By Vienna Richards

It was clear at certain points in his speech that Obama was speaking to specific constituencies around the world, including Europeans, Americans and Moslems.He used the speech effectively to sell America’s reasons for sending more troops to Afghanistan.

His speech in full in this post.

In particular, President Obama directly addressed people’s inner most thoughts, fears and concerns on America’s war strategy in Afghanistan and Iraq. He acknowledged at the outset that his Nobel award was, indeed, controversial. The President did not shy away from discussing the hard issues and making America’s case for war a strong one. He invoked the memories of past Nobel Laureates and acknowledged that in comparison, his labours were “slight”.

Beautiful choice of words. Excellent, well written and hits all the right notes, in my humble opinion. Very moving with a historical analysis of how America has come to the latest decisions to send more troops to Afghanistan. There was one moment in his speech in which the audience spontaeneously applauded:

Let us reach for the world that ought to be…for a spark of the divine that still stirs in each of our souls.

As one who is strongly opposed to sending more troops to Afghanistan, it was great to hear Obama offer a thought-provoking analysis of why, in his Administration’s view, deploying more troops to Afghanistan is the way to bring about peace and end terrorism. Still, that doesn’t change my mind. But at least he addressed people’s darkest fears and anger towards Afghanistan, the war, its corrupt Afghani leaders, and their government.

Announcement: The Norwegian Nobel Committee

The Nobel Peace Prize for 2009

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama’s vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.

Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama’s initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.

Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world’s population.

For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world’s leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama’s appeal that “Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges.”

Oslo, October 9, 2009

Nobel Laureate Biography Barack H. Obama

(1961-)

Inspires hope for a better future

Barack H. Obama, the 44th President of the United States, had been in power for less than eight months when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009. Among the reasons it gave, the Nobel Committee lauded Obama for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples”. Emphasis was also given to his support – in word and deed – for the vision of a world free from nuclear weapons.

Even before the election, Obama had advocated dialogue and cooperation across national, ethnic, religious and political dividing lines. As President, he called for a new start to relations between the Muslim world and the West based on common interests and mutual understanding and respect. In accordance with a promise he made during his election campaign, he set in motion a plan for the withdrawal of U.S. occupying forces from Iraq.

During his first year in power, President Obama showed himself to be a strong spokesman for human rights and democracy, and as a constructive supporter of the work being done to put effective measures in place to combat the climate crisis. This is in line with his appeal: “Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges”.