Kenyans elated as, Obama Wins 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

Again the first black-American U.S President Barack Obama in his nine months in office has rewrite history, as he won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Committee said he was awarded it for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples". In the words of the committee, "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.

The committee highlighted Mr. Obama's efforts to strengthen international bodies and promote nuclear disarmament.There were a record 205 nominations for this year's prize. Zimbabwe's Prime Minister and a Chinese dissident had been among the favourites. The laureate who is chosen by a five-member committee - wins a gold medal, a diploma and 10m Swedish kronor which is about 1.4 million dollars.

The award is certainly unexpected and might be regarded as more of an encouragement for intentions than a reward for achievements.After all, the President has been in office for a little over eight months and he might hope to serve eight years. Indeed, the citation indicates that it is President Obama's world view that attracted the Nobel committee - that diplomacy should be founded "on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population".

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," the Norwegian committee said in a statement. 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."

Asked why the prize had been awarded to Mr. Obama less than a year after he took office, Nobel Committee head Thorbjoern Jagland said: "It was because we would like to support what he is trying to achieve".

"It is a clear signal that we want to advocate the same as he has done," he said.

He specifically mentioned Mr. Obama's work to strengthen international institutions and work towards a world free of nuclear arms. Since taking office in January, President Obama has pursued an ambitious international agenda including a push for peace in the Middle Eastand negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme.

In Addition, in the selection process those qualified to nominate candidates include members of national governments, international judiciary, academics and previous prize winners.

Five Norwegians are chosen by Norway's parliament to sit on the Nobel Committee. The Committee compiles a shortlist of between five and 20 candidates.The shortlist is considered by the Nobel Institute's permanent advisers, mainly Norwegian academics, the Nobel Committee chooses the winner. The statement from the Nobel Committee also said the US President had "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," it said.

The Committee added that the U.S was now playing a more constructive role in meeting "the great climatic challenges" facing the world, and that democracy and human rights would be strengthened.

Mr. Obama is the first U.S President to win the prize since former U.S President Jimmy Carter in 2002. Former vice-president Al Gore shared the prize in 2007. Among earlier US leaders, Theodore Roosevelt won the prize in 1906 and Woodrow Wilson won it in 1919. The Nobel prize was invented by the Swedish industrialist and inventor of dynamite Alfred Nobel, and was first awarded in 1901. The prize-giving ceremony for the peace award is due to take place on 10 December in the Norwegian capital, Oslo.

Emmanuel Ajibulu is a representative of modernghana.com in Nigeria

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