Ill. N. Elmehed. © Nobel Media 2014
The Nobel Peace Prize 2014 was awarded jointly to Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai "for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education".
Press release
"The said interest shall be divided into five equal parts, which shall be apportioned as follows: /- - -/ one part to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."(Excerpt from the will of Alfred Nobel)
Alfred Nobel was interested in social issues and was engaged in the peace movement. His acquaintance with Bertha von Suttner (who was later awarded the 1905 Nobel Peace Prize) influenced his own views on peace. Perhaps his peace interest was also because his inventions were used in warfare and assassination attempts? Peace was the fifth and final prize area that Nobel mentioned in his will.
The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by a committee of five persons who are chosen by the Norwegian Storting (Parliament of Norway).
Geir Lundestad
Geir Lundestad, Secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, answers frequently asked questions about the Nobel Peace Prize: the selection process, the most popular and criticized prizes and more.
Nobel Peace Prizes have been awarded 1901-2014.
Peace Prizes have been divided between three persons.
women have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize so far.
is the average age of the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates the year they were awarded the prize.
Peace Prize Laureate, Le Duc Tho, has declined the Nobel Peace Prize.
Peace Prize Laureates have been under arrest at the time of the award: German pacifist and journalist Carl von Ossietzky, Burmese politician Aung San Suu Kyi and Chinese human rights activist Liu Xiaobo.
Alfred Nobel left no explanation as to why the Peace Prize was to be awarded by a Norwegian committee while the other four prizes were to be handled by Swedish committees.
More about the Nobel Peace Prize during the past century
In 1964, Martin Luther King, Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Watch or read Martin Luther King's Acceptance Speech
Nelson Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 together with Frederik Willem de Klerk for their work for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa. Nelson Mandela died on 5 December 2013.
What does Nelson Mandela mean to you? Share your thoughts
The Red Cross has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize three times - in 1917, 1944 and 1963
The Red Cross: Three-Time Recipient of the Peace Prize
Henry Dunant, the founder of the Red Cross in 1863, was awarded the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901. In accordance with his wishes he was carried to his grave «like a dog».
Read Henry Dunant's biography
