"I just want to live in peace, plant potatoes and dream."
--Moomin (Tove Jansson's character)
Well, what about that... Obama Wins the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize
That puts him in the ranks with Finland's former president Martti Ahtisaari (Moomin-like guy in center of photo below), winner of the last year's Nobel Peace Prize!
Martti Ahtisaari takes part in negotiations in Namibia, 1989.If you're like me, you may not be intimately acquainted with Mr. Ahtisaari's peace roles.
The BBC lists them as
2005: Helps end 30 years of fighting between Aceh rebels and the Indonesian government
2002 onwards: UN special envoy for the humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa
2001: Arms inspector in Northern Ireland conflict
1999: Helps bring end to conflict in Kosovo and in 2005 is appointed UN special envoy for final status talks
1990: Heads UN operation that brings independence to Namibia
As for Mr. Obama, I think Archbishop Tutu (recipient of the 1984 peace prize) put it nicely:
"It is an award that speaks to the promise of President Obama's message of hope."
Let's hope he--and we--can live up to it.
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