Nobel Peace Prize

The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes created by the will of Alfred Nobel, a Swedish inventor. Along with prizes for Chemistry, Physics, Physiology or Medicine, and Literature, the Peace Prize is given each year to people who work hard to bring countries closer together and promote peace.

Since 1901, the Nobel Peace Prize has been given to individuals who help nations work together, support peace meetings, and work towards reducing armies. It is considered one of the most important awards in the world.

The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize is chosen by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, a group of five people selected by the Parliament of Norway. This is different from the other Nobel Prizes, which are chosen by the Swedish Nobel Committee. The award ceremony usually takes place in Oslo City Hall.

Because the prize is about politics and peace, it has sometimes caused debate. The most recent prize was given to María Corina Machado for her efforts to support democratic rights and a peaceful change to democracy in Venezuela.

Background

Alfred Nobel's will stated that the Nobel Peace Prize should go to whoever did the most to help countries work together, reduce armies, and promote peace meetings. The prize is chosen by a committee of five people selected by the Norwegian Parliament.

Alfred Nobel died in 1896. He didn't explain why he chose to include a peace prize. Some think it was because of his friendship with Bertha von Suttner, a peace activist who later won the prize. Others believe he wanted to make up for creating dangerous inventions like dynamite and ballistite, which were used in wars.

Nomination and selection

The Norwegian Parliament appoints the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which selects the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Each year, the Norwegian Nobel Committee invites certain qualified people to nominate candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize. These include members of governments and parliaments, judges from international courts, university professors in specific fields, previous Nobel Peace Prize winners, and current and past members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

Nominations are usually due by early February each year. The committee reviews the nominations and creates a shortlist of candidates. Advisers to the committee then prepare reports on these candidates. The committee aims to choose a winner by mid-September, but sometimes the decision is made later, with the winner announced in early October.

Main articles: List of individuals nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize (1900–1999), List of individuals nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize (2000–present), and List of organizations nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize

Awarding the prize

The Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee presents the Nobel Peace Prize each year on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death, in the presence of the King of Norway and the Norwegian royal family. Unlike the other Nobel Prizes, the Peace Prize ceremony happens in Oslo City Hall and not in Stockholm. The winner receives a diploma, a medal, and a document showing the prize money, which changes each year based on investments.

The location of the ceremony has changed over time. From 1947 to 1989, it was held in the Atrium of the University of Oslo Faculty of Law. Between 1905 and 1946, the ceremony was at the Norwegian Nobel Institute, and from 1901 to 1904, it took place in the Storting (Parliament).

Medal

Main article: Nobel Prize medal

The Nobel Peace Prize medal was designed in 1901 by Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland. The front shows a picture of Alfred Nobel, and the back has three men standing together to show friendship. Words on the medal read "Pro pace et fraternitate gentium", meaning "For the peace and brotherhood of men." Each year, the medal also has the year it was given and the name of the person who received it.

Laureates

For a more comprehensive list, see List of Nobel Peace Prize laureates.

As of October 2023, the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to 111 individuals and 27 organizations. Nineteen women have won this prize, which is more than for any other Nobel Prize. Only two recipients have won the award more than once: the International Committee of the Red Cross, which won in 1917, 1944, and 1963, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which won in 1954 and 1981. Lê Đức Thọ is the only person to have voluntarily declined the prize.

Criticism

Some people have said that the Nobel Peace Prize might sometimes be given for political reasons, or to encourage future good work. They worry that deciding who gets the prize based on current opinions can be unfair, especially since the judges might not be completely neutral. There are also concerns that the prize has become too political, rewarding hopes instead of real achievements. This can sometimes create problems, like making peace harder to reach because the prize doesn’t always consider the complex realities of international relations.

Controversies have arisen over some specific winners. For example, the 1973 prize awarded to Henry Kissinger and Lê Đức Thọ caused two committee members to quit in protest. Some people feel that others, like Mahatma Gandhi, should have won the prize but never did. Gandhi was nominated several times but never received the award, which many still find surprising today.