Just days after being named the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Barack Obama has declared he will overturn policy regarding homosexuality in the American military.
Although some saw Obama as the obvious choice for the award many have asked, what has he actually achieved in the realms of world peace? Plain and simply very little. Speaking in Saturday’s Times, Lech Walesa, the former Polish President who won the prize in 1983 was dismayed. He said ‘So soon? Too early. He has no contribution so far.’ This is not to say that the President has not been campaigning to bring about a safer world but his efforts to this day have largely been in vain.
Despite the fact that three of the past six awards have been awarded to adversaries of the previous Bush administration, the award panel have now seen fit to award the American leader the £880,000 prize. The money will be donated to charity but we should actually look at Obama’s record before deciding whether the award is deserved. He has campaigned for the reduction of nuclear missiles, yet the exact same number remain, he has campaigned for peace and a clearer electoral process in Iran, yet a secret nuclear facility has just been found and claims of corruption surround the recent election. The problems in Israel persist and despite his inspirational speech in Cairo regarding cross faith co-operation little has been seen.
Admittedly the President’s abandonment of the controversial missile programme in Europe and the fresh talks with Russia have improved American standing in many countries and give a hint of understanding toward his selection for the award. Yet we must ask ourselves why Obama was nominated when all nominations had to be made within weeks of his inauguration when little or nothing had been achieved. It does seem somewhat of a paradox that when awarded the prize Obama is the leader of a nation embroiled in two separate wars, that is not to say whether the wars are right or wrong but question whether someone leading a waring country can be dubbed the most peaceful man in the world, who has done the most to try and achieve everlasting peace?
Why was Morgan Tsvangriai overlooked, he has campaigned for free elections in Zimbabwe while seeing his friends and allies brutally tortured and murdered. American Greg Mortenson is a US medic who has spent vast sums of his own money opening schools in Afghanistan for girls that are the victim of rape and there are many others however they perhaps do not have the celebrity status of the American leader.
Obama’s decision today to change the law relating to homosexuals in the Army maybe seen as a step to justify the award however it seems somewhat last minute as little had been heard of this idea before today.
This is not to say that the President does not deserve recognition, does not deserve praise and what he had achieved is truly staggering, he has changed the world forever by becoming the first black president. His attempts to set up a US style NHS and his efforts regarding CND and the Middle East crisis are truly admirable however until he has actually achieved these efforts the award seems almost laughable and utterly illogical.
