Does Barack Obama Deserve the Nobel Peace Prize?

News of Barack Obama winning the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize shocked the world, causing a number of mixed emotions from both his supporters and his opponents. Obama was bestowed the award after a unanimous vote from the Norwegian Parliament, the committee designated to elect the Peace Prize winner, whom decided that Obama's proposed efforts towards world peace deemed him worthy of the award.

But, is Barack Obama truly worthy of such a prize? According to Alfred Nobel, founder of the Nobel Prize, the Peace Prize recipient is to be "the person who shall have done the most or best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses. [1]

In the few months that Barack Obama has been President before receiving this award, has he really proven himself to be that person that has done the most or the best work for that fraternity? Has he truly abolished or reduced the standing armies? What's more, the nominations for the Nobel Peace Price Laureates must be submitted by the first day of February in the year of the election.

By this date, Barack Obama had been the President of the United States for just two short weeks. Was his nomination at this stage of his Presidency a hope for things to come, or yet another ploy to create the "world-savior" image that Obama has worked so hard to establish? In such early stages, one had nothing to base their nomination on except for the promises made by Obama during his Presidential campaign. With 205 nominations presented to the Nobel Peace Prize committee, was Barack Obama really the best choice?

Since 1901, eighty-nine recipients have received the Nobel Peace Prize. In twenty-three of these cases, the Prize went to organizations that have worked hard to prove their dedication to meeting the criteria set forth in Alfred Nobel's last will and testament. The award has also been awarded to ninety-six individuals who have shown the same merit. Some of the organizations to have received the award include the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Office of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, yet again two organizations who have shown their dedication for decades in improving the "fraternity" among nations around the globe.

When looking back at past Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, it is hard to imagine how a man like Barack Obama, who only recently made clear his intentions of improving relations around the globe and working towards nuclear disarmament, would be granted this honor so quickly. The majority of the Laureates are individuals that spent decades working towards their efforts before being deemed worthy of such an honor.

Martti Ahtisaari, the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize winner, spent more than thirty years of his life working to resolve conflicts spanning four countries. In 2000, South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung won the award, recognized for his years of dedication against authoritarian rule. Jung persevered through extended periods of exile and even multiple attempts of assassination during his quest to bring peace to his country. Throughout the history of the Nobel Peace Prize, we see the same dedication through all of the Laureates that received the honor.

Barack Obama on the other hand, has done little to prove that he is worthy of being a Peace Prize Laureate, having only spoken about his commitment to bring about peace between nations, improve relationships with Muslim nations, work towards nuclear arms reduction and certain environmental concerns. While Obama has captivated many around the world with his intent for bringing about a better future, he has taken few steps in his early stages of Presidency to actually act on those intents.

To say that Barack Obama will never act on this intents would be premature and unfair. However, to say that these intents make him worthy of such an honor as the Nobel Peace Prize does seem a bit premature as well. While many around the world are loudly celebrating the award, there are many more that are in agreement the move was not justified and in no way supports the intention of Alfred Nobel when he created the prize. Just as many of Obama's early supporters are now questioning their choice in him as a candidate, many of those supporting the decision to grant Obama the prize are showing mixed emotions as well. Some state that this is more of an inspiration to help keep Obama moving towards these goals, but agree that the awarding is premature and too early.

One can only hope that Barack Obama will indeed follow through with his commitment to bringing about these changes that will help promote a better world. But for Barack Obama to win the Nobel Peace Prize at such an early state of the game? It's almost a slap in the face to those past Peace Prize Laureates that dedicated decades of their lives to the their cause. Actions do certainly speak louder than words, and at this point Barack Obama has done little to act on his words. If he can indeed follow through with his intents, he may someday be worthy of the prize that he has already been granted. Hopefully in years to come, the Norwegian Nobel Committee will not come to regret their decision, bestowing such an important honor on a man that has done little to prove he his worthy of it.

[1] Last Will and Testament of Alfred Nobel