The winner or winners of the Nobel Peace Prize 2022 will be announced on October 7 in Oslo, Norway. The Prize is awarded to individuals or organisations who have done the most for "fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses".
Who are some of the popular choices for receiving the award? Have any of the previous awardees been criticised for their nomination? Today’s FAQ will shed light on this and a lot more
Who are some of the popular choices from India for the award?
According to a report by TIME, fact-checkers Mohammed Zubair and Pratik Sinha, who are also the co-founders of the fact-checking website AltNews, have been listed among the popular choices to win the prize. The report stated, “ The co-founders have relentlessly been battling misinformation in India, where the Hindu nationalist BJP party has been accused of frequently stoking discrimination against Muslims.”
To recall, Zubair was arrested in June this year, for his 2018 Twitter post that allegedly “insulted the religious feelings of a particular community with the intent to provoke breach of peace.” Many condemned his arrest, including AltNews, which termed it as an example of “selective targeting”. He was granted interim bail in July in a historic Supreme Court judgment that noted that “the power of arrest must be used sparingly.”
Additionally, activist Harsh Mander too was listed by TIME among the popular choices. “(He) has long been vocal about the country’s crackdown on religious minorities — what he has described as a move away from its secular constitution,” the report stated. He was earlier charged with allegedly inciting violence during the anti-CAA protests.
Have any of the previous awardees been criticised for their nomination?
Former President of the United States, Barack Obama, was awarded the Peace Prize in 2009 for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples," according to a press release by the Nobel Prize committee. However, this sparked criticism from those who said he had not been president long enough to have an impact worthy of the Nobel, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
Similarly, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and former US Vice-President Albert Arnold (Al) Gore Jr were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 "for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change." While many appreciated this move, some also pointed out that it came as a blow to former US President George W Bush and his widely criticised environmental policy — he had earlier rejected the Kyoto Protocol 1997 which sets limits on greenhouse gas emissions produced by industrial nations.
Who are some of the other journalists who have received the Peace Prize?
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded journalists Maria Ressa of the Philippines and Dmitry Muratov of Russia the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for their “efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.” Both of them had exposed the corruption and misdoings of their respective governments and leaders.
Similarly, in 2011, Yemeni journalist, activist and politician Tawakkol Karman was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, “for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work.”
How are candidates nominated for the Peace Prize?
The Norwegian Nobel Committee is responsible for selecting the Nobel Peace Prize laureates. Additionally, a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize may be submitted by any person who are qualified to nominate. This tight-lipped committee never hints as to who will win the prizes in medicine, physics, chemistry, literature, economics or peace.
