President Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize may be a burden on his presidency

George Nyabuga

This week has been rewarding and challenging for US President Barack Obama. As the latest Nobel Peace laureate, he was feted on Thursday in Norway, and celebrated for his prescience and pledges for world peace.

Obama was given the prize in October for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples". In this statement lie the burden, and the basis for continued criticism. To many, he won it but is yet to earn it.

Indeed, many expressed surprise when it was announced in October that Obama had won it. Even he was surprised, albeit I would bet pleasantly surprised. But since, criticisms have not ebbed, even though these may not have been that vociferous. But the critics have a point. Although Obama is an embodiment of many changes and his promises and actions have thus far rejuvenated American image and relations with other countries, he is yet to achieve much.

Guantanamo is yet to be closed. The trouble in Iraq is yet to fade. Another surge is expected in Afghanistan after Obama announced he would send 30,000 troops to the troubled country. The Israeli-Palestinian peace process has somewhat stalled. There are many more unfulfilled promises.

Thus a judicious and even charitable analysis of the Obama presidency points to more words than deeds. It may be that, and rightly so, that he cannot have achieved much within a year as president. Indeed, Obama acknowledges the controversy, saying he accepted the award with humility. To him, his accomplishments are slight "compared to some of the giants of history who have received this prize ... My task here is to continue on the path that I believe is not only important for America but important for lasting peace in the world. Let us reach for the world that ought to be. We can understand that there will be war, and still strive for peace."

That Obama gives beautifully choreographed speeches is not in doubt. He is an orator, and with words he sometimes assuages even the most ardent critics.

But that the Nobel Peace Prize is both a celebration of the Obama presidency, and a massive challenge is not in doubt. The Nobel committee may have set him up. This is because the award puts an enormous burden on his shoulders; that the world expects more from his presidency, a deserved break from the cocky, unilateral and self-righteous approach taken by his predecessor George Bush. But the Peace Prize may come to haunt his presidency. It may actually determine the course of his presidency, and whether he becomes a one-term president.

Even though most American voters hardly care about the incumbent’s international performance, the world will without doubt judge Obama by his international achievements. And of course his place in history will be determined by how well he performs, and whether he would have achieved the ideals of the Nobel Peace Prize. He has to overcome numerous hurdles to redeem and defend the ideals of the Peace Prize. To critics, it is inappropriate to honour a commander-in-chief of a country involved in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. That to elevate him to the rank of fellow laureates such as Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King was misadvised, less than a year in office.

His argument that the world has to fight just wars is of course predicated on history. He used the example of the war against Hitler’s Germany as the premise for just war. But is the Iraqi war a just war? Is the loss of thousands of lives just? Was the pathological desire to rid the world of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein enough to justify the war? Granted, this was not his war. And he cannot answer for the sins of his predecessor. As the commander-in-chief of the American forces, he has to continue to fight fires that he never started.

To Obama, "A non-violent movement could not have halted Hitler’s armies. Negotiations cannot convince al-Qaeida leaders to lay down their arms. To say that force is sometimes necessary is not a call to cynicism, it is a recognition of history."

As we congratulate him, Obama has his work cut out. He will be heading to the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference later this week. Many expect him to provide leadership on this sensitive and important issue. He needs action, and not words as all look to making the world a safer place to live. And that may be the first real test whether he can make good his promises. The world will undoubtedly be watching to see whether he can make good his promises, and change the world. Change we can believe in.

Dr Nyabuga is the Managing Editor, Weekend Editions and Media Convergence. [email protected]

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