The Noble Peace Prize made big news again recently. Not for who was granted the award. The people who inspect and deal with chemical weapons certainly deserve recognition. But this year the news was about who did not receive the Prize, a 16 year old young lady from Pakistan, who survived a murder attempt from the Taliban because of her outspoken views on women and education. We all know her as Malala.
She has appeared on worldwide television. In the U.S. she has been interviewed by Diane Sawyer, Jon Stewart and CNN. On Ms. Sawyer’s special, Malala came across as very mature for her age and extremely well spoken. Noble Prize or not she is a wonderful example for young people everywhere.
Which brings me to my point and why it was a mistake to not award her this Prize. The five Peace Prize committee members, who average 67 years old, looked at almost 300 different possible individuals or groups. The committee, which is organized in Norway, does not reveal its final selection process. It has been suggested that Malala was very young to win this prestigious award. This is because they Don’t Get It!
The goal of the Noble Peace Prize is to recognize those who promote peace and to spread that message. Like an Academy Award Oscar, many past recipients are old and did their work in the past. And that is ok. But here the Noble Committee had a chance to capture the imagination and excitement of the youth of the world and send them a message through this young lady. It is the young people today who can remake our world, not my boomer group. It is these same young people who are so involved in social media whether it’s Twitter or Facebook or whatever. This is how the world works nowadays. This is how you can sell a product or a service or even better here, the cause of Peace.
When my generation of baby boomers grew up the U.S. had just won another world war and we were shocked to see what happened with our involvement in Vietnam. Today’s young people have seen our country engage in a decade of wars in the middle East, often with no clear outcome.
So wouldn’t the thought of a very brave and special 16 year old young lady winning the Noble Peace Prize have had a lot more immediate and longterm impact on the mission of Peace?
bradszootales 
Very good!
Amen!
Keith
Sent from my tablet
It’s a value judgement. The Nobel prize committee rewarded disarmament rather than education “for its great benefit to humanity”.
In small-town Ohio, we were raised by a WWII freedom fighter named Dot who established an educational fund as a memorial for her husband. Of course, Malala would be our choice. We’re inspired by fearless, plucky women who push education. Had Dot been a chemical weapons watchdog, we’d be delighted with the committee’s choice.
But wait! As our elementary school’s civil defense chairman in the late 50’s, Dot advocated fallout shelters and the storage of water and food in the basement, just in case the cold war heated up with a local atomic bomb. Maybe we also had a parental chemical weapons watchdog.
Maybe the Nobel prize committee and Malala and your delightful blog reminds us that any gesture that benefits humanity reaps its own rewards. Whatever motivated Dot and Malala and the committee does have an immediate and longterm impact on the mission of Peace. Fifty years later, we appreciate our inspirations. You’ve always been an inspiration to me.
Thoughtful post, Brad. Thanks.