This year’s Nobel Peace Prize could go to green campaigner Greta Thunberg and the Fridays for Future movement to highlight the link between environmental damage and the threat to peace and security, experts say.
The winner of the $1 million prize, arguably the world’s top accolade, will be announced in Oslo on Oct. 9 from a field of 318 candidates. The prize can be split up to three ways.
The Swedish 17-year-old was nominated by three Norwegian lawmakers and two Swedish parliamentarians and if she wins, she would receive it at the same age as Pakistan’s Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel laureate thus far.
Asle Sveen, a historian and author of several books about the prize, said Thunberg would be a strong candidate for this year’s award, her second nomination in as many years, with the U.S. West Coast wildfires and rising temperatures in the Arctic “leaving people in no doubt” about global warming.
“Not a single person has done more to get the world to focus on climate change than her,” Sveen told Reuters.
The committee has given the prize to environmentalists before, starting with Kenya’s Wangari Maathai in 2004 for her campaign to plant 30 million trees across Africa, and in 2007 to Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
In the era of the coronavirus crisis, the committee could also choose to highlight the threat of pandemics to peace and security, said Dan Smith, the director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
“There is a relationship between environmental damage and our increasing problem with pandemics and I wonder whether the Nobel Peace Prize Committee might want to highlight that,” he told Reuters.
If the committee wanted to highlight this trend, he said, “there is obviously the temptation of Greta Thunberg”.
The Fridays for Future movement started in 2018 when Thunberg began a school strike in Sweden to push for action on climate. It has since become a global protest.
Thunberg and her father Svante, who sometimes handles media queries for her, did not reply to requests for comment.
Many were sceptical when Greta, as she is often referred to, became the bookmaker’s favourite to win last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, especially with regards to her age, but her second nomination could strengthen her chances.
“Greta is re-nominated, which was the case for Malala. I said Malala was young when she was nominated the first time and I said Greta was young the first time she was nominated,” Sveen said.
Yousafzai won in 2014.
NOT TRUMP
Other known candidates included the “people of Hong Kong”, NATO, Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden and jailed Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul.
Other possible choices are Reporters Without Borders, Angela Merkel and the World Health Organization, experts said, though it is unclear whether they are nominated.
Nominations are secret for 50 years but those who nominate can choose to publicise their choices. Thousands of people are eligible to nominate, including members of parliaments and governments, university professors and past laureates.
It is not known whether Donald Trump is nominated for this year’s prize, though he is up for next year’s award after a Norwegian lawmaker named the U.S. President for helping broker a deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
He is unlikely to win, Sveen and Smith agreed, not least for his dismantling of the international treaties to limit the proliferation of nuclear weapons, a cause dear to Nobel committees.
“He is divisive and seems to not take a clear stance against the violence the right wing perpetrates in the U.S.,” said Smith.
“And that is just the first list.”
Reuters
Thu Sep 17 2020

This year's Nobel Peace Prize could go to green campaigner Greta Thunberg and the Fridays for Future movement to highlight the link between environmental damage and the threat to peace and security - REUTERS

Thai PM grilled in censure motion over father Thaksin's influence
Thailand's opposition grills PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra on the first day of a parliamentary no-confidence motion.

UK's Heathrow defends decision to shut airport amid blame game
Both National Grid and Heathrow agree that the failure of the transformer was an unprecedented event.

Greenland leaders lambast US delegation trip as Trump talks of takeover
The governments of both Greenland and Denmark have voiced opposition to such a move.

MOH: Youths' 'YOLO' mentality linked to risky behaviour, contributing to rising HIV infection rate
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni says this has become a serious concern.

Paris residents vote in favour of making 500 more streets pedestrian
The city's two million residents will be consulted on which streets will become pedestrian areas.

Couple nabbed for hiding drugs in health drink bottles
Police seize RM1.19 million worth of liquid methamphetamine packed in health drink bottles.

BNM assets drop to RM621.54 bln in 2024, dividend to govt totals RM5.25 bln
Liabilities comprised mainly currency in circulation and deposits by financial institutions, amounting to RM170.72 bln and RM131.92 bln.

Tennis - Djokovic says reclaiming top ranking not his goal anymore
Novak Djokovic earns a record-setting 411th ATP Masters 1000 level match win.

Golf - Woods makes it official, announces relationship with Vanessa Trump
Tiger Woods confirms that he is in a relationship with Vanessa Trump, the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr.

Additional document: Apex court dismisses Najib's objection to AG's application
Court says the seventh question of law proposed by the Attorney General (AG) is related to the issue of adducing fresh evidence.

Wife of US Vice President Vance to make high-profile visit to Greenland
Usha Vance will lead a delegation with White House adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

Thai PM faces censure motion as opposition takes aim at father's influence
Despite low poll ratings, Paetongtarn enters the debate strong, with a stable ruling coalition holding a parliamentary majority.

South Korean court reinstates impeached PM Han Duck-soo as acting president
Han Duck-soo became acting leader after President Yoon Suk-Yeol was impeached over his brief martial law declaration in December.

Trying to evade roadblock, fifth former injured after being hit by 4WD
According to police investigations, the student did not have a valid driving licence, and the motorcycles road tax had expired.

Ismail Sabri returns to MACC HQ over graft, money laundering probe
Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob continues giving his statement in a corruption and money laundering probe against him.

Canadian PM Carney calls snap election, says Trump wants to break Canada
Mark Carney says he needs a strong mandate to deal with the threat that US President Donald Trump's tariffs pose to the economy.

'This is on Hamas,' US special envoy Witkoff says of new Gaza fighting
Steve Witkoff says Hamas had every opportunity to demilitarise, to accept the bridging proposal.

Ringgit edges higher at opening on expectations of limited impact from US tariffs
Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said the ringgit trended higher this morning as market participants await US govt tariff implementation.

Flood situation improves in Johor, Sarawak; worsens in Sabah
In Johor, the number of evacuees has dropped to 3,893 people from 1,154 families.

Israeli airstrike kills Hamas official as Gaza death toll passes 50,000
The Israeli military also confirms that the airstrike in southern Gaza killed a Hamas political leader, Salah al-Bardaweel and his wife.