The 2012 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to The European Union, for more than six decades contributing to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe. The Nobel lecture was delivered jointly by, Herman Van Rompuy, of Belgium, President of the European Council and José Manuel Durão Barroso, of Portugal, President of the European Commission. Van Rompuy said, “To think of what France and Germany had gone through —, and then take this step — Signing a Treaty of Friendship — Each time I hear these words – Freundschaft, Amitié –, I am moved. They are private words, not for treaties between nations. But the will to not let history repeat itself, to do something radically new, was so strong that new words had to be found.”
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes created by the Swedish industrialist, inventor, and armaments manufacturer Alfred Nobel. Since 1901 it has been awarded annually (with some exceptions) to those who have “done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses” Over the next few months we’ll be introducing you to the past Nobel laureates, leading up to the award of the 2016 prize in October.
