The following is from the Web site of the Nobel Committee:
The Nobel Peace Prize for 2009
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama’s vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.
Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama’s initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.
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. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world’s population.
For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world’s leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama’s appeal that “Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges.”
Oslo, October 9, 2009
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
___________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release October 9, 2009
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
ON WINNING THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
Rose Garden
11:16 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Well, this is not how I expected to wake up this morning. After I received the news, Malia walked in and said, “Daddy, you won the Nobel Peace Prize, and it is Bo’s birthday!” And then Sasha added, “Plus, we have a three-day weekend coming up.” So it’s good to have kids to keep things in perspective.
I am both surprised and deeply humbled by the decision of the Nobel Committee. Let me be clear: I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations.
To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who’ve been honored by this prize — men and women who’ve inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.
But I also know that this prize reflects the kind of world that those men and women, and all Americans, want to build — a world that gives life to the promise of our founding documents. And I know that throughout history, the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it’s also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes. And that is why I will accept this award as a call to action — a call for all nations to confront the common challenges of the 21st century.
These challenges can’t be met by any one leader or any one nation. And that’s why my administration has worked to establish a new era of engagement in which all nations must take responsibility for the world we seek. We cannot tolerate a world in which nuclear weapons spread to more nations and in which the terror of a nuclear holocaust endangers more people. And that’s why we’ve begun to take concrete steps to pursue a world without nuclear weapons, because all nations have the right to pursue peaceful nuclear power, but all nations have the responsibility to demonstrate their peaceful intentions.
We cannot accept the growing threat posed by climate change, which could forever damage the world that we pass on to our children — sowing conflict and famine; destroying coastlines and emptying cities. And that’s why all nations must now accept their share of responsibility for transforming the way that we use energy.
We can’t allow the differences between peoples to define the way that we see one another, and that’s why we must pursue a new beginning among people of different faiths and races and religions; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect.
And we must all do our part to resolve those conflicts that have caused so much pain and hardship over so many years, and that effort must include an unwavering commitment that finally realizes that the rights of all Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security in nations of their own.
We can’t accept a world in which more people are denied opportunity and dignity that all people yearn for — the ability to get an education and make a decent living; the security that you won’t have to live in fear of disease or violence without hope for the future.
And even as we strive to seek a world in which conflicts are resolved peacefully and prosperity is widely shared, we have to confront the world as we know it today. I am the Commander-in-Chief of a country that’s responsible for ending a war and working in another theater to confront a ruthless adversary that directly threatens the American people and our allies. I’m also aware that we are dealing with the impact of a global economic crisis that has left millions of Americans looking for work. These are concerns that I confront every day on behalf of the American people.
Some of the work confronting us will not be completed during my presidency. Some, like the elimination of nuclear weapons, may not be completed in my lifetime. But I know these challenges can be met so long as it’s recognized that they will not be met by one person or one nation alone. This award is not simply about the efforts of my administration — it’s about the courageous efforts of people around the world.
And that’s why this award must be shared with everyone who strives for justice and dignity — for the young woman who marches silently in the streets on behalf of her right to be heard even in the face of beatings and bullets; for the leader imprisoned in her own home because she refuses to abandon her commitment to democracy; for the soldier who sacrificed through tour after tour of duty on behalf of someone half a world away; and for all those men and women across the world who sacrifice their safety and their freedom and sometime their lives for the cause of peace.
That has always been the cause of America. That’s why the world has always looked to America. And that’s why I believe America will continue to lead.
Thank you very much.
END 11:22 A.M. EDT
Let the critics and cynics go nuts, I think this was a good move. If nothing else, Obama has helped reshape the world conversation to include global climate change, control of nuclear arms, and dialog with Iran.
Few other world leaders have the power and popularity to do this. Hopefully the American people will get on board in a bigger way.
Posted by Richard, on October 9th, 2009 at 7:46 am EDTI agree that it is a good thing and a good move by the Nobel committee. He is a very rare politician. I do,however, think it is another burden on the president (how much weight can one man’s shoulders hold?) as it comes too early in terms of actual things being accomplished. The timing is also extraordinary given the clearly difficult time he is having deciding next steps in Afghanistan.
Posted by Francis McKeagney, on October 9th, 2009 at 8:13 am EDTI am a big fan of Obama and have been since before the first primary. But this is a little premature for the Nobel prize. I’m afraid it will diminish the Nobel peace prize. His international diplomatic view has certainly inspired the world but I’m not sure it has really made a lasting difference … YET.
Posted by Jonathan, on October 9th, 2009 at 8:15 am EDTThe Nobel Committee’s decision is an unfortunate one that only devalues the Prize itself further. Mr. Obama has done nothing, as yet, to deserve a prize that is supposed to award significant effort toward a goal.
One has to wonder what other more notable persons, perhaps those who have invested decades and thousands of hours in constructing and implementing peaceful resolutions toward conflicts, were overlooked.
It seems the prize was bestowed arbitrarily and based more on popularity than justifiable accomplishment. One is only left to ask the Nobel Committee, “What were you thinking?!”
Posted by Susan Cronk, on October 9th, 2009 at 10:44 am EDTThe Nobel committee have extremely hurt the reputation of the peace prize. Anybody can talk. Results are what counts. His “talking” can be interpreted as weakness and could put this world in a very dangerous place. The committe should have waited four years to see if Obama accomplishes anything.
Posted by Krystal, on October 9th, 2009 at 1:26 pm EDTBarack Obama was awarded the peace prize; he was not awarded the peace prize based solely on his Presidential actions. He has demonstrated amazing leadership, wisdom, commitment, focus, and inclusiveness. His values are the path to peace. He chose a career of enriching his community at the expense of amassing wealth. He has worked hard in every waking moment since becoming President to serve his countrymen and women. He has the courage and strength of his convictions to seek the wisdom of others and make the right decision. I am apalled that Republican spokespersons believe that saying that awarding this Nobel prize to Barack Obama is a travesty. He is everything that we have needed in a President for a long time. We now have the largess of his intelligence and resourcefulness; lets enjoy vicariously the benefits he is bringing to us. Lets try to be Americans first and partisans or ego driven commentators at least second.
Posted by Judy Lynn, on October 9th, 2009 at 8:28 pm EDTI am outraged by all those who question the Nobel Prize committee. Of course President Obama deserves the prize! Who else could have changed the political climate around the world and the image of US in such A Short Time? and after so much DAMAGE done by Bush administration? President Obama deserves it just for being such a peaceful leader and man! For how peacefully he has, and is handling the racism, haterate and attacks of the brutal vicious far right! For how he ignores their attacks (ie: speech to school children, heckled on the house floor,etc.) so he does not loose the focus on the issues or divide the nation even more. This is not something too many people/leaders are willing to do or can do. I am outraged that as Americans we are not celebration our president being recognized by a foreign prestigious committee!! And instead we waist time questioning their decision and creating doubts! This is unprecedented. Even – for example – when recently an unknown Shirin Ebadi got the Nobel peace prize there was no questions. I am sad for our country! Any other country in the world would have been rejoicing.
Posted by manaz, on October 10th, 2009 at 1:19 pm EDTHaving 3 Democrat leaders (2 president and one vice president) winning the Nobel peace prize is a testimony to how backward, negative and unwelcome the Republican party’s ideology is in the eyes of the majority of people in the world (including Americans). You would hope it would have been a wake up call for the Republican party, but unfortunately it seems instead it makes them very uncomfortable and has put them in full attack mode. And the media as usual plays into their hand.
I see no reason for outrage because people question the decision. Even Obama was surprised and feels that he does not deserve “to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who’ve been honored by this prize”.
It speaks well of the President that he accepted the award with humility.
We need more humility and less outrage.
Posted by Sean Ryan, on October 10th, 2009 at 2:57 pm EDTLook over all the website comments, all the blog postings since Friday morning: not only sober views expressed in deference to Obama, not only sober views questioning the legitimacy of the Nobel Committee’s decision, not only principled views both supporting and attacking the award, but strident opposition to the legitimacy the Peace Prize seems to confer domestically and strident antipathy towards those expressing such opposition.
Posted by Edward Roberts, on October 12th, 2009 at 8:43 pm EDTPlainly, Obama is no unifying figure. Like it or not, he polarizes American politics and the American electorate, and we see fresh evidence of this in his White House’s decision over the weekend to begin marginalizing (further?) FOX news. Let’s grant the rabidity of whichever FOX personages we care to; but let’s grant at the same time that Obama has benefitted from much kind treatment from practically every news organization other than FOX. Is (further) marginalization of FOX, and whatever millions of viewers it attracts, a prudent course for a Nobel Peace laureate to pursue? I have genuine doubts.
I’m in Malta and asked ten people at random what they thought of Obama winning the Peace Prize.
Posted by Peter Lake, on October 14th, 2009 at 7:23 pm EDTEvery one of them said, “For what?”