There exists perhaps no more esteemed award than the Nobel Peace Prize. As its title suggests, it is awarded annually to a person or persons who have contributed the most to the quest for world peace.
The nomination process for the coveted prize is said to be something that’s not taken lightly and can involve some very serious, if not secretive, discussions among world leaders and think tanks. Choosing the prize winner can be even more challenging.
Naturally, not everyone is a contender for a Nobel Peace Prize, but many do make significant contributions to their fields, be it business, sports, teaching, writing, visual art, and so much more. For these occasions, beautiful trophies and plaques can be designed and constructed to commemorate these achievements.
According to the designers and manufacturers of custom trophies by Edco.com, trophies meant to last for generations can be created from crystal, glass, polished metals, and acrylic materials. Some of the most popular awards are cut in-house to a pre-approved shape and then printed in full color. While the trophy will appear as beautiful as it is durable, the creation of a custom trophy from design to manufacturing is said to be a quick and even simple process.
While it’s generally understood how lesser awards and trophies are selected for a deserving few in their selected fields of employment, how exactly are Nobel Peace Prize nominees selected? Why does the process seem so secretive? How is the winner eventually chosen?
According to a recent report by Liveaboutdotcom, since the turn of the 20th century, more than 100 deserving people have been awarded and honored with the Nobel Peace Prize. Peace Prize bylaws state that the honor is awarded to those people who have contributed the most or engaged in the best work to achieve a fraternity between nations, the reduction or abolition of warring armies and forces, and the promotion and holding of peace conferences all around the world. Back in the day, Alfred Nobel personally funded the prize and determined who would be eligible to win in his last will and testament.
Today’s winner of the Nobel Peace Prize is said to receive a beautiful medal, a personal framed diploma, the title of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, plus 10 million Swedish Crowns, which is the equivalent to around $1,000,000 depending upon the present-day exchange rate.
Over the years, some popular Nobel Peace Prize winners have included such charismatic figures as Mother Theresa, the founder of the Red Cross, Henri Durant, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, and Malala Yousafzai. In recent times, rockers Bob Geldof and Bono were nominated for the coveted prize. President Donald Trump has been nominated three separate times for a Nobel Peace Prize for his work on the Abraham Accords, which would broker long-lasting peace between Israel and the UAE (United Arab Emirates).
With such an eclectic assortment of nominees and winners, who gets to actually decide which people have contributed the most toward world peace in any given year?
How Nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize are Determined
It’s the responsibility of the Norwegian Nobel Committee to consider people who’ve been nominated for their outstanding work towards peace. They choose one from a pool of people to be the ultimate winner. But how does a nomination happen in the first place?
So, states the Nobel Peace Prize official website, the nominees are only to be accepted by a relatively limited number of deserving people. These can include members in good standing of national governments, former Nobel Peace Prize winners, members of the Hague’s Permanent Court of Arbitration and of the International Court of Justice, college and university professors, and even rock stars. According to the Nobel Peace Prize rules, entire organizations can be nominated or individuals.
It is not possible to nominate yourself for the Nobel Peace Prize. It’s also forbidden to campaign on your own to be selected as the ultimate winner. The secretive truth of the matter is that it is highly likely you won’t even be aware of your nomination until someone informs you of it. However, it’s said that records of Peace Prize nominees are kept entirely secret for up to half a century or more.
Who is Responsible for Choosing the Nobel Peace Prize Winner?
Liveaboutdotcom says the Nobel Peace Prize winner is eventually selected by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. This organization consists of five members who’ve been directly appointed by the Norwegian parliament. These members are said to be fiercely independent. For example, since 1936, members of the Norwegian government have been prohibited from becoming a part of the committee—a strategic move to prevent even a hint that the committee’s prize winner was influenced by the contemporary political climate.
While Nobel prizes exist for literature, science, and other disciplines, the Nobel Peace Prize is the only one to be awarded by the select committee. All other winners of Nobel Prizes are said to be selected by a Swedish commission.
How the Nobel Peace Prize Winner is Selected
During the process of choosing the winner or winners of the Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee will carefully consider every nominee and can even add names to the list if they so choose. Once that’s accomplished, the committee then selects a “shortlist” of five to 20 individuals or organizations for additional review and scrutiny.
Peace Prize experts, along with permanent advisors, are said to gather as much pertinent information as possible regarding the short-listed candidates into detailed reports that are intended to assist the committee with making their ultimate decision.
It’s important for the committee to reach a unanimous decision based on debates and discussions. If a unanimous decision seems impossible by October 1, they hold yet another vote. Once a winner is chosen unanimously, there is no possible way for a committee member to object to it.
The Nobel Peace Prize will then be awarded to the winner in December. After that, the long process begins again.
While the overall goal of the Nobel Peace Prize is to acknowledge and award people who’ve made major advancements towards bringing about peace in a troubled world, there are often peace prize winners who haven’t yet completed their work towards lasting peace. However, they are said to be at a “critical juncture” in their efforts and need the prestige of the Nobel Peace Prize as support to achieve their ultimate goal.
This has resulted in certain people being selected as the winners, but who don’t seem to deserve what is arguably the world’s most prestigious award. With that in mind, some of the controversial Nobel Peace Prize winners are Yassar Arafat, Henry Kissinger, Barack Obama, and even Bob Dylan.