Alfred Nobel had a great interest in social issues and particularly in peace. His views on these issues were considered radical for the times in which he lived. When he died in 1896 he left a Will which declared that the Nobel Peace Prize shall be awarded to the persons who "shall 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."

The Nobel Peace Prize is deemed by many to be the most prestigious award in the world. But what does it mean? As can be seen in the list of past winners many people we believe should have gotten the award have not. While Henry Kissinger, believed by many to be a war criminal, won the award for his efforts to negotiate peace during the Vietnam War, Mahatma Gandhi did not. So how is this possible? It is said that "sharp turns in his policies that cannot be satisfactorily explained by his followers" is one of several reasons for him not being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Bible tells us that we should do unto others as we would have done to ourselves and to love one another as we love ourselves. Is this the true essence of the prize? If the prize was set up to be awarded to those who promoted peace why isn't it given to those people? People who epitomize peace or those who actively work towards it? What is the difference? Actually the differences can be small or huge, depending on how you look at the issue in question.

So what is the essence of the prize? The essence of the Nobel Peace Prize is that those who actively pursue the advancement of peace and humanitarianism should be rewarded for their efforts.