THE FIFA WORLD CUP, SOCCER AND THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
Nobel Peace Prize is one of the categories of the prestigious award given to both individuals and organizations whose action or works has contributed immensely to world peace. The youngest recipient of this award is the 17 year old Malala Yousafzai in 2014. Considering the activities of FIFA, the world governing body for association football, can we say it is justifiable that neither FIFA nor any of its Presidents ever won the award?
Alfred Nobel was born in 1833 at Stockholm in Sweden and he died in 1896 after a heart failure and stroke. Nobel made huge wealth from sale of arms and ammunition. By the 1880s Nobel already had a very bad reputation in the world despite his wealth. In 1888, Nobel's brother Ludvig died and various Newspapers reported that Nobel had died. That Nobels premature obituary was read was not as tragic as the hatred shown for the man in the manner in which the obituary was published. A particular French Newspaper wrote The merchant of death is dead. This triggered Nobels fear that he might not be remembered for anything good so he wanted to leave a legacy, hence the Nobel Prize. Nobel therefore made a will donating majority of his wealth to establish a foundation to give Nobel Prizes in five categories of Physics, Chemistry, Medical Science, Literature and Peace. The Prize has gone to become one of the most prestigious awards that can be bestowed on anyone today.
So much about Nobel and his prize, the Peace prize category is our focus today. According to Nobel the award is to be given to those who have have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for holding and promotion of peace congresses.
Considering this background and how the FIFA World Cup has helped and is helping to foster peace in the world, we are at a loss on the reason the best the Federation or any of its previous Presidents have come is to be nominated.
JOAO HAVELANGE (1988)
Joao Havelange was a Brazilian lawyer who became the seventh President of FIFA from 1974 to 1988. He did much but not admittedly not as much as Jules Rimet. However he was nominated by a Swiss Parliamentarian in 1988, but did not win it. We do not think he really should win it but he could have been given as a representative of FIFA.
SEPP BLATTER (2015)
Josep Blatter succeeded Havelange as the FIFA President in 1998 and was there until his resignation in 2015 after serious financial scandal rocked the world soccer governing body. The Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Sepp Blatter deserves a Nobel Peace Prize. In his words he said “Whether there are signs of corruption in Fifa , the investigation must show. As for Joseph Blatter, he is a very respected person, he has done a lot for the development of world soccer,”. That I am afraid has gone out of the scope of the Peace Prize. Shortly after the Nobel Peace Center severed its relationship with FIFA.
FIFA ON BEHALF OF SOCCER (2001)
Apart from Rimet's nomination, by far the most worthy nomination for the beautiful game is the Swedish lawmaker Lars Gustafsson's nomination of the game of soccer. He suggested that FIFA could accept the honour on behalf of the sport. He said even if the individuals who are Presidents of FIFA could not be awarded that the collective efforts of the game in fostering peace world over should be applauded. This again was not awarded.
The pertinent question is whether considering the influence of the game of soccer, whether the world owe the game a duty of salutation for helping to foster the peace of the world.
From the language and the intendment of the will that begets the prize, it seems the award is limited to only the actions that either stop a war or will end up stopping it. Obviously from the language used by Nobel it is clear he viewed Peace as the absence of war. If we take it from that angle FIFA or it's Presidents will stand no chance.
However, from 1901, the definition of Peace that would qualify for the award has been expanded to include Peace as to stopping of war, peace as to order and peace as to Justice. This paved the way for organizations like the International Committee of the Red Cross and United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR).
FIFA World Cup is closed by. Football has united a lot countries. Presently the Nation of Russia is in conflict with many other countries but because of the game of soccer everyone will take sentiment aside and enjoy the round leather game.
WATCH OUT FOR OUR EXCLUSIVE FIFA WORLD CUP MAGAZINE "THE MUNDIAL"
Nobel Peace Prize is one of the categories of the prestigious award given to both individuals and organizations whose action or works has contributed immensely to world peace. The youngest recipient of this award is the 17 year old Malala Yousafzai in 2014. Considering the activities of FIFA, the world governing body for association football, can we say it is justifiable that neither FIFA nor any of its Presidents ever won the award?
Alfred Nobel was born in 1833 at Stockholm in Sweden and he died in 1896 after a heart failure and stroke. Nobel made huge wealth from sale of arms and ammunition. By the 1880s Nobel already had a very bad reputation in the world despite his wealth. In 1888, Nobel's brother Ludvig died and various Newspapers reported that Nobel had died. That Nobels premature obituary was read was not as tragic as the hatred shown for the man in the manner in which the obituary was published. A particular French Newspaper wrote The merchant of death is dead. This triggered Nobels fear that he might not be remembered for anything good so he wanted to leave a legacy, hence the Nobel Prize. Nobel therefore made a will donating majority of his wealth to establish a foundation to give Nobel Prizes in five categories of Physics, Chemistry, Medical Science, Literature and Peace. The Prize has gone to become one of the most prestigious awards that can be bestowed on anyone today.
So much about Nobel and his prize, the Peace prize category is our focus today. According to Nobel the award is to be given to those who have have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for holding and promotion of peace congresses.
Considering this background and how the FIFA World Cup has helped and is helping to foster peace in the world, we are at a loss on the reason the best the Federation or any of its previous Presidents have come is to be nominated.
JULES RIMET (1956)
Jules Rimet a Frenchman is the 3rd President of FIFA, and the father of the FIFA World Cup was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize but he did not win it. Rimet was one of the founding members of FIFA with the original aim of organizing soccer competition apart from the soccer event of the Olympics. The plan was affected by the breakout of the 1st World War. It was after the end of this war that Jules Rimet became the President of FIFA after the demise of Woolfall. It was a difficult moment but it took a great zeal and serious commitment to make the first FIFA World Cup possible. Due to his efforts more countries became a member of the world soccer governing body FIFA. By the time Rimet was retiring as the President of FIFA even not quite long after the Second World War, the body already had 85 member countries. These were great efforts to foster peace in the world. No wonder Rimet was nominated for the Peace Prize in 1956 but the award was eventually not given out that year. Rimet died not long after.JOAO HAVELANGE (1988)
Joao Havelange was a Brazilian lawyer who became the seventh President of FIFA from 1974 to 1988. He did much but not admittedly not as much as Jules Rimet. However he was nominated by a Swiss Parliamentarian in 1988, but did not win it. We do not think he really should win it but he could have been given as a representative of FIFA.
SEPP BLATTER (2015)
Josep Blatter succeeded Havelange as the FIFA President in 1998 and was there until his resignation in 2015 after serious financial scandal rocked the world soccer governing body. The Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Sepp Blatter deserves a Nobel Peace Prize. In his words he said “Whether there are signs of corruption in Fifa , the investigation must show. As for Joseph Blatter, he is a very respected person, he has done a lot for the development of world soccer,”. That I am afraid has gone out of the scope of the Peace Prize. Shortly after the Nobel Peace Center severed its relationship with FIFA.
Apart from Rimet's nomination, by far the most worthy nomination for the beautiful game is the Swedish lawmaker Lars Gustafsson's nomination of the game of soccer. He suggested that FIFA could accept the honour on behalf of the sport. He said even if the individuals who are Presidents of FIFA could not be awarded that the collective efforts of the game in fostering peace world over should be applauded. This again was not awarded.
The pertinent question is whether considering the influence of the game of soccer, whether the world owe the game a duty of salutation for helping to foster the peace of the world.
From the language and the intendment of the will that begets the prize, it seems the award is limited to only the actions that either stop a war or will end up stopping it. Obviously from the language used by Nobel it is clear he viewed Peace as the absence of war. If we take it from that angle FIFA or it's Presidents will stand no chance.
However, from 1901, the definition of Peace that would qualify for the award has been expanded to include Peace as to stopping of war, peace as to order and peace as to Justice. This paved the way for organizations like the International Committee of the Red Cross and United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR).
FIFA World Cup is closed by. Football has united a lot countries. Presently the Nation of Russia is in conflict with many other countries but because of the game of soccer everyone will take sentiment aside and enjoy the round leather game.
WATCH OUT FOR OUR EXCLUSIVE FIFA WORLD CUP MAGAZINE "THE MUNDIAL"
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