In southern rural Nepal the bride's family give the groom some dowry so that he would take proper care of their daughter. The Nobel Prizes Committee seem to have learnt that lesson giving President Barack Obama the Nobel Peace Prize "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." President Obama would go on to say that he was "humbled and deeply surprised" and that it was not an individual award but an affirmation of American leadership and not a recognition but an incentive for better world future. What a load of crap.
One can understand the intention here. The world economy is in shambles, America is involved in two wars and new countries with nuclear aimbitions are rising everyday. Poverty is rising, global warming is causing more and more environmental havoc and many countries are still abusing there citizens. Never has the world needed a leader who can guide them through a dire time, never has the world needed more hope and Mr. Obama no doubt is the hope. But, (and there is a but), is that all that is necessary for winning a Nobel peace prize, giving the world hope and nothing else?
It has been eight months since President Obama took to the White House with that historic speech where he promised anything and everything. Since then what has he done for international peace? Uhm, nothing, absolutely nothing. In his speech in Cairo he reprimanded the Israeli administration for building new settlements and urged the Islamic world for better cooperation with America. 5 months thereon, the Israelis are still building new settlements, the Abbas administration and Hamas are still fighting each other and furthermore Iran has declared a secret nuclear enrichment site. Iraq seems at peace but that was due to Bush administration and Mr. Obama has promised more in Afghanistan. Though he has promised to remove the new missile defence system from Poland and Czech Republic he is planning to install new warships in the Arabic sea. And there has been no substantial progress in the climate debate. In short Mr. Obama has done nothing so far which deserves him a kudos from the world community.
One thing people easily forget is that America elected Obama and that Obama is America's president and not the world's president. America elected him to serve its people first, world peace is only secondary. He would do whatever is in the best interest of America. I mean he is the same man who declared he would send his troops inside Pakistan to stop terrorist attacks in America if necessary.
Then comes the question, if not Obama then who else? How about Morgan Changvirai who saved Zimbabwe from total failure to some extent helped Zimbabweans from the torturous rule of Robert Mugabe? What an example it would set to other African leaders trying to prove their worth to the world, or may be te IMF which has managed to save so many world economies from the verge of collapse from the recent economic crisis, or may be even the famous U2 singer Bono who has been actively working to relieve the third world debt and alleviating Aids from Africa and surely if I can name this many, the Nobel committee can name many more. Besides, giving award to Mr. Obama though increases pressure on him to deliver peace (which is good by the way) it by no way changes other nations' approach to America or their own people. Since peace is a bilateral if not a multilateral one, Mr. Obama cannot do it alone so why not grant Nobel peace prize to all world leaders instead.
Think about it, isn't comparing the likes of Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa or even Muhammed Yunus with a person who is just into the nine months into his presidency and has achieved nothing so far a little absurd? There is no doubt that Mr. Obama has a great charisma and is undoubtedly a great hope for the future. If anybody can bring peace and prosperity to this world, right now it is Mr. Obama. But he has yet to do it. Surely, awards are rewards not incentives for action. And so it should be. My Univeristy cannot grant me an honors degree in my first year of study so that I can study well.
President Obama can certainly deliver on his promise of better future for all global citizens, but can the Nobel Prize committee select a better candidate for their prizes? Yes they can.
