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N°1 · Version anglaise · www.chaos-international.org

A symbolic injunction
The Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Barack Obama

By Josepha Laroche
Translation: Emily Normand

The 44th President of the United States of America, Barack Hussein Obama has been
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, by the Nobel Committee, on Friday, October 9th 2009. This
decision has surprised a large number of experts, while amongst more than two hundred
nominees, they rather expected the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, Morgan Tsvangirai, or else a
Chinese human rights activist. Numerous voices, such as Prize-winner (1983) Lech Walesa, thus
rose to stress “that he had not had the time to do anything!".

Historical background
It is the third time that a US President in office is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
established in 1901. Indeed, in 1906, the Norwegian Committee had awarded it to the republican
Theodore Roosevelt (1905-1909) to recognize his mediation in the Russian-Japanese war of
1905. Then in 1919, it was the turn of the democrat Thomas Woodrow Wilson (two mandates
1913-1921) to see his efforts in favor of the creation of the League of Nations rewarded.

Theoretical framework
This award highlights:
1 The building and expression of a diplomatic policy by a non State actor – in this case the
Nobel Committee – and its capacity to impact the world scene.
2 The conversion of a symbolic resource – the Prize – into a political instrument.

Analysis
Without wanting to appear provocative, I would say that it is precisely because he has
done nothing yet that President Obama has received the Nobel Peace Prize.
Since his recent election, he has essentially given speeches which marked a total rupture
with the policy of his predecessor, the republican George Bush. But although he had not had
time to perform them, he has already shifted the main lines of the foreign policy of the United
States and restored the image of his country all around the world. In particular, let me remind
you that:
1 He has abandoned the antimissile shield project – previously denounced by Russia –
which should have been deployed in Poland.
2 He has asserted his commitment to fight against global warming.
3 He is in favor of a dialog between cultures, particularly with the whole Muslim world.
4 Finally and more still, that he has indicated how much nuclear disarmament in the world
would count among his main objectives.
First of all, let us stress that these speeches are more than simple speeches. Indeed,
insofar as he is the President of the first world power, it is clear that we are dealing with a
performative speech, that is to say with a power setting word, producer in itself of reality. In other

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words, by the mere fact that this speech is given, it becomes by itself, a generator of practical
effects: this is really not a thing of none importance. It is obvious that the Nobel Committee has
particularly taken this fact into account.
Besides this consideration, it should be well understood that the Nobel Foundation –
through its system of prizes – conducts a non State diplomacy perfectly in line with the terms left
by Alfred Nobel in his will. Thus, by awarding all its prizes, it continues to mark the international
scene with its imprint and strongly influence the policies of the States in accordance with its
orientations. Indeed, since its creation, – that is to say for more than a century – it has defined a
certain number of priorities, as international stakes which it then sought to put on the agenda.
These deal with 1) the defense of human rights, and with 2) certain political issues to
which it intends to bring – in the long term and by a policy of global allocation –, its pledge and
its support. In this respect, let us recall that in the past, it has for example encouraged the policy
of East/West Detente, through Prize-winners such as Willy Brandt, Lech Walesa, or Michael
Gorbatchev. In the same logic, it has supported the fight against Apartheid and racism with
prizes awarded respectively to John Lutuli, Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela and Frederik de
Klerk. Furthermore, it has also developed a line dedicated to protecting the environment with
the election in 2004 of the Kenyan, Wangari Muta Maathai, then in 2007, those of Al Gore and
the GIEC Intergovernmental Group of Experts on the Climate change. Finally, it has constantly
worked to promote disarmament in general and nuclear disarmament in particular. As such, we
shall mention the election of Joseph Rotblat and the Pugwash Movement on Science and World
Affairs, for the year 1995, while the International Atomic Energy Agency and its Director
Mohamed El Baradei were rewarded with the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005.
Regarding President Obama, it is certain that the Nobel Committee does not intend to
reward his policy, a fortiori not to honor a course of excellence. So much, so that Barack Obama
was president for only eleven days, when submission of the nominations was closed. In fact, with
this award and all splendors attached to it, the Nobel Committee has chosen to distinguish
especially the U.S. President among the other heads of State by conferring him an extra world
legitimacy. Since then, he has become the custodian of the Nobel aura and its values. Now,
President Obama incarnates a universal project which transcends him. He embodies from now
on the Nobel diplomacy instead of being simply the architect of the American diplomacy.
Far from to be a "politically correct" decision, as it has been said and written, this award
reflects instead an important risk-taking of the Norwegian Committee. More than ever, it
commits here all its credit both symbolically and institutionally. This prize must thus be analyzed
as a symbolic coup of the Nobel system. It must be understood as an investment, a symbolic
downpayment on the politics of the new head of the American State. This prize constrains
Barack Obama: it is somehow a way to take him on his word and force him to accomplish all on
which he has committed himself.

References
Laroche Josepha, Les Prix Nobel, Paris, PUF, 2005. Exhausted, will be republished soon.
Fant Kenne, Alfred Nobel, a Biography, New York, Arcade, 1993.
Wade Nicholas, La Course au Nobel, trad., Paris, Messinger, 1981.

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