‘Henry Kissinger, the U.S. Secretary of State, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 for his role in ending the Vietnam War. However, his secret bombing of Cambodia, intervention in the 1973 Chilean coup, and support for authoritarian regimes in Latin America led to claims that the award contradicted Nobel's humanitarian values.’ Picture: REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch
Although the Nobel Prizes are known as some of the most prestigious awards in the world, they have sparked various debates over the years due to certain political stances. However, among the recipients, there are undeniably those who truly deserved the Nobel Prize.
For instance, Albert Luthuli, who advocated for peaceful resistance against racial segregation in South Africa and highlighted the global importance of the anti-apartheid struggle, became the first African to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1960. Similarly, Nelson Mandela, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 after spending 27 years in prison, was a true leader who brought democracy to his country.
Senegal's first President, Léopold Senghor, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1960 for his development of the "Negritude" philosophy and his poetry that glorified African culture and identity.
Kenyan environmentalist and activist Wangari Maathai won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her contributions to sustainable development, democracy, and peace.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 for his efforts to bring peace with Eritrea. His peace agreement ended a long-standing conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea and marked a significant shift in regional dynamics.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have earned the Nobel Prize for their remarkable achievements, and there is consensus about their deserving recognition.
On the other hand, there are controversial cases. For example, Henry Kissinger, the U.S. Secretary of State, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 for his role in ending the Vietnam War. However, his secret bombing of Cambodia, intervention in the 1973 Chilean coup, and support for authoritarian regimes in Latin America led to claims that the award contradicted Nobel's humanitarian values.
Aung San Suu Kyi, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 while under house arrest for her resistance against Myanmar's military regime, faced intense criticism after coming to power for failing to address the Rohingya crisis. Her refusal to prevent the persecution of Rohingya Muslims led to calls for the prize to be revoked.
Similarly, in 2009, Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize early in his first term as U.S. President for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." However, the lack of tangible peace achievements, particularly his continuation of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, led to the Nobel being seen as an unjust political gesture.
The 2012 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the European Union for its "over six decades of contributions to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy, and human rights in Europe." However, the decision faced criticism from some former laureates, who argued that the EU is "clearly not a champion of peace."
These examples demonstrate that while the Nobel Prizes maintain their prestige, they can sometimes lead to intense political, social, or moral debates. In our context, it is worth reconsidering the Nobel Prizes received by figures like F.W. de Klerk who only get benefits of Apartheid Regime but somehow received Nobel Peace Prize despite saying that Apartheid Regime was not a crime against humanity.
* Gençoglu is a historian with a PhD from UCT and is a post-doctoral fellow at Wits University.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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