If you’ve read the news lately, you must have heard that President Barack Obama has been awarded the Novel Peace Prize. Undoubtedly news of great surprise, the President made a wonderful speech.
Describing himself as surprised and deeply humbled, Obama said he would accept the award as a “call to action” to confront the global challenges of the 21st century.
“I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments but rather an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations,” he said in the White House Rose Garden.
(Credit to source)
- President Barack Obama comments on winning the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize while delivering a statement in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, October 9, 2009. REUTERS/Jim Young
The president said he does not “view [the award] as a recognition of my own accomplishment,” but rather a recognition of goals he has set for the United States and the world. The award must be “shared by everyone who strives for justice and dignity,” he said.
Norwegian Nobel committee chair Thorbjorn Jagland told CNN that the five-member committee had unanimously voted to select Obama as the Nobel laureate.
Jagland told CBC News the committee expected criticism about the selection. But the prize is meant to help “strengthen his role and his policy,” he said.
Though Obama has been president for less than a year it has been “enough time to inspire the world,” Jagland said.
The Nobel committee said Obama has created a new climate in international politics that has focused on multilateral diplomacy and an emphasis on the role of the United Nations and other international institutions.
“Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future,” the citation said.
(credit to source)
Of course there has been controversy about whether President Obama is deserving of the award. Many people argue Obama has been awarded because of his ‘star power’ and all the things he promises to achieve, but arguably hasn’t. Some suggest its premature to award Obama, and that we should wait until further into his presidency term before we award him. What are your thoughts?
