One day we will be speaking to our grandchildren about Barack Obama. During this era of stagnation and passiveness, one man (or the icon of it) has managed to capture engagement from most of the global population. People became hopeful, and even believed. For that he is a remarkable man - a man with courage.
There is a controversy about his leadership though. Today he won the Nobel Prize for Peace Award and the debate has begun.
I, like many others, was disappointed by this decision. Barack Obama winning a Nobel for Peace? Has he brought peace anywhere? Has he stopped any 'wars'? He has spoken of peace in his very inspiring speeches but what has he done?
This could be because peace is a word with many interpretations. Barack Obama has brought peace in the sense of uniting people to a dream. Whether this united people acted on this, however, is another matter.
Some people regard the Nobel Committee's move as a way of showing support for Barack Obama to continue his path. A good friend of mine at fb put it very wisely "A better world requires that we stand firmly and united behind the man who has put it on the agenda" (Nice one Erik).
However, the Nobel Prize is an extremely prestigious award of the highest possible standard of excellence. It is top of its class, there is nothing further. It is awarded to people who have proved their theories right and thus have changed the world. Barack Obama might have done the opposite, but will it last without proof? It would be very disappointing if the highest we can get is the hope for peace.
