Yet Another Great Feat by Obama
Barack Obama adds yet another feather to his cap after being awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for his "efforts to boost democracy and co-operation". Ever since he beat McCain to the presidency of the most powerful nation on Earth, Obama has become an international symbol of hope and change. But does he really deserve a Nobel Peace Prize award, barely 9 months into his presidential mandate?
News of Obama winning the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize was met with shock and disbelief this morning. I almost choked on my tea as I read the headline on the BBC News website. Apparently, I was not the only one. The reaction to the news was even worse in the US, with most media entities questioning the wisdom of awarding him with the honour when he has hardly done anything in his first few months of presidency.
I do not think I can truly judge him for I am merely a muggle in front of Obama. But what I do think is ridiculous is that people have been jumping on the bandwagon of political correctness, just because he is the first black President of the USA. I am myself a huge admirer of Obama, but there is a limit to my fondness. He has achieved a herculean task by becoming president, but that does not mean he is an exception to the rule. And, in my opinion, he has definitely not done anything spectacular to merit the greatest formal accolade that humans can aspire to. Not yet atleast. He has indeed been a more willing advocate of international co-operation than his republican predecessor, but is he more deserving than anyone else?
According to Alfred Nobel's will, the prize should be given "to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses." The big favourite prior to the announcement of the Norwegian Nobel Committee was current Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai who has steered his country from the jaws of complete social and economic meltdown towards the gleaming light of hope. Other possible nominees (not definite since the list is only made public 50 years after the prize is awarded) who fulfilled the above criteria include the following:
- Ingrid Betancourt, the Colombian-French activist who was freed after a lengthy abduction.
- Nicolas Sarkozy, the charismatic French President for his work towards peace in the Middle East and his valuable contribution to the ending of the Russian-Georgian conflict.
- Greg Mortenson, an American humanitarian known for the building of schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
- Piedad Córdoba, a Colombian senator who negotiated the release of several hostages from the clutches of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.
- Hu Jia, Chinese human rights activist known for his campaigns for civil rights, for the environment and for religious freedom in China. He has recently been jailed for 3 and half years.
- Cluster Munition Coalition, a civil society movement campaigning against the use of cluster munitions.
Anyway, whatever the arguments for and against, this is an incredible achievement by Obama, which will put incredible pressure on him to deliver on the promise he has shown so far. To be fair to him, he is not to blame at all for this. His humble acknowledgement of the honour epitomises his amazing charm. He would probably have won this prize anyway in the future! It is a magnificent crown for a magnificent human being, but this early appraisal of his work can have detrimental effects in the US and is already providing fodder for his rivals. His biggest challenge now would be to fulfill the enormous expectations bestowed upon him by this Nobel Prize.
What do you make of this news?
