Nobel Prize Vests Heavy Responsibility on Obama

Published on 27th October 2009

President Obama feted                Photo courtesy
The stunning announcement of President Barrack Obama as the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 by the Norwegian Nobel Committee caps another improbable milestone for the 48-year old leader of the United States. The Nobel Committee in the formal announcement recognized President Obama “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama’s vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.” 

The Nobel Peace Prize for all practical purposes is a downpayment on the expectation that President Obama during his tenure in office will usher in a renewed emphasis on multilateral diplomacy and push forward the dream of a nuclear free world.  President Obama himself appeared stunned by the illustrious award. In a somber appearance in the White House to read a brief statement the morning of the award announcement, President Obama indicated he was “both surprised and deeply humbled by the decision of the Nobel Committee…” He went on to say “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 have inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.”

The Nobel Peace award to President Obama has been the subject of negative comments from political conservatives in the United States. Even many liberal commentators suggested that it was premature to recognize the leader of a young Administration less than one year in office.  The Nobel Peace award is an extraordinary reward for President Obama whose life story and improbable success in politics is not only breathtaking but is very likely to be the stuff of a Hollywood mega film.

President Obama is not only the first African American president of the United States but also one of the youngest to take office at 47 years of age. He became the president of United States despite having served only four years in the United States Senate and five years since he served in the Illinois state senate.  For a man who grew up with little contact with his Kenyan father and largely raised by his maternal grandparents, it has been a remarkable journey of perseverance, fortitude and good luck.  President Obama apparently enjoys a family life success story that often eludes leaders that have benefited from a meteoric rise in politics: a stable family with first lady Michelle and the two children. He reportedly carved up time during the weary days of last year’s historic campaign for presidency to spend time with his family.

As the winner of the Nobel Prize for Peace, President Obama’s stratospheric media presence worldwide will even assume dizzying proportions. In the international stage, President Obama will continue to be the center of attention and his international initiatives will be welcomed with renewed enthusiasm, if not cautious support. The president’s quest for a renewed emphasis on multilateral diplomacy will assume greater importance in the next few years.

As the president of the United States, Barrack Obama is central to serious international diplomacy and cooperation. He has slowly grown into the role of the leader of the “free world” in the last few months, especially during the 2009 G-20 meetings in London and Pittsburgh. It is not surprising that the former community organizer took his time in embracing the pomp and pageantry of global leadership.

Will the Nobel Peace Prize have a major impact on US domestic politics? In the US, politics is famously local and issues based. The President faces major challenges in turning around the US economy. He has a hard nut to crack in reforming the US national health system. He has to wind down US involvement in Iraq and Americans expect him to keep the Taliban from returning to power in Afghanistan. President Obama remains committed to brokering a lasting peace between Israelis and the Palestinians. He also has to manage a major shift in energy policy, with emphasis on energy independence and alternative sources of energy. In addition, he will need to mobilize support for climate change legislation in the US Congress despite opposition from conservatives and most members of the organized private sector. He is expected to complete work on comprehensive immigration reforms during his first term in office. The Obama presidency is likely to be judged within United States on the aforementioned issues.

On the international front, the Obama presidency faces an extraordinary level of expectations in Africa, the continent of his father’s birth. His renewed emphasis on multilateral diplomacy will be crucial in the development of a new global financial architecture that is anchored on transparent risk management strategies, the protection of taxpayers, and, the protection of the poor and other vulnerable populations. In addition, President Obama is expected to play a critical role in renewed efforts to revitalize United Nations system agencies to become the backbone of 21st Century multilateral efforts that keeps the peace, ensures equitable use of natural resources and provides social protection for the poor. Issues that influenced the establishment of the UN system and the Breton Woods institutions more than 60 years ago need to be revised to meet the needs of today. A revised multilateral diplomacy will need to recognize the critical role of emerging economies and the need for poor nations to be equitably represented at the highest levels of decision making in international development.  In addition, the Nobel Peace Prize puts renewed and urgent emphasis on global efforts to end nuclear proliferation.

At age 48, President Obama is already a historical figure of the early 21st Century. The next few years will determine whether he becomes a major political figure of this period. The Norwegian Nobel Committee has made the first move in the transformation of President Obama into an international statesman. Only time will tell if President Obama will become transformational at home and abroad.

By Dr. Chinua Akukwe.

Dr. Chinua Akukwe is the Chair of the Technical Advisory Board of the Africa Center for Health and Human Security, George Washington University, Washington, DC. He has written extensively on health and development issues, including four books.


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