For a few moments each day this week, the world will turn its attention to Scandinavian for the announcements of the 2013 Nobel Awards. The Swedes have already announced the award for medicine, with literature, economics, physics, and chemistry remaining.
I'm sure each of these awards attract fair attention and disagreement in their respective fields. But the Peace Prize, announced by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, typically receives the most scrutiny across the globe. Jay Nordlinger writes a powerful book, Peace, They Say, which is both a study of the subjective nature of the prize, and a chronicle of every Peace Prize given and some of the politics and other contenders surrounding each decision.
The will of Alfred Nobel gives pretty narrow parameters for who should receive the prize. These have arguably been broadened with some of the more recent prizes.
I've read that Vladmir Putin has been nominated this year. Maybe it will be another celebrity victory. Maybe it will be an entirely new name and face who is recognized for their impact in a neglected part of the world.
This is worth paying attention to because it highlights different types of conflicts and different types of real action that can be taken. Hopefully it inspires more people to act.
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