Nobel Peace Prize

Also known as: Nobel Peace Award · Peace Nobel

Definition

The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, awarded annually to the person or organization that has “conferred the greatest benefit to humankind” in the promotion of peace. Unlike the other Nobel Prizes, which are awarded by Swedish institutions, the Peace Prize is decided by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, a five-member body appointed by the Norwegian parliament, and presented in Oslo each December 10, the anniversary of Nobel’s death. (Nobel Prize — Peace, Wikipedia)

For the Philippines, the prize carries a singular significance: journalist Maria Ressa, co-founder of Rappler, was awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov — making her the first Filipino Nobel laureate — recognized for her “efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.” (Nobel Prize — Peace, Wikipedia)

Identities

Source Type	Identity
Wikipedia	Nobel Peace Prize
Wikidata	Nobel Peace Prize (Q35637)
DBpedia	Nobel_Peace_Prize
ProductOntology	N/A
Wiktionary	N/A
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)	Nobel Peace Prize
MeSH	N/A
NCBI Taxonomy	N/A
AGROVOC	N/A
Google Scholar	“Nobel Peace Prize” laureates selection criteria controversy
ConceptNet	N/A
OpenCyc	N/A

Also Known As

Nobel Peace Award
Peace Nobel

Examples and Analogies

A will’s unusual mandate: Nobel’s 1895 will directed his fortune to prizes for physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace — the last to be awarded by a committee of the Norwegian Storting, making the Peace Prize the only one administered outside Sweden. (Wikipedia)
Persons and organizations: The prize is shared among laureates who may be individuals or institutions, from the Red Cross (multiple awards) to individual statesmen and activists; the 2021 award split it between two journalists. (Nobel Prize — Peace)
A Filipino first: Maria Ressa’s 2021 recognition connected the prize to the Philippine press-freedom struggle, cited worldwide in discussions of impunity and independent journalism. (Nobel Prize — Peace)

Usage Scenarios

1. Recognizing Peace Work

The committee selects laureates from nominations submitted by qualified nominators worldwide, with the announcement each October and ceremony each December. (Nobel Prize — Peace)

2. Reference in National Discourse

In the Philippines, the prize is invoked in debates on press freedom and democracy, anchored by Ressa’s award and its citation of freedom of expression as a precondition for peace. (Wikipedia)

3. Study of Prize Controversies

Scholars examine the committee’s choices — including laureates later involved in conflicts — as case studies in the politics of international recognition. (Wikipedia)

Strategies

Independent committee process: The Norwegian Nobel Committee’s closed deliberations and long-term archive secrecy insulate the award from immediate political pressure. (Wikipedia)
Laureate amplification: The prize’s prestige amplifies laureates’ causes, a function visible in the global attention to press freedom following the 2021 award. (Nobel Prize — Peace)

Security and Safety Measures

Protection of laureates: The prize’s visibility has been used internationally to raise the political cost of persecution of laureates, a dynamic invoked by press-freedom organizations for journalists under legal pressure. (Wikipedia)

Historical Context

The prize was first awarded in 1901, shared by Henri Dunant (founder of the Red Cross) and Frédéric Passy (peace movement pioneer). Over more than a century it has recognized peace agreements, disarmament, human-rights advocacy, and humanitarian work, and it has grown into the world’s most prestigious peace recognition. (Wikipedia)

In 2021, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the prize to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov “for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.” Ressa — then facing cyberlibel convictions and multiple prosecutions in the Philippines — became the first Filipino and the first working journalist in decades so honored jointly, linking the prize’s history to contemporary struggles over independent journalism. (Nobel Prize — Peace, Wikipedia — Maria Ressa)

Challenges and Controversies

Contested Selections

Several awards have drawn lasting criticism — laureates whose later records appeared to contradict the prize’s purpose — fueling recurring debate over the committee’s criteria and foresight. (Wikipedia)

Politics of Recognition

Critics note that the prize can entangle the committee in geopolitics; defenders argue that controversy is inherent to honoring peace work conducted amid conflict. (Wikipedia)