize with Shimon Peres, but are the Palestinians, today, more well-off? Al Gore is known as an environmentalist, but has he changed anything (We may still play golf on Christmas Day)? And Barack Obama is, perhaps, the reason for ‘Trumpism’?
Now, the latest recipient is, the President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos who, admittedly, has worked diligently for peace with the FARC. Nevertheless, Colombians have voted against the peace process. Thus, is it premature for the Peace Prize be awarded for less than ‘peace’?
It seems to me that the Nobel Foundation is, very much, a political organization. Your opinion will be considered valuable.
Perhaps Vladimir Putin should get the prize. He is striving to bring peace in Syria with the elimination of the rebels and ISIS who cannot succeed together and if they did would immediately begin fighting each other. Obama is not interested in an end to the Syrian war he provoked and he got the Peace Prize! We may hate Assad but as the say "wtf" can we do about it.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteTwo points occur-
None of those guys brokered a peace that lasted more than a short while, if at all.
and
to qualify for the prize the peace should last for some years, should be visible and improve the lives of the citizens.
So it should be called the Attempted Peace Prize maybe?
ReplyDeletePerhaps they could issue Nobel Coupons with the eventual announcement, "We are pleased to declare that Mr. Nigel Farage has amassed the required number of coupons for the award of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Additionally, emulating the process of demerit points given to car drivers, such points could be given to prospective tyrants. Then, there would be a media announcement, e.g., "Today, Despot Demerit Points have been given to Mr. Vladiir Putin enabling attendance at the International Criminal Court in The Hague".
If such an idea is accepted, I would be delighted and prepared to put my printer to good use.
You made good points Bernie but now you are belabouring the issue. Note Canadian spelling of belaboring, oops, belabouring.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteNow, it seems, that you are overelaborating ... while my center of attention had been on Colombia.