What do you think Kofi Annan, Rigoberta Menchú and Ernesto Teodoro Moneta have in common? Well, this ex diplomat and ex former secretary general of the United Nations, this human rights activist and this pacifist Italian journalist have all received the Nobel Peace Prize. But in concrete terms, how did this prize come about, and who can receive it?
Who invented the Nobel Peace Prize
Today, it is possible to receive a Nobel Prize in five different categories. Indeed, you can win a Nobel Prize in physics, chemistry, literature, physiology, or medicine and peace. This prize takes its name from the Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, known for the invention of dynamite. He died without having a wife or any children to give his fortune of about 179 million euros to. He wrote a will in which he asked for the creation of an institution that would be responsible for rewarding the people who would allow humanity to progress in the five fields mentioned above. Thus, the Nobel Foundation was born and five years after his death, on December 10, 1901, the first Nobel Prize ceremony has been held.
May the peace be with you.
Many men, women, and institutions have since been awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize. Although there has been a total of 19 years when no one has been awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize, many people have, through their courage and their fight for peace, their struggle for the respect of human rights or the help they give to the most destitute, succeeded in deserving this prestigious award. This prize is the one we are interested in today because it does not reward an invention, a work, or the results of a research but rather the capacity of men to promote peace. Thus, it is not necessary to have a great education to receive this award but rather a great heart. For instance, Malala Yousafzai, who has earned this prize in 2014 only had 17 years.