Text of Obama's speech after winning Nobel Prize
Good morning.
Well, this is not how I expected to wake up this morning. After I received the
news, Malia walked in and said, "Daddy, you won
the Nobel Peace Prize, and it is Bo's birthday!" And then Sasha added,
"Plus, we have a three-day weekend coming up." So it's good to have
kids to keep things in perspective.
I am both surprised and deeply humbled by the decision of the Nobel Committee.
Let me be clear: I do not view it as a recognition of
my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on
behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations.
To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of
the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women
who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous
pursuit of peace.
But I also know that this prize reflects the kind of world that those men and
women, and all Americans, want to build -- a world that gives life to the
promise of our founding documents. And I know that throughout history, the
Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's
also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes. And that is why
I will accept this award as a call to action -- a call for all nations to
confront the common challenges of the 21st century.
These challenges can't be met by any one leader or any one nation. And that's
why my administration has worked to establish a new era of engagement in which
all nations must take responsibility for the world we seek. We cannot tolerate
a world in which nuclear weapons spread to more nations and in which the terror
of a nuclear holocaust endangers more people. And that's why we've begun to
take concrete steps to pursue a world without nuclear weapons, because all
nations have the right to pursue peaceful nuclear power, but all nations have
the responsibility to demonstrate their peaceful intentions.
We cannot accept the growing threat posed by climate change, which could
forever damage the world that we pass on to our children -- sowing conflict and
famine; destroying coastlines and emptying cities. And that's why all nations
must now accept their share of responsibility for transforming the way that we
use energy.
We can't allow the differences between peoples to define the way that we see
one another, and that's why we must pursue a new beginning among people of
different faiths and races and religions; one based upon mutual interest and
mutual respect.
And we must all do our part to resolve those conflicts that have caused so much
pain and hardship over so many years, and that effort must include an
unwavering commitment that finally realizes that the rights of all Israelis and
Palestinians to live in peace and security in nations of their own.
We can't accept a world in which more people are denied opportunity and dignity
that all people yearn for -- the ability to get an education and make a decent
living; the security that you won't have to live in fear of disease or violence
without hope for the future.
And even as we strive to seek a world in which conflicts are resolved
peacefully and prosperity is widely shared, we have to confront the world as we
know it today. I am the commander in chief of a country that's responsible for
ending a war and working in another theater to confront a ruthless adversary
that directly threatens the American people and our allies.
I'm also aware that we are dealing with the impact of a global economic crisis
that has left millions of Americans looking for work. These are concerns that I
confront every day on behalf of the American people.
Some of the work confronting us will not be completed during my presidency.
Some, like the elimination of nuclear weapons, may not be completed in my
lifetime. But I know these challenges can be met so long as it's recognized
that they will not be met by one person or one nation alone. This award is not
simply about the efforts of my administration -- it's about the courageous efforts
of people around the world.
And that's why this award must be shared with everyone who strives for justice
and dignity -- for the young woman who marches silently in the streets on
behalf of her right to be heard even in the face of beatings and bullets; for
the leader imprisoned in her own home because she
refuses to abandon her commitment to democracy; for the soldier who sacrificed
through tour after tour of duty on behalf of someone half a world away; and for
all those men and women across the world who sacrifice their safety and their
freedom and sometimes their lives for the cause of peace.
That has always been the cause of
Thank you very much.