Gunnar Berge made that statement at the press conference, but that was not the opinion of the Nobel Committee. Berge was heavily criticized by the other committee members for that statement, something media didn't bother to report.

The following is the prize announcement with the committee's motivation for giving the prize to Carter. The last paragraph is an allusion to our present global crisis, but a far cry from what Berge said.


"The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2002 to Jimmy Carter, for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.

During his presidency (1977-1981), Carter's mediation was a vital contribution to the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt, in itself a great enough achievement to qualify for the Nobel Peace Prize. At a time when the cold war between East and West was still predominant, he placed renewed emphasis on the place of human rights in international politics.

Through his Carter Center, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2002, Carter has since his presidency undertaken very extensive and persevering conflict resolution on several continents. He has shown outstanding commitment to human rights, and has served as an observer at countless elections all over the world. He has worked hard on many fronts to fight tropical diseases and to bring about growth and progress in developing countries. Carter has thus been active in several of the problem areas that have figured prominently in the over one hundred years of Peace Prize history.

In a situation currently marked by threats of the use of power, Carter has stood by the principles that conflicts must as far as possible be resolved through mediation and international co-operation based on international law, respect for human rights, and economic development. "

Gunnar Berge is a veteran Arbeiderparti (labor party) politician who made it as far as Minister of Finance in his political career. Not bad for someone who started as a shop steward in a shipyard, but on the other hand, he was never known for his wisdom and deep insight...plodder is the word that comes to mind.
Did you see the look on his face after he made the statement? That's his famous "it's MY ball, you'll play MY way" face...

For more info on the Nobel Peace Prize www.nobel.no




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