The 2021 Nobel Peace Prize nominees have been named and the winner for the edition will be announced in October.
This Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the Swedish industrialist, Alfred Nobel. The last edition was won by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed for his efforts to resolve a border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea.
The 2021 edition has 210 individuals and 107 organizations nominated and will be vying for the prize, the Nobel Committee said.
Here’s a short profile of five of the top contenders for the prize.
1. Greta Thunberg
Born January 3, 2003, the Swedish teenage climate change activist is the second youngest person to be nominated for the prize. The first was Malala Yousafzaiwas who won the 2014 edition. Thunberg is prominent for her challenge against world leaders for failing to take adequate action on climate change. She was among those who spoke at the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference.
2. Donald Trump
Trump was a successful businessman and a television personality who later became a politician. He contested the US President on the platform of the Republican Party and won in 2016. The former US President was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in creating a peaceful relationship between Israel and the United Arab Emirates in 2020. A few more Arab countries have joined the peace accord with Israel.
3. Alexei Navalny
The Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, gained prominence for staging protests against corruption in his country. The Wall Street Journal describes him as “the man Vladimir Putin fears most.” The lawyer uses his social media channels with millions of followers to publish allegations of corruption against the government of Russia. His opposition to the government has seen him arrested several times.
4. World Health Organisation
WHO earned a nomination as a result of its COVAX programme which provides secure fair access to COVID-19 vaccines for poor countries. A statement on WHO’s website says COVAX is aimed at accelerating the development and manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines, and also to guarantee fair and equitable access for every country in the world.
5. Black Lives Matter
Norwegian member of parliament Petter Eide nominated the organization because it is “bringing forward a new consciousness and awareness about racial justice.” A statement on the organisation’s website says its mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. The organisation also said it is working for a world where Black lives are no longer systematically targeted for demise.
Photo: USAToday