Vunderkind
Social Member
Snowden, "The Whistle blower"
Former National Security Agency contractor, Edward Snowden has been nominated for the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize on Wednesday by a member of the Norwegian parliament. The MP’s argument for the nomination is that Snowden’s release of classified documents has made the world a safer place.
Baard Vegar Solhjell who was a former minister for education and environment from the Socialist Left party said that the Snowden-leaks helped citizens realize the extent to which their country would go to spy on them.
"There is no doubt that the actions of Edward Snowden may have damaged the security interests of several nations in the short term," Solhjell said in a joint statement with another MP, Snorre Valen. We are, however, convinced that the public debate and changes in policy that have followed in the wake of Snowden's whistle blowing has contributed to a more peaceful, stable and peaceful world order."
"His actions have in effect led to the reintroduction of trust and transparency as a leading principle in global security policies,” the MPs said.
Snowden, who is currently in temporary asylum in Russia after leaking information on the U.S government’s surveillance (as well as other) habits, faces criminal charges in the US and has since fled to Hong Kong and now Russia.
There are several people eligible to nominate candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize, and members of the National Assembly are part of these privileged set. In last year’s prize, there were 259 nominees, and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons won the prize for its efforts to wipe out Syria’s chemical weaponry.