The announcement of Obama's Nobel Prize win, which apparently surprised the president himself, provoked a wide array of reactions across the globe, ranging from the congratulatory to the derisive:

"In less than a year in office, he [Obama] has transformed the way we look at ourselves and the world we live in and rekindled hope for a world at peace with itself."
Mohamed al-Baradei, director general of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency

"The Nobel committee was fairly explicit that Obama's hope of achieving peace was all that was required, presumably making countless Miss Universe contestants equally eligible... As with all things Obama, it's far better to bet on a hopeful vision than to wait around for what are inevitably becoming disappointing results."
Tony Fratto, deputy assistant to George W. Bush

In the words of the Norwegian Nobel Committee themselves, they awarded the prize to Obama for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples," and for his "work for a world without nuclear weapons."

Obama's emphasis on diplomacy and a nuclear-free world were both on display in a speech he gave in Prague on April 5, 2009, in which he called for world cooperation on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation measures. But events on the same day in North Korea demonstrated how challenging Obama's goals would be, as Pyongyang attempted to test a long-range ballistic missile and subsequently kicked out UN inspectors.


TELEVISIONS IN DOWNTOWN SEOUL CARRY THE STORY OF THE
NORTH KOREAN MISSILE LAUNCH — Seoul, South Korea, April 5, 2009.
(© 2009 Getty Images, Inc.)

With North Koreans giving the Obama administration mixed signals, the Israelis and Palestinians still at a standoff, intensified tribal clashes in southern Sudan, renewed sectarian violence in Iraq, and ongoing troubles in Afghanistan, is the promise of a commitment to multilateralism and diplomacy form the most powerful president in the world worthy of a peace prize? How might the prize help (or hurt) Obama's attempts to resolve the above conflicts?

In order to answer these questions, pretend you are on the Norwegian Nobel Committee. The committee has five members (appointed by the Norwegian parliament), who are directed by a statement in Alfred Nobel's will that instructs the Nobel Peace Prize to be awarded "to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."

1. Break into groups of five and assign each committee member a conflict that involves the United States from World Conflicts Today:
   
   
   
   • Afghanistan
     
   • Darfur
     
   • Iraq
     
   • Korean Peninsula
     
   • Palestinian Territories
   
   
   
2. For background, read the Overview section of your assigned conflict. Then carefully study the Obstacles and Global Implications sections with an aim to answering these questions:
   
   
   • How might U.S.-led diplomacy and multilateralism help overcome the obstacles to resolving this conflict?
     
     
   • When (if ever) might the use of force be necessary to do so?
     
     
   • How would the resolution of this conflict, or progress toward such a resolution, positively affect prospects for world peace?
     
     
   You might also review relevant History sections, especially Recent Events, to see how the United States has dealt with your assigned conflict.
   
   
3. Come together as a committee and discuss your findings. Based on your answers to the above questions, do you think that Obama's commitment to multilateralism and diplomatic engagement outweigh the relative lack of progress he has made so far in resolving conflicts from Afghanistan to the Palestinian Territories?
   
   
4. After everyone has had a chance to share their views, take a committee vote on whether to award Obama the prize. If you vote against Obama, propose a recipient who you think deserves the prize in his place.

PROQUEST SUPPORTS EDUCATION | TOOLS & RESOURCES