276 candidates have been nominated for the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize. However, according to Nobel Peace Prize Watch, the Nobel Committee often errs from the wishes of Alfred Nobel. Nobel Peace Prize Watch has, for the first time, published a list 25 candidates out of the 276 that are ‘valid candidates’. Abolition 2000 is included in the list.
According to Nobel Peace Prize Watch, Alfred Nobel directed that the prize be awarded to people and movements that campaign effectively for ‘ a demilitarized world, for law to replace power in international politics, and for all nations to commit to cooperating on the elimination of all weapons instead of competing for military superiority.’
Many suitable candidates are nominated each year, but appear to have been overlooked on numerous occasions, with the prize instead being granted according to different criteria. In a letter sent to the Nobel Foundation, Norwegian Nobel Committee and Parliament of Norway on February 20, 2015, Nobel Peace Prize Watch claims that the grantees of the prize ‘have increasingly disconnected the prize from the idea that concerned Nobel when he established it.’
Indeed, the concerns of Nobel Peace Prize Watch appear to be supported by in decisions by two Swedish agencies overseeing foundations, the Länsstyrelsen i Stockholm and the Kammarkollegiet, which require a series of measures to ensure compliance with the purpose of the prize.
Nobel Peace Prize Watch has published their list of 25 ‘valid candidates’ from the known nominations for the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize in order to further encourage the award grantees to make their decision accordingly.
Nobel Peace Prize Watch notes that Abolition 2000, one of their 25 valid candidates, ‘started in 1995 as a collaborative effort of 130 civil society organizations focusing on advocacy in key international bodies’ and ‘By the year 2000 the network had grown to over 2000 member organizations from more than 90 countries, operating in a range of other international forums as well as in key capitals.’ As an effective movement of activists campaigning for disarmament, Abolition 2000 fits the terms of Nobel’s directive.
Other valid candidates listed by Nobel Peace Prize Watch include: Article 9 (Japan), Kathryn Bolkovac (USA), Steinar Bryn (Norway), Daniel Ellsberg (USA), Richard Falk (USA), Ferencz, Benjamin Ferencz (USA), International Association of Lawyers against Nuclear Arms, International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Arms, Juristen und Juristinnen gegen atomare, biologische und chemische Waffen (Germany), David Krieger (USA), Evelin Lindner (Norway), Federico Mayor (Spain), Nansen Dialogue Network, Nihon Hidankyo (Japan), Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (USA), Jan Oberg (Sweden), Edward Snowden (USA), David Swanson (USA), Sumiteru Taniguchi (Japan), Setsuko Thurlow (Canada), UNESCO culture of peace program, Alyn Ware (Aotearoa-New Zealand), Peter Weiss (USA) and the Women´s international League for Peace and Freedom.