How do they decide who gets the Nobel Peace Prize?
The Nobel Peace Prize has been called “the world’s most honourable prize.”
While the other five Nobel prizes are handed out by Academic Committees in Sweden, a committee appointed by the Norwegian government hands out the maybe most important one in Oslo.
From 1901 to 2015, a total of 107 people and 25 organisations have been given the Peace Prize. The Prize, which consists of a medal, a personal diploma and a grant of about 8 million Swedish Kroner (about £75,000), is awarded during a ceremony in Oslo City Hall 10 December, the day Alfred Nobel died.
Until the First World War, the prize was often awarded to pioneers within the organised peace movement. In the interwar period, the trend was to give the prize to active politicians seeking peace through diplomacy and international agreements. After the Second World War, the peace prize have mostly awarded efforts in four main areas:
- Gun control and disarmament
- Peace negotiating
- Democracy and human rights
- Work for a more peaceful and organised world
But, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has also signalised that the term peace now also concerns efforts to limit the harmful effects of climate changes and threats created by humans.
The deadline for nominating anyone to the Nobel Peace Prize is 1 February. There is on average 250 nominations a year. The Nobel Committee consider all nominations before a shortlist of 20-30 candidates makes the foundation for further research and reports.
The current Norwegian Nobel Committee: Olav Njølstad (Secretary), Thorbjørn Jagland, Henrik Syse, Kaci Kullmann Five (chairwoman), Inger-Marie Ytterhorn and Berit Reiss-Andersen (Deputy Chairwoman).
