| |
A prestigious prize awarded annually by a five-member committee appointed by the Norwegian parliament from funds left in his will by Alfred Bernhard Nobel (1833-96), the Swedish industrialist who invented dynamite and became one of the wealthiest men in Europe. In his will, Nobel stated that prizes should be given to those who, during the preceding year, ‘shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind’ and that one part be given 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’. Statesmen, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations have thus been strong contenders – and very prominent among the winners. The first (in 1901, with one other) was Henri Dunant, founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross. In 2002 the prize was awarded to former US president, Jimmy Carter. |
|
