Obama Accepts Nobel Peace Prize.

Obama has stated that he is both "surprised" and "humbled" by his recent award of the Nobel Peace prize and that he accepts it, not for himself, but "as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations."

The world is so relieved that someone is planning to use such a powerful position for the pursuit of peace, that the Nobel Committee wanted to publicly state that it is behind Obama in all of the difficult pursuits in which he is engaged.

But I also know that this prize reflects the kind of world that those men and women, and all Americans, want to build — a world that gives life to the promise of our founding documents. And I know that throughout history, the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it’s also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes. And that is why I will accept this award as a call to action — a call for all nations to confront the common challenges of the 21st century.

And he quickly set out just which challenges the world is keen to see him set about fixing.

We cannot tolerate a world in which nuclear weapons spread to more nations and in which the terror of a nuclear holocaust endangers more people. And that’s why we’ve begun to take concrete steps to pursue a world without nuclear weapons, because all nations have the right to pursue peaceful nuclear power, but all nations have the responsibility to demonstrate their peaceful intentions.

We cannot accept the growing threat posed by climate change, which could forever damage the world that we pass on to our children — sowing conflict and famine; destroying coastlines and emptying cities. And that’s why all nations must now accept their share of responsibility for transforming the way that we use energy.

We can’t allow the differences between peoples to define the way that we see one another, and that’s why we must pursue a new beginning among people of different faiths and races and religions; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect.

And we must all do our part to resolve those conflicts that have caused so much pain and hardship over so many years, and that effort must include an unwavering commitment that finally realizes that the rights of all Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security in nations of their own.

Nuclear proliferation, climate change, respect for our differences and an end to the conflict between Israel and Palestine, resulting in a two state solution. It's quite a shopping list and yet that is the reason the Nobel Committee has chosen to honour him. Because, unlike previous US leaders, he has identified what needs to be done and, by giving him this award, the Nobel Committee hopes to put some wind behind his sails.

I foster no pretensions that people like Netanyahu will not continue to be obstructionist, despite this signal from the world that we would like to see an end to that particular conflict, but - hopefully - it will inspire Obama to push onwards, knowing that the hopes of so many people are invested in him achieving success.

The Committee stated:

"Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population."

In this way, it's not so much an award, as it is a prayer. The rest of the world, unlike Limbaugh, desperately wants Obama to succeed.

Tags: Obama, Nobel Peace prize