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Obama has 'created a new climate in international politics' -- Norwegian Nobel Committee
Oslo, Norway—Following is the official press release issued by the Norwegian Nobel Committee on the selection of Barack Obama for the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.
Obama has as President 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. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama's initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.
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. 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.
For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world's leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama's appeal that "Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges."
Obama says prize not a recognition of his own accomplishments
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)—Following is a transcript of the comments President Barack Obama made Friday, October 9, in response to the news that he had been selected as the recipient of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Well, this is not how I expected to wake up this morning. After I received the news, Malia walked in and said, "Daddy, you won the Nobel Peace Prize, and it is Bo's birthday!" And then Sasha added, "Plus, we have a three-day weekend coming up." So it's good to have kids to keep things in perspective.
I am both surprised and deeply humbled by the decision of the Nobel Committee. Let me be clear: I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations.
To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.
But I also know that this prize reflects the kind of world that those men and women, and all Americans, want to build -- a world that gives life to the promise of our founding documents. And I know that throughout history, the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes. And that is why I will accept this award as a call to action -- a call for all nations to confront the common challenges of the 21st century.
These challenges can't be met by any one leader or any one nation. And that's why my administration has worked to establish a new era of engagement in which all nations must take responsibility for the world we seek. We cannot tolerate a world in which nuclear weapons spread to more nations and in which the terror of a nuclear holocaust endangers more people. And that's why we've begun to take concrete steps to pursue a world without nuclear weapons, because all nations have the right to pursue peaceful nuclear power, but all nations have the responsibility to demonstrate their peaceful intentions.
We cannot accept the growing threat posed by climate change, which could forever damage the world that we pass on to our children -- sowing conflict and famine; destroying coastlines and emptying cities. And that's why all nations must now accept their share of responsibility for transforming the way that we use energy.
We can't allow the differences between peoples to define the way that we see one another, and that's why we must pursue a new beginning among people of different faiths and races and religions; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect.
And we must all do our part to resolve those conflicts that have caused so much pain and hardship over so many years, and that effort must include an unwavering commitment that finally realizes that the rights of all Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security in nations of their own.
We can't accept a world in which more people are denied opportunity and dignity that all people yearn for -- the ability to get an education and make a decent living; the security that you won't have to live in fear of disease or violence without hope for the future.
And even as we strive to seek a world in which conflicts are resolved peacefully and prosperity is widely shared, we have to confront the world as we know it today. I am the Commander-in-Chief of a country that's responsible for ending a war and working in another theater to confront a ruthless adversary that directly threatens the American people and our allies. I'm also aware that we are dealing with the impact of a global economic crisis that has left millions of Americans looking for work. These are concerns that I confront every day on behalf of the American people.
Some of the work confronting us will not be completed during my presidency. Some, like the elimination of nuclear weapons, may not be completed in my lifetime. But I know these challenges can be met so long as it's recognized that they will not be met by one person or one nation alone. This award is not simply about the efforts of my administration -- it's about the courageous efforts of people around the world.
And that's why this award must be shared with everyone who strives for justice and dignity -- for the young woman who marches silently in the streets on behalf of her right to be heard even in the face of beatings and bullets; for the leader imprisoned in her own home because she refuses to abandon her commitment to democracy; for the soldier who sacrificed through tour after tour of duty on behalf of someone half a world away; and for all those men and women across the world who sacrifice their safety and their freedom and sometime their lives for the cause of peace.
That has always been the cause of America. That's why the world has always looked to America. And that's why I believe America will continue to lead.
Thank you very much.
State Department: Nice accolades, not shoes, being tossed at U.S.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)--Following are the comments by Assistant Secretary of State Philip J. Crowley in a briefing for reporters following news that President Obama had received the Nobel Peace Prize.
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MR. CROWLEY--Obviously, we at the Department of State woke up this morning with the terrific news of the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to President Obama. The Secretary will depart shortly for the White House for a high-level meeting, and she’ll have the opportunity to congratulate the President personally. And I suspect for your colleagues who will be traveling with her later tonight overseas, she’ll probably have more to say about that personally.
But I think from the Secretary’s standpoint, not only is it well-deserved, the outreach that the President has made in the first now ten months in office, but it’s an affirmation of the strategy of engagement, of the need to work collaboratively and multilaterally to solve the challenges of the world. And I think she recognizes, as the President said, that this is a call to action, and that call to action falls significantly on the shoulders of the Secretary and here at the Department to advance the President’s agenda and confront the challenges of the 21st century. But certainly from our standpoint, we think that this gives us a sense of momentum when the United States has accolades tossed its way rather than shoes. (Laughter.)
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QUESTION: I have two questions. First of all, on your very clever comment about accolades, not shoes, how much of this Nobel Peace Prize do you think is, you know, a kind of award to the President for not being George Bush? I mean, there was so much kind of animosity in the international community because of the last administration that it seems that just the fact that this Administration has offered a new approach around the world is what the award was really about. I mean, I think the President himself recognized that there isn’t a whole lot of actual accomplishment yet about the award, but it’s more about expectations and the fact that this Administration is devising a new course. So how much do you think that this is an indictment of the past administration and an award for not being George Bush?
MR. CROWLEY: Well, I think I’ll follow the sage advice of Robert Gibbs and say it’s impossible for us to project what the Nobel committee had in mind. I think what is important to us is an affirmation of not only the strategy but also the important agenda. The committee particularly singled out the challenge of nonproliferation. Obviously, it’s been a significant focus of the President, the Secretary, and others in these first 10 months, starting with the Prague speech and continuing with the session at the UN a couple of weeks ago. Obviously, we’re very mindful as the Secretary heads to Russia – we’ve got ongoing discussions with Russia on a follow-on to the START treaty. We obviously are aware that we have important dialogue with Iran and North Korea that’s ongoing. We’re looking ahead to the NPT review conference next year, finding ways to strengthen the Nonproliferation Treaty and the global regime. And we know that there’s a very heavy lift here with the United States coming up in terms of the Administration’s desire to see ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. And there are other steps as well.
So there is an opportunity here. The tone has changed, but obviously, we recognize that while the tone in the world has changed, the challenges remain. They’re very significant. And I thought the President set the right tone today in terms of looking forward and understanding that there’s a lot that needs to be done, but that as we go through this we’ll need to see collaborative action. The United States can’t solve this problem alone, but these problems will not be solved without the American leadership that we’ve shown in the first 10 months
Jewish groups congratulate Obama on winning Peace Prize
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)--News of President Barack Obama's selection for the Nobel Peace Prize was greeted with congratulations from various Jewish groups. Following are statements from each of them:
Anti-Defamation League—Glen S. Lewy, ADL National Chair, and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director issued the following statement: "We congratulate President Obama on receiving the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. The President has certainly shown that he is committed to the high ideals of this honor. We know that he is dedicated to furthering peace for Americans and for all people around the world. His efforts to bridge the divide between the Muslim world and the West by extending a hand in friendship is welcome, and we look forward to his continued leadership in the years ahead.We hope that this award will help President Obama realize his objective of a more peaceful world, and to galvanize the support and encouragement he needs from other nations to achieve that goal."
Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations—"PresidentObama is only the third sitting president to receive this prestigious honor and we congratulate him. In his acceptance statement, President Obama laid out the international and domestic challenges including peace in the Middle East. He referenced those who threaten stability and engage in support of terrorism and human rights violations. We share President Obama's hope for a true peace in the Middle East. The people of Israel have shown their commitment and have demonstrated
by unprecedented sacrifices their unyielding desire to live in peace with their neighbors. We pray that this aspiration will be realized and that the countries in the region will not only accept the reality of Israel's existence but also will help assure its permanence, enabling Israel, the Palestinians, and all their neighbors to live in security and prosperity. The US and Israel have been close allies in the quest for peace and in fighting the forces of extremism and terrorism. It is now more important than ever. We congratulate President Obama on this significant and singular tribute," said Conference of Presidents Chairman Alan Solow and Executive Vice Chairman Malcolm Hoenlein.
National Jewish Democratic Council—Ira N. Forman, CEO of the National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC), released the following statement: " NJDC congratulates President Barack Obama on receiving the Nobel Peace Prize 'for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." Obama has made commendable
progress especially in the Middle East - moving the region closer
toward lasting peace and security. Obama's efforts to further the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians is only one of his many initiatives to establish a more peaceful and secure world.The Jewish community worldwide is particularly concerned about the growing threat to peace as a result of the polices of the government in Tehran. Obama has made dramatic strides in building international support against Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons and has shown strong leadership in rallying world leaders to denounce Iranian recklessness. We commend the Nobel Committee for recognizing the positive impact of
the Obama Administration's diplomatic initiatives in building
international cooperation and stopping nuclear proliferation."
Palestinians split on Obama's worthiness for the award
JERUSALEM (WJC)—The chief Palestinian peace negotiator, Saeb Erekat, welcomed the award to Obama. "We hope that he will be able to achieve peace in the Middle East and achieve Israeli withdrawal to 1967 borders and establish an independent Palestinian state on 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital," he told the news agency ‘Reuters’. In Gaza, however, Islamic Jihad leader Khaled Al-Batsh condemned the Nobel Committee’s decision. "Obama's winning the peace prize shows these prizes are political, not governed by the principles of credibility, values and morals. Why should Obama be given a peace prize while his country owns the largest nuclear arsenal on Earth and his soldiers continue to shed innocent blood in Iraq and Afghanistan?"
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