More than a century later of their creation, Nobel Peace Prize 2009 goes to Barack Obama, United States’ first black president, who apparently has made “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples", as Thoerdbjoern Jagland –President of the Nobel Committee in Norway- announced.

Nobel Prizes are given in order to award people who defend pacifism. Recognizing a special role in human history is the main reason for which the Nobel Prizes were created more than one century ago according to guidelines laid down in Alfred Nobel's will. Since then, many historical figures have been awarded with it, like Martin Luther King (1964), the Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1979) or Rigoberta Menchú (1992). This shows up that this prize has nothing to do with nationalities or races, but… what about political ranges?

In 1901 Henry Dunant and Gustave Moynier –later founders of the Red Cross- were elected the first winners of this prize because of their defence of peace. More than a century later the Nobel Peace Prize 2009 is awarded to Barack Obama, United States’ first black president.

"Controversies"

Obama's nominalization has shocked the public opinion all around the world, mainly because of the other candidates, who were been elected as the favourite ones to be awarded: the Colombian senator  Piedad Córdoba-mediator with the FARC- the first minister of Zimbabwe, Morgan Tsvangirai, who took out of the power to the dictator Robert Mugabe.

This has not been the first time that the award goes to a President of the United States. Such is the case of Theodore Roosevelt (1906) and his intervention in the Russian-Japanese war, and Woodrow Wilson (1919) and Jimmy Carter (2002), defenders of peace, but it has been the first time that a president gets awarded in his only eight and a half months of legislature. May he be the first in winning the Nobel years before of deserving it?

The world media published thie news with enthusiasm, knowing that such an event doesn´t occur frequently, but their opinion about the fairness of this award showed up a wide range of different points of view that made the world think about this media-centred spectacle in terms of a crazy circus.

Although the decision is irreversible and the 1oth of December everyone will attend to this "media show" in Oslo, Barack Obama has announced the sending of 30.000 soldiers to Afghanistan, who would stay there until July 2011, and who will increase for the second time in the year the American troops in the country. Moreover, this surge will bring US troop strength in Afghanistan to more than 100,000, in order to reforce the fight against the Taliban, to ensure the main centres and to train the Afghan security forces to assume the countries’ mandate.