Barack Obama has become one of America’s youngest Presidents to win the Nobel piece prize this year. The world is taken by surprise by the Nobel Committee’s decision to award this highest echelon to the new US president who has completed less than 9 months in oval office. There is a mixed reaction to this decision; while there are people, who welcomed such decision, there are others for whom this decision didn’t go down well. The Norwegian Nobel Committee has reportedly chose Obama for his efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between people and for ushering in a new climate in international politics.
The prize is more of an endorsement of Obama’s policies and promise rather than performance. So far he has geared America away from the tough foreign policy followed by the former Bush regime which caused heavy losses to humanity and instead resorted to a peaceful means of addressing a crisis through negotiations, mediations and propagates nuclear disarmament. He has promised to close down Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and banned torture and extreme interrogation of terrorists. He said he would end the war in Iraq too but it will take time.
But still the decision of the Nobel committee has earned criticism from some quarters. Some heads of the states feel it’s too early to give him the award since there has been no major contribution from him sp far. Moreover questions are raised about his nomination for the award just two weeks after he was sworn in as the President. But the Peace prize committee tried to silence its critiques by pointing out that the awards are often given to encourage the laureates in their endeavor rather than just merely recognize their achievements.
Popularity: unranked [?]
