Navalny, WHO, Thunberg, Trump, Black Lives Matter among nominees for peace Nobel
OSLO: Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, the World Health Organization and climate campaigner Greta Thunberg are among those nominated for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, all backed by Norwegian lawmakers who have a track record of picking the winner.
Thousands of people, from members of parliaments worldwide to former winners, are eligible to propose candidates. Nominations, which close on Sunday, do not imply an endorsement from the Nobel committee.
Norwegian lawmakers have nominated the eventual laureate every year since 2014, with the exception of 2019, said Henrik Urdal, Director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo. “The pattern from recent years is quite stunning.” The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which decides who wins the award, does not comment on nominations, keeping secret for 50 years the names of nominators and unsuccessful nominees. But nominators can choose to reveal their picks. The Black Lives Matter movement has also been nominated for the 2021 Nobel peace prize for the way its call for systemic change has spread around the world.
Thunberg was named as one of “the foremost spokespeople inthe fight against the climate crisis”, with the campaigning group she co-founded, Fridays for Future, also receiving a nod. Navalny was named for his”efforts for a peaceful democratisation of Russia”. The battle against COVID-19 is front and centre, including a nomination for the GAVI vaccine alliance.
Other nominees include former US President Donald Trump, NATO and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). Also on the list is Aminatou Haidar, for her peaceful campaigning towards an independent Western Sahara, the International Space Station and the International Scout Movement. The 2021 laureate will be announced in October.