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| kunjan |
Posted
on 02-Oct-02 10:45 PM
Guessing game ahead of Nobel Prizes
Agence France Presse
Stockholm, October 2,
This year's Nobel Prizes will be announced next week and the guessing game is already in full swing over who will be honoured with the two most prestigious prizes, those for peace and literature.
A handful of names circulate each year as speculation mounts ahead of the announcements, but the identities of the actual winners are a well-kept secret and are only revealed amid much fanfare.
Each of this year's Nobel laureates will take home the prize sum of $1.08 million, to be shared if won by more than one person in each discipline.
Among those thought to be under consideration for the Peace Prize, to be announced on October 11:
Afghan president Hamid Karzai, former US president Jimmy Carter, Chinese dissidents and the UN war crimes court, among others.
While last year's co-laureates, the United Nations and its secretary-general Kofi Annan, were widely expected to win the prize, this year there appear to be no clear favourites.
"In the wake of September 11, the (Nobel) Committee could be tempted to combine democracy and Islam. But it is very difficult to find a Muslim known for his commitment to democracy," the head of the Peace Research Institute in Oslo, Stein Toennesson, said.
He said the Committee could also choose to honour someone who has worked to reconcile religions.
The Nobel Committee said it had received a record 156 nominations this year for the Peace Prize.
Meanwhile, the Swedish Academy, which awards the Literature Prize, has remained tight-lipped on who it is considering for the honour.
Literary circles have however cited South African writer J M Coetzee, French novelist Michel Tournier, US authors Norman Mailer and Philip Roth, and British writer Doris Lessing as possible winners.
Last year, the prize went to Trinidad-born British author V S Naipaul.
The Nobel Prizes were first handed out in 1901, in line with the last will and testament of Swedish inventor and scholar Alfred Nobel.
He created the prizes for "those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit to mankind."
This year's Medicine Prize will be announced on Monday, to be followed by the Physics Prize on Tuesday and the prizes for both Chemistry and Economics on Wednesday.
The Economics Prize is the only Nobel not originally included in Alfred Nobel's testament.
It was created by the Swedish central bank in commemoration of its tercentenary in 1968.
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| Paschim |
Posted
on 02-Oct-02 11:20 PM
Interesting note, Kunjan-ji.
This guessing game reminds me of a fascinating anecdote from around 1995 when Rubert Lucas from Chicago won the Nobel for Economics (for his developing the "Rational Expectations" hypothesis and transforming macroeconomic analyses).
His wife had put in their divorce clause long before he won the prize that should Lucas win the Nobel prize SOMEDAY, half his prize money should go to her.
Lucas, probably amused at this clause, and in modesty, must have said: Okay, Okay -- Nobel prize paune saune hoina, je sukai sart rakhe ni hunchha priye!
And in 1995, he actually won it -- and I'm quite sure his divorced wife rightfully claimed her share. Never thought clever wives and "Rational Expectations" went together, but kudos to former Mrs. Lucas, history is full of pleasant anomalies, no?!
Sorry ladies :)
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| kunjan |
Posted
on 02-Oct-02 11:28 PM
Paschimji, of course, It was interesting news for us what had happened in Lucas's life. 'Very clever wife' ko fela pariyo bhane ta bitaunchha jasto chha.
Ani, When will we have any Amartya Sens from Nepal?
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| Biswo |
Posted
on 02-Oct-02 11:35 PM
>history is full of pleasant anomalies, no?!
Also, it is full of pleasant alimonies. :-)
---
Regarding Nobel Prize and Guess Game, I love this guess game, esp in peace
prize. Medicine, Physics and Chemistry competent are all so highly qualified
that singling out anyone is very difficult. Literature and Economics are supposed
to be relatively less difficult. Nobel Peace prize is often predictable.
So, about peace prize rightnow. I think relief agencies working in Afganistan
has good chances, along with UN courts. It is just a guess, anyway.
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| paramendra |
Posted
on 03-Oct-02 12:05 PM
With all due respect, Kunjan, why copy and paste, why not just post the web address, with perhaps a paragraph in quotes? With due respect to San's server space confines..... After all, links are but a click away.
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| Poonte |
Posted
on 03-Oct-02 02:02 PM
"In the wake of September 11, the (Nobel) Committee could be tempted to combine democracy and Islam. But it is very difficult to find a Muslim known for his commitment to democracy"
If they wish to "Nobelitely" honor democracy, I think they should create a separate category for it. Personally, I don't feel comfortable with justaposing democracy with peace. Afterall, it is in the name of democracy that many wars have been fought, and justifications for many interferrences and invasions supposed. I loathe this imperialistic notion of democracy promoting peace.
As for Muslims, Khatami of Iran could be a good candidate--despite enormous obstacles, he has managed to walk the fine line between fundamentalism and liberalism. Had it not been for the supreme command of Ayatollah, I think he would have achieved far more than any Western nation could have imagined Iran could achieve. He must be commended for his relentless efforts.
But then again, the Westerners don't see this, do they?
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