On Friday, October 11, the world's eyes turn to Norway. The winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize will then be announced at the Nobel Institute in Oslo. The Nobel Committee received 286 nominations for this year's Peace Prize. The nominees consist of 197 individuals and 89 organizations.
The director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, Olav Njölstad, did not reveal whether the Nobel Committee had made a final decision one week before the announcement. But it still lifts the veil a little.
“We never confirm when the decision was made, but it would be very surprising if the Nobel Prize committee that was so close to the award ceremony did not make its decision,” Njölstad tells Netafsen on Friday afternoon.
The wars in Ukraine and Gaza continue unabated. The Middle East is now on the brink of a major war with Israel and perhaps the United States on the one hand – and Iran, Hezbollah and the Houthis on the other.
Meanwhile, the United States faces a presidential election next month. Many believe that American democracy itself is at stake during the presidential elections.
– What will the peace prize be like when the world is ablaze with war in both the Middle East and Europe, Njölstad?
– You could say that the case for peace is not particularly strong in the world in which we live. Unfortunately. But we believe that price is the most important. He says: More than ever, we need people and organizations fighting for the cause of peace, human rights, and a more organized world.
So the peace prize is in no way less important when the global situation is as dark as it is now, says Njölstad.
Retired Director: This will be Olaf Njölstad's last Nobel Peace Prize.
Photo: Heiko Jung
– It's a bankruptcy declaration
Nettavisen asks PRIO director Henrik Urdal the same question.
– This is obviously something to think about when we see that the level of conflict is this high. One thing is these conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. But there is also a serious conflict in Sudan that receives almost no attention, Urdal says.
Urdal says that today we have the largest number of armed conflicts measured in the world since World War II.
– There are those who say that the Peace Prize should not be awarded. It is bankruptcy to say that no one is doing important work for peace. He says that in many ways it is more important to highlight the individual efforts of both individuals and organizations for peace.
Expert: Henrik Urdal is Director of the Peace Research Institute (PRIU).
Photo: Gwladys Foch
Democracy itself in elections
Ordal says that democracy itself is in elections.
– He says that more than half of humanity lives in a country where people will go to the polls this year, even if not all of these countries are democratic.
Following tradition, the PRIO director made one
- Emergency response rooms in Sudan
- International Court of Justice
- UNRWA and Philippe Lazzarini
- UNESCO and the Council of Europe
– Research shows that democratic countries are more peaceful and stable. He adds that elections are one of the most important foundational pillars of democracy, and thus election observers play a crucial role in how people experience the legitimacy of the electoral process.
– The Peace Prize for Election Observers will send a strong signal about the importance of free and fair elections, not least how important they are for peace and stability, says Ordal.
Nolstad retires on January 1. He was replaced by Christian Berg Harpviken, a former director of PRIO.
– It's a bit sad, but I have to be honest to say that I haven't thought much about quitting smoking. We are in the middle of an exciting and hectic period. But these ideas will eventually take hold, Njölstad says.
Musk and Trump nominated
The most famous nominations are Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump.
Parliament Representative (Frp) Marius Arjon Nielsen has nominated Musk for the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize.
Nielsen, who is a member of Parliament's Energy and Environment Committee, points to Musk Efforts and struggle for freedom of expression As justification for nomination.
Nettavisen asks Nielsen if he still supports Musk's nomination for the specific Peace Prize.
– I indicate the reasons for my nomination last year, and I have nothing to add, he writes in an SMS to Nettavisen.
Musk's nomination was announced via British media Earlier this year.
Musk, who previously voted Democratic, actively supported Trump's presidential candidacy after the assassination this summer.
Read also: More than 1.3 million heard Trump's conversation with Musk – and called Harris an “extremist lunatic”
Tesla CEO:
Photography: Guglielmo Mangiapane (Reuters)
Musk, Tesla's boss and owner of X, received a lot of criticism after a conversation he had with presidential candidate Donald Trump at X this summer.
Musk also recently came out and warned that only Trump can save American democracy. This is despite the fact that it was precisely Trump supporters who stormed Congress on January 6, 2021.
Musk, who is from South Africa, wrote in a tweet: “Very few Americans realize that if Trump is not elected, this will be the last election.” X.
Musk justifies the claim that the Democrats will grant citizenship to illegal immigrants in the United States, and they, in turn, will vote for the Democrats. All new votes from new citizens, according to Musk, will ensure that Democrats win all upcoming presidential elections.
Musk received a lot of criticism earlier this year for the large salary package he demanded at Tesla, which the oil fund voted against. Shortly after, Musk stopped following Oljefond CEO Nikolai Tangen on X.
The boss of Tesla and SpaceX has also been charged with inciting riots in the UK. Musk has also previously questioned the need for NATO.
Trump had previously criticized electric cars, but he appears to have changed his position now.
-I am a fan of electric cars. “I have to because Elon has given me such strong support,” he said. Trump at an election campaign event In Atlanta, Georgia at the beginning of August.
Read also: The oil fund demands the sale of itself from Tesla
Elon Musk-Fan: Parliamentary Representative (Frp) Marius Arjen Nielsen, member of the Parliament's Energy and Environment Committee, has nominated Elon Musk for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Photo: Beate Ouma Daly
– He has become a right-wing extremist
Christiania researcher and university lecturer Ketil Raknes refers to X-Chat as a friendly favor to help Trump in the US election campaign.
Rakness also believes Musk has become a far-right extremist.
– Elon Musk, as I see it, has become a far-right extremist. He distances himself from democracy, and has recently indirectly encouraged political violence in Great Britain, Raknis said on NRK's Dagsnytt 18 program this summer.
– Many Norwegians have admired Musk in the past. Many people had a positive image of him. “It now seems like Musk is on his way to a very dark, anti-democratic place,” Raknis said.
This was stated by Civita consultant and American expert Eric Locke NRC Musk seems to have become radicalized in recent years.
– This is particularly relevant to Trump in recent years, as Musk has moved in the direction of more and more conspiracy-oriented positions, Luke told NRK.
Read also: Tesla CEO receives severe criticism after NATO actions
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Image: Margo Martin via X/Reuters/NTB
Trump is also a candidate
As mentioned, Musk isn't the only controversial person nominated for this year's Nobel Peace Prize.
Republican Congresswoman Claudia Tenney nominated Trump for the 2024 Peace Prize.
Deputy Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Asli Toge, said at the time that they were studying all nominations.
– It is not that some nominations are screened and not considered. All nominations will be evaluated against Alfred Nobel's will from 1895, Tuje told Netafsen.
He said: We welcome all nominations.
FRP politicians Christian Tybring Gedde and Per Willy Amundsen nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018.
“Organizer. Social media geek. General communicator. Bacon scholar. Proud pop culture trailblazer.”