NEWS The Nobel Peace Prize attracts significant global attention every year. But what role does the prize play in today’s world, and how much influence can it really have? A researcher at Umeå University answers five questions about the role, impact and significance of the Peace Prize.
Patrik Johansson is a lecturer and researcher in Peace and Conflict Studies at Umeå University and coordinator of the International Crisis and Conflict Management Programme.
Image Mattias PetterssonThe Nobel Peace Prize is awarded annually by the Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo. Patrik Johansson is a lecturer and researcher in Peace and Conflict Studies at Umeå University and coordinator of the International Crisis and Conflict Management Programme. Here, he answers five questions.
“The Peace Prize’s strong standing is primarily due to its symbolic value. It builds on the collective international prestige and long history of the Nobel Prizes, as well as the considerable attention the award receives. It is both a recognition of the recipient’s work and a signal about which issues and forms of peacebuilding are considered particularly important.”
“The way we understand peacebuilding reflects our understanding of peace itself. Peace can mean the absence of war, in which case peacebuilding may involve strengthening conditions for peaceful conflict resolution, limiting the use of weapons of mass destruction, or resolving specific conflicts.
Peace can also mean the absence of structural violence, such as poverty, discrimination, oppression and similar conditions. In that case, peacebuilding includes promoting democracy, strengthening respect for human rights in general, or safeguarding particularly vulnerable groups. In recent years, democracy and human rights have received greater attention than before, reflecting this broader understanding of peace.”
“There are more armed conflicts in the world today than at any time since the Second World War, and since the beginning of the 2000s more countries have moved in an authoritarian rather than a democratic direction. This makes it important to highlight positive examples and inspire hope and courage among those working for peace, democracy and human rights. The Nobel Peace Prize has an important role to play in that regard.”
“Following last year’s laureate, Maria Corina Machado, giving her medal to Donald Trump, it is also particularly important for the Norwegian Nobel Committee to identify a laureate this year who can uphold the prize in a way that does not undermine its credibility.”
“The Peace Prize can provide legitimacy and therefore protection. It can contribute to increased financial resources and new connections, and above all it can help place an issue on the political agenda. In authoritarian contexts, however, increased visibility may also lead to greater repression or political attacks.”
“I believe the prize has a greater impact when it is awarded to less well-known laureates, both for the recipients themselves and for the work they do. If I mention Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov, who received the prize in 2021, many people will remember that it was linked to press freedom and freedom of expression. But in the case of Barack Obama, who received the prize in 2009, I think fewer people associate the award with a clearly defined peace-related issue.”
“The Peace Prize is one factor among many and may have some influence, but it does not by itself determine whether a peace agreement is signed, a sustainability goal is achieved, or a particular set of rights is better protected. The potential for impact also varies depending on what is being recognised.”
“The direct impact on a conflict or political process is usually limited. However, through increased attention, resources, legitimacy and international pressure, the indirect impact can be considerably greater.”