Monday, July 25, 2011

A Commitment To Peace and Idealism

Alfred Bernhard Nobel was better known as a Swedish Chemist, Innovator and Engineer.  His most renowned work is the dynamite. He previously owned a manufacturing facility that held 355 patents of cannons and other armaments.  When he passed in 1895, he bequeathed his enormous fortune to institutionalize the Nobel Peace Prizes. 
Today, we all know that the Nobel Peace Prize is an international Peace prize awarded annually by the Norwegian Nobel Committee in accordance to the guidelines laid out in Alfred Nobel's last will and testament.The Peace Prize is one of the five prizes that have been awarded annually since 1901.  It is today, by far, the most prestigious international prize that will go to "whoever that have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations; for the abolition and reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotions of peace congresses." 
Individuals like Gorbachev, the 14th Dalai Lama, Mandela, Walesa, Mother Teresa, Kissinger, Martin Luther King; or organizations such as, The United Nations, the ILO, are among the prominent and respectable winners that have been granted the Nobel Peace Prize.
110 years and 91 awards later, the Nordic country that houses the Norwegian Nobel Committee on Peace was badly terrorized.  Shattered, shaken and badly traumatized, the Norwegians defiantly stand together to seek peace amidst the rubble and pain of loss.
The man behind the terror is a 32 year old, local who holds a 1,500 page manifesto of his delusional war plan and rants against the Muslims. In the world of the Norwegians, they struggle with the concept that the Al-Qaeda, at least, has not breached their unruffled lives.
Our world is full of irony, such contrariness never ceases to amaze me. I have always looked upon Norway as placid and uncluttered.  It is not surprising that they move on with their regular lives soon after their worst nightmare has struck. Yes, they do mourn, and weep, and lament the death of their sons and daughters.  But unlike other nations' usual total brazenness and agitated reactions, the Norwegians choose to keep their "hot" spots to be tidy without excessive security.  They are shocked that such acts of atrocities have come from amongst their tight communities.  Yet from this same community, they seek comfort and healing. 
I am deeply saddened by the fact that someday, soon, they might wake up and realize that the world is not about Nobel Peace Prizes and innovations, but instead, that it is a tempestuous, turbulent place brimming with hatred and war-infested people.There are very few countries in our world where you find citizens going out on a limb to help out their neighbours in distress; or those who choose restrained tranquillity in the face of torment or unjustifiable attacks.  
I humbly bow my head in prayer that the Norwegian people keep their dignified heads up high, and continue to embrace peace in their hearts and homes, like they always did. Whilst we all know that no person, race, country or religion is spared from humanity's abomination and contempt for each other, we also know that we all have hearts that pump the same blood, lungs that breath the same air and brains that hold the same neurons that signals the rest of our body to act and respond. 
Then again, why do we choose to use the same faculties and threads of humanness to hurt, to impale to judge and to kill?  If we have totally run out of beliefs and values, we could at least keep on believing that we are all still human. 

7 comments:

  1. aw psycho, i'm feeling the weight of the people who try to take our happiness ... they can't take our strength sweety ... and i still want to stand strong in my belief that there are really good people out there and that they do outweigh the bad.

    i guess i have to believe it to be sure i don't fall into the depth of sadness that they want us to live

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  2. I just can't understand why there are bad people but I am glad there are good people otherwise life wouldn't be worth living.It is as you say irony that Norway experienced this horrible tragedy.

    Thanks for making this post ♥

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  3. This is so well written and appreciated. Wonderful post PB.

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  4. didn't oblama get awarded the nobel peace prize... after sending oodles more troops into battle?
    maybe it isn't what it stood for in the beginning after all.
    he is no martin luther king jr, that's for sure.

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  5. Thank you for your comments.
    Yes, Big A.: It seems we are incapable of allowing others to be truly happy and peaceful. someone comes along to ruin everything, just because.
    Alex: I guess the bad people are there to show how good the good people are.
    Thank you Tracy. Appreciate it.
    Violet: Indeed Obama won the Peace Prize. I am not so sure how he managed to out-judge the rest of the candidates during that time, but oh well ...

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  6. thanks for the inciting post. It made me think and I feel that idealism has its perks but it also has its cons. Of course, its great to have such things as the UN or organizations that are focused on helping countries out but then we are also having politics being involved and such things. in a world where there is not only war and cruel things, along with good things too, there is also a debacle of who's version of right or wrong is correct.so in a sense, I am saying it gets a bit complicated and political when it involves countries so it would seem hard from another country watching the issue to help another country. (personally don't agree)

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  7. Miss Bobo: True. Idealism often "kills or gets you killed."
    And we will never be saved from politics, I just reckon it's improbable given human dynamics and human nature.
    I hear your personal disagreement, but I do honestly admire the steadfast belief of the Norwegians to uphold peace, in spite of their nation's tragedy.

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