More than a month has passed since the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize was announced and many of us who were elated by the decision have had time to reflect on a key question. No, the question is not whether Mr. Gore and the IPCC were deserving. They have been doing a great job and garner more respect every day. The question is whether the Peace Prize was the correct category. After all, one of the other categories of Chemistry, Economics, Literature or Medicine might be a better fit, right?
Were the requirements for the Nobel Peace Prize rewritten for Al Gore? I cry no. Let’s take a hard look at this. By Norwegian statute, the right to submit proposals for the Nobel Peace Prize is enjoyed by people who fit into one of seven groups:
1. Members of national assemblies and governments of states;
2. Members of international courts;
3. University rectors; professors of social sciences, history, philosophy, law and theology; directors of peace research institutes and foreign policy institutes;
4. Persons who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize;
5. Board members of organizations who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize;
6. Active and former members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee; and
7. Former advisers appointed by the Norwegian Nobel Institute.
In short, these people know a thing or two about peace. To make it perfectly clear, though, that the people who made the nomination did not err, here is an excerpt of the official statement from the Nobel Institute on the decision:
“In awarding the Prize to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the global body responsible for scientific assessment of climate change, and Albert Arnold (Al) Gore, the phenomenon's most renowned campaigner, the Norwegian Nobel Committee are highlighting the link they see between the risk of accelerating climate change and the risk of violent conflict and wars.”
Were the requirements for the Nobel Peace Prize rewritten for Al Gore? Hardly! In fact, they served the purpose just fine. If you’d like to test the committee’s judgment, Mr. Gore will deliver his Nobel lecture on December 10 and you can read or watch it later on nobelprize.org
Sustainable Justice For All!
Corbett Kroehler
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