This Friday, Norway will award the Nobel Peace Prize once more. The award is made in light of the heightened hostilities between Ukraine and Russia, which have resulted in the largest conflict in Europe in more than seven decades.
This year’s Nobel Peace Prize is one of the most significant and challenging because of the ongoing pressure that both nations place on one another. Therefore, the Norwegian selection committee found it challenging to choose the winner of one of the most desired prizes in the globe.
It carries a lot of responsibility to be awarded the Nobel Prize since it stands for courage and hope in the face of uncertainty, especially during troubled times. But, according to experts, a number of circumstances would make it uncertain who would get the Nobel Peace Prize.
Dan Smith, director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), said, “Sometimes, it’s hard to figure out who might get the prize because there are so many possible candidates.”
“This year, it’s hard to figure out who might get the prize because there’s so little good that is happening in the world of peace and security.”
It goes without saying that the Nobel Prize is incredibly unexpected and that anyone might win. As a result, no one is aware of the screening committee that evaluates applicants for the honor. Naturally, those who specialize in peace and security have candidates in mind who may win the prize. Still, even they are unsure because the selection committee’s decision-making procedure is secret.
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Ukraine and Russia
No contender has won the Nobel Peace Prize during the First and Second World Wars. There are also several cases where the reward was not awarded at all. The Nobel Prize has, however, frequently been awarded when there was little hope or when several nations were hurting due to the conflict.
Furthermore, the individuals who choose the prize laureate would have to make an important choice given the geopolitical events in Europe today. As a result of the prize’s significance in promoting peace, it will have a significant impact on their opinions.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees are two other people who many experts are keeping an eye on. Both have significantly helped those who have required assistance in difficult circumstances. However, while the commissioner has assisted those displaced due to conflict, Volodymyr is a symbol who protects his people from Russian aggression.
“Zelensky is a war leader, and what is happening at the moment is war. You can admire or not admire the action he’s undertaking, but it’s about war and the armed defense of his country. That’s a fact that should be respected in and of itself,” added Smith.
“Hopefully, the war will come to an end, and they will make peace. If Zelensky or somebody else can contribute to making that peace, then there will be time to acknowledge that enormous achievement.”
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Kremlin critics could be awarded
Experts anticipate that Putin’s opponents may be in a position to get the Nobel Peace Prize due to Russia receiving increased condemnation for its cruel treatment of its smaller neighbor. And such is Alexey Navalny, who has subsequently voiced his opposition to Russia’s policies and its conflict with Ukraine. As a result, Navalny was put in jail. In addition, he was poisoned in 2020, and Navalny brazenly blamed the Russian government for it.
“Navalny, I think, is heroic, (but) he’s a political leader. It’s a prize that is to be awarded not for how great you are but for how great the things you’ve done are,” said Smith.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, a leader of the opposition in Belarus who campaigned against a staunch supporter of Putin, is another person who may be in line to get the Nobel award.
“Both Tsikhanouskaya and Navalny are vocal critics of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A shared Nobel Peace Prize between them would be seen as a clear protest of the Russian aggression and the assistance by Belarus, and as support of democratic and non-violent alternatives to Lukashenko and Putin.”
Photo Credit: Geir Anders Rybakken Ørslien
Source: CNN
