Nobel Peace Prize to be announced: Jacinda Ardern misses

The World Food Program has won the coveted Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to combat hunger.

It is the largest humanitarian organization in the world. Last year it assisted nearly 1 million people in 88 countries who are victims of food insecurity and hunger.

The names of the other nominees will not be released for 50 years, in accordance with the award rules, but New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had thought they had been considered in the running for their response to the terrorist attack on the March 15 and spearheading the New Zealand campaign. successful response from Covid.

The award winner was announced at a ceremony at the Norska Nobelinstitutet in Oslo, Norway, at 10 pm New Zealand time.

The winner joins the likes of Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan, Jimmy Carter, and Barack Obama.

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In announcing the winner, the Nobel committee said it had awarded the Program “for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to improving conditions of peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force behind efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict “.

The committee said that the Covid-19 pandemic has contributed to a sharp increase in the number of victims of hunger in the world. In countries such as Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, South Sudan and Burkina Faso, the combination of violent conflict and the pandemic has led to a dramatic increase in the number of people living on the brink of starvation.

“In the face of the pandemic, the World Food Program has demonstrated an impressive ability to scale up its efforts. As the organization itself has stated, “Until the day we have a medical vaccine, food is the best vaccine against chaos.

“The world is in danger of a hunger crisis of inconceivable proportions if WFP does not receive the financial support it has requested. The link between hunger and armed conflict is a vicious cycle.

“We will never reach the goal of zero hunger unless we also end war and armed conflict.

“The Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to emphasize that providing assistance to increase food security not only prevents hunger, but can also help improve prospects for stability and peace. WFP has taken the initiative to combine humanitarian work with efforts of peace through pioneering projects in South America, Africa and Asia “.

Peace Prize winners receive SEK 10 million (NZ $ 1.71 million), a diploma from the chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee and a medal made of recycled green gold, plated with 24-karat gold.

Every year since 1901 the Nobel Prize has been awarded for achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and for peace.

Only the Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, while the others are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden.

Three New Zealanders have become Nobel laureates in previous years.

New Zealand-born physicist Ernest Rutherford was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1908 for his work on the transmutation of elements and the chemistry of radioactive substances.

In 1962, biophysicist Maurice Wilkins shared the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine with two others for discovering the structure of DNA.

Chemist Alan MacDiarmid received the Chemistry Award in 2000 for his contribution to the discovery and development of electronic conductive polymers.

When asked today about the possibility of winning, Ardern said he was not optimistic.

“I am extremely flattered that people even consider it within the realm of possibility, but it’s fair to say that I never did.”

When asked who should win, he said there were many representative groups, including groups representing journalists in conflict zones, that have had some “incredibly powerful movements in the last 12 months.”

This year there were 318 candidates, of which 211 are individuals and 107 are organizations. The Norwegian Nobel Committee is responsible for selecting the Nobel Peace Laureates.

Most bookies had Ardern in the top three nominees, with the World Health Organization and climate activist Greta Thunberg. The president of the United States, Donald Trump, was the fourth favorite.

Saudi women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul was also thought to be on the run.