By Paul Arhewe, Online Editor
Less than nine months ago where the world stood still to give accolade to its first global president, another major feat is added to the feathers of American first black President Barack Obama.
Obama is announced, last Friday in a most surprisingly fashion, the winner of this year's Peace Nobel Prize.
Being the humble and gentle man he is, Obama told the world in a cable channel that he is honoured and feels he 'doesn't deserve this award'. His words: "I do not view it as recognition of my own accomplishment. I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of those that have achieved so great feat to be accorded this Nobel Prize".
While many who disqualify him support the aforementioned view, majority see him as worthy to be crowned the world's peace ambassador even within a short space of time when he took over the ruin left in the White House by his predecessor.
Obama winning this esteemed prize is seen by those disqualifying him as the biggest joke of the millennium, and a means to watered-down the value associated with the prize.
Be that as it may, Obama is awarded this prize based on his meaningful bold contributions in four spheres that affect the lives of all humans. This include continual move to global nuclear disarmament, provocative contribution in soliciting support for global climate change and the inspirations many have tapped from him in areas of democracy and good governance. It takes a superhuman to achieve these within short term, especially when many leaders in our part of the world have contributed in debasing the virtues left for spurring development in their countries talk less in fending for global development and peace.
While Obama's contenders for the award, like Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Tsvangirai and former Israeli's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert may have promoted peace in their countries and sub regions, for instance Tsvangirai reneged from his rightful mandate to lead his fellow countrymen for a power deal with the power drunk Robert Mugabe, this is commendable but not a feat that can really measure up to Obama's strides that is not unidirectional but an integrative push for promoting global peace.
Before assuming office January 20, Obama had not only push for peace in Middleeast but back up his words with actions by reversing many peace sapping policies that President Bush championed that led to his disgraceful exit from office.
As a peace ambassador, Obama not only closed the Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, detention camp where many dehumanising treatments were melted out to inmates, sometimes based on stereotyped inclination, but a major advocate for respect for human rights and diplomatic moves for combating threats to global peace. Before the entrant of Obama calls have long being on ground for the camp closure without positive response from previous American leaders.
With an extraordinary diplomatic gifting, within short time he had converted many foes of America to her allies. Russia now is treading soft spot with America, and many other Middle East countries, despite the harsh and unfriendly posture President Bush's administration honoured them with, are beginning to mull over expanding their friendship with US.
In his recent visit to Africa, Obama in Cairo told the world that US is opening a new frontier in dealing peacefully with the Arab world. Some of his critics believe that the US president is a good talker without substantial result to commensurate with the former. Again, while it is too early to measure his level of achievement, the direction he is towing is a pointer to the performance he stands to attain.
Some analysts have condemned some of the American president's speech as palliative approach or rounds of moral equivalency, like his speech in Cairo recently where he compared those living in terror in Israel with those Palestinians still waiting for clean water and a state of their own. Such statement is faulted because it bodes ill for any prospect geared towards ensuring peace to reign in the Middle East.
The award, definitely, is given to spur Obama to speed up action in fulfilling those promises and actions already embarked in area of nuclear disarmament and climate change and the safeguarding of global peace. The US president has even acknowledged this in his speech on Friday in respect to the award. His words: "I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations to confront the challenges of the 21st century."
Since more is expected of the American president in area of global peace, and his speeches and actions are trailing this direction then the Nobel Peace award is one that is well deserved and one that will further challenge Obama into doing more for mankind and global peace.
Obama is announced, last Friday in a most surprisingly fashion, the winner of this year's Peace Nobel Prize.
Being the humble and gentle man he is, Obama told the world in a cable channel that he is honoured and feels he 'doesn't deserve this award'. His words: "I do not view it as recognition of my own accomplishment. I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of those that have achieved so great feat to be accorded this Nobel Prize".
While many who disqualify him support the aforementioned view, majority see him as worthy to be crowned the world's peace ambassador even within a short space of time when he took over the ruin left in the White House by his predecessor.
Obama winning this esteemed prize is seen by those disqualifying him as the biggest joke of the millennium, and a means to watered-down the value associated with the prize.
Be that as it may, Obama is awarded this prize based on his meaningful bold contributions in four spheres that affect the lives of all humans. This include continual move to global nuclear disarmament, provocative contribution in soliciting support for global climate change and the inspirations many have tapped from him in areas of democracy and good governance. It takes a superhuman to achieve these within short term, especially when many leaders in our part of the world have contributed in debasing the virtues left for spurring development in their countries talk less in fending for global development and peace.
While Obama's contenders for the award, like Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Tsvangirai and former Israeli's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert may have promoted peace in their countries and sub regions, for instance Tsvangirai reneged from his rightful mandate to lead his fellow countrymen for a power deal with the power drunk Robert Mugabe, this is commendable but not a feat that can really measure up to Obama's strides that is not unidirectional but an integrative push for promoting global peace.
Before assuming office January 20, Obama had not only push for peace in Middleeast but back up his words with actions by reversing many peace sapping policies that President Bush championed that led to his disgraceful exit from office.
As a peace ambassador, Obama not only closed the Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, detention camp where many dehumanising treatments were melted out to inmates, sometimes based on stereotyped inclination, but a major advocate for respect for human rights and diplomatic moves for combating threats to global peace. Before the entrant of Obama calls have long being on ground for the camp closure without positive response from previous American leaders.
With an extraordinary diplomatic gifting, within short time he had converted many foes of America to her allies. Russia now is treading soft spot with America, and many other Middle East countries, despite the harsh and unfriendly posture President Bush's administration honoured them with, are beginning to mull over expanding their friendship with US.
In his recent visit to Africa, Obama in Cairo told the world that US is opening a new frontier in dealing peacefully with the Arab world. Some of his critics believe that the US president is a good talker without substantial result to commensurate with the former. Again, while it is too early to measure his level of achievement, the direction he is towing is a pointer to the performance he stands to attain.
Some analysts have condemned some of the American president's speech as palliative approach or rounds of moral equivalency, like his speech in Cairo recently where he compared those living in terror in Israel with those Palestinians still waiting for clean water and a state of their own. Such statement is faulted because it bodes ill for any prospect geared towards ensuring peace to reign in the Middle East.
The award, definitely, is given to spur Obama to speed up action in fulfilling those promises and actions already embarked in area of nuclear disarmament and climate change and the safeguarding of global peace. The US president has even acknowledged this in his speech on Friday in respect to the award. His words: "I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations to confront the challenges of the 21st century."
Since more is expected of the American president in area of global peace, and his speeches and actions are trailing this direction then the Nobel Peace award is one that is well deserved and one that will further challenge Obama into doing more for mankind and global peace.
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