Russian renegade and Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, the World Health Organization (WHO) and teenage campaigner on climate change, Greta Thunberg are among those nominated for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, reported news agency Reuters. Former US President Donald Trump is also on the list of nominees.
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.
Thunberg was named as one of “the foremost spokespeople in the fight against the climate crisis”, with the campaigning group she co-founded, Fridays for Future, also receiving a nod.Navalny, nominated by Russian academics, was named for his efforts for a peaceful democratisation of Russia, by Norwegian former minister Ola Elvestuen. Other names are Belarusian activists Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Maria Kolesnikova and Veronika Tsepkalo for their “fight for a fair election and inspiration for peaceful resistance”, one nominator, Geir Sigbjoern Toskedal told Reuters.
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.
