SHOCK PEACE PRIZE

by RAY FLEMING
AT about 11am yesterday morning I was reading a Norwegian press report on the leading three candidates for the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize: one was an Afghan physician, another a Colombian senator and the third a Jordanian professor of philosophy. Suddenly the website flashed “NewsBreak: Barack Obama awarded Nobel Peace Prize”. How on earth did the Norwegian judges compare President Obama with those other three? The award has polarised opinions. Critics say he has achieved nothing to justify the award and that all his peace initiatives are stalled; his US detractors claim it shows he is making America weaker. Supporters say the award recognises the immense and immediate effect that his commitment to dialogue and negotiation has had on people's perception of the United States as a global power. The judges in Oslo pointed to Obama's strong support for the United Nations, his commitment to the abolition of all nuclear weapons and his readiness to enter into talks without conditions. The Laureate himself said he was honoured and humbled and regarded the award as an encouragement to everybody who worked for peace between different faiths and religions (he mentioned Israel and Palestine), but he was wise enough to refer also to his responsibilities as Commander in Chief. My view is that the judges have recognised the uniqueness of this man and wanted to find a way of encouraging him and others in the difficult and as yet unrewarded peace initiatives he has taken in the first months of his presidency. I hope they are right.