The $1.4 million question today seems to be all about that prestigious honor that Barack Obama will receive in Oslo, Norway this December. When he was awakened at 6:00 a.m. on Friday to hear that he was only the third sitting president to ever win the Nobel Peace Prize, he wasn’t even sure it was the real deal.
After pulling himself together and conferring with his inner circle, he spoke from the White House Rose Garden. He reported that he was “surprised and deeply humbled” but was quick to add that he did not view the prize as an affirmation of his accomplishments.
“To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who’ve been honored by this prize — men and women who have inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace. I will accept this aware as a call to action, a call for all nations to confront the common challenges of the 21st century.”
The five-member Nobel Committee made the announcement to gasps of surprise in Oslo, noting that Obama’s “diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world’s population.”
The committee went on to say that the award will add momentum to Obama’s efforts but they were quick to add that they had not given the prize for what may happen in the future. “We are awarding Obama for what he has done in the past. And we are hoping this may contribute a little bit for what he is trying to do.”
The honor also comes with a cash prize of $1.4 million. Senior advisor David Axelrod says his boss wants to give the money to charity in a way that promotes the ideals of peace.
The award is one of five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel. Awarded annually on December 10, Nobel’s will stated that the Peace Prize should 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.”
Only 96 others have won the prize that was established in 1901. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson were past recipients, as was former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Former president Jimmy Carter won the prestigious award in 2002, and former V.P. Al Gore won in 2007.
Check out his reaction on the video below.