By Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Analyst

Dec. 10, 2009 – President Barack Obama told the world on Thursday true peace is earned and maintained through sacrifice, and that war is sometimes necessary to ultimately achieve peace.

 But the president opened his lecture with a thoughtful expression of gratitude without apology for his selection by the organization for the prize. 

“Compared to some of the giants of history who’ve received this prize — Schweitzer and King; Marshall and Mandela — my accomplishments are slight.  And then there are the men and women around the world who have been jailed and beaten in the pursuit of justice; those who toil in humanitarian organizations to relieve suffering; the unrecognized millions whose quiet acts of courage and compassion inspire even the most hardened cynics.  I cannot argue with those who find these men and women — some known, some obscure to all but those they help — to be far more deserving of this honor than I.”

The president acknowledged the recent increase of troops deployed to the war in Afghanistan in the context of “just wars” and how wars are often the precursors to “just peace.”

“The instruments of war do have a role to play in preserving the peace.  And yet this truth must coexist with another — that no matter how justified, war promises human tragedy.

Where force is necessary, we have a moral and strategic interest in binding ourselves to certain rules of conduct.  And even as we confront a vicious adversary that abides by no rules, I believe the United States of America must remain a standard bearer in the conduct of war.  That is what makes us different from those whom we fight.  That is a source of our strength.  That is why I prohibited torture.  That is why I ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed.  And that is why I have reaffirmed America’s commitment to abide by the Geneva Conventions.  We lose ourselves when we compromise the very ideals that we fight to defend.”
The president addressed those in the international community who are a threat to peace and called  for accountability and sanctions by nations to oppose those countries like Iran and North Korea who attempt to “game the system.”

He closed with these words:

“Let us live by their example.  We can acknowledge that oppression will always be with us, and still strive for justice.  We can admit the intractability of depravation, and still strive for dignity.  Clear-eyed, we can understand that there will be war, and still strive for peace.  We can do that — for that is the story of human progress; that’s the hope of the entire world; and at this moment of challenge, that must be our work here on Earth.”

By Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Analyst

Dec. 10, 2009 – President Obama will address the world on Thursday from Oslo, Norway and deliver a speech about the responsibility the U.S. has to continue seeking peace.

For the first time in the history of the prestigious Nobel Prize, the president’s remarks along with his fellow honorees will be streamed live as the program takes place. This is a first for the Nobel Foundation and its newly formed partnership with Google and YouTube. 

The selection of Obama for the peace prize just months into his presidency has sparked criticism from those who felt it was premature.  His selection by the committee came just days after his election as the first African-American U. S. president.

Obama has taken this into consideration and will acknowledge in his remarks he was honored to applaud America’s expression of a “change” in leadership and direction rather than acknowledgment for tangible accomplishments. 

Since the announcement of Peace Prize the president has had to make several critical decisions about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The ceremony is taking place just a week after he announced sending 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan.

During Wednesday’s White House briefing, press secretary Robert Gibbs said, “The president understands and again will also recognize that he doesn’t belong in the same discussion as Mandela and Mother Theresa.”

“But I think what the president is proud of is the steps that this administration has taken to reengage the world” and through reengagement bring increased peace and stability.

By Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Analyst

Oct. 9, 2009 – President Obama was awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize and joins the ranks of men he’s admired and spoken of since his early days in public service; one of the most memorable, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The committee honored the president for what they called “”his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

When the announcement made its way to the White House before dawn, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs called the president and woke him with the news.

The news Obama had won the prestigious honor was announced in Oslo at 5 a.m. EDT (0900 GMT).  Reuter’s news service is reporting a White House official saying, “The president was humbled to be selected by the committee.”

Other famous Nobel Peace Prize winners include The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1964, Nelson Mandela, 1993 and in Kofi Annan in 2001.

Obama joins three other U.S. presidents: President Jimmy Carter who was awarded the prize in 2002 for his efforts to find a peaceful solution to international conflicts,  Theodor Roosevelt who won in 1906 for negotiating a peace agreement that ended the Russo-Japanese war, and Woodrow Wilson in 1906.

The most recent elected official to win the honor is former Vice President Al Gore in 2007 for his efforts to raise awareness about climate changes and saving the environment.

Before the president can thank the committee for the honor, critics are questioning if he deserves the award just nine months into his presidency.  The answer to that is simple; he  won the honor – so yes, he’s deserves it.