Nobel Peace Prize; Pope, Merkel, Kerry etc, who wins it?

In 1901, five years after his death, a committee in Norway picked Switzerland’s Henry Dunant, the founder of the Red Cross, and Frederic Passy, the French economist who believed free trade among nations promoted peace, as the first recipients of the awards.

Until 1975, the Nobel Committee did not give the reasons behind its decisions. The process is extremely secretive – the committee doesn’t even disclose who it’s considering.

While the list of nominees is kept secret, there are more than 270 names on it, according to the Norwegian Nobel Institute.

Mukwege has always been considered deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize – he was a favorite among bookmakers previous year and Harpviken of the PRIO considers hims a favorite in 2015, along with Jeanne Nacatche Banyere and Jeannette Kahindo Bindu, two others who work with the DR Congo’s sexual violence survivors through a church network.

“There’s no doubt the migration crisis should be a key issue on the table”.

Mussie Zerai is an Eritrean priest who founded the humanitarian organization “Habeshia”, which helps refugees fleeing war and persecution.

Kristian Berg Harpviken slated Merkel in the top slot for his predictions for who will win the prize, praising the Chancellor’s response to the refugee crisis sweeping Europe.

“In a time when many have dodged responsibility, Merkel has shown true leadership and risen above politics, taking a humane approach in a hard situation”, Harpviken wrote.

Last year, he won the Sakharov prize, European parliament’s top human rights prize – so the Nobel Peace Prize could very well be next. “They want to see a few more tangible action”.

Dmitry Muratov, editor-in-chief of The Novaya Gazeta newapaper, in Moscow on January 26, 2009.

Six of its journalists have been murdered since 2001, including prominent Kremlin critic and human rights activist Anna Politkovskaya. The Russian government has denied any involvement.

According to Ask, the 2009 peace prize for US President Barack Obama was enough.

Reuters reported in May the paper had been nominated, but it’s not clear by whom.

Merkel leads the peace prize odds at the British betting house William Hill. And never has honoring the GI seemed more timely – more poignant – than in this season when the world is witnessing the consequences of American retreat.

Whatever the outcome, the result is likely to be controversial. This year she has steered Germany through Europe’s migrant crisis, adopting a stance of of openness and compassion to the influx of refugees, and helped keep the European Union together as Greece struggled to stay solvent.

It’s not clear whether they have been nominated, but experts say it’s likely. This newspaper called it “a speech that both the president’s liberal base and his global admirers needed to hear”.

Pope Francis – named TIME’s Person of the Year in 2013 – had another high-profile year, releasing a sweeping encyclical on climate change in June, and helping fix relations between the United States and Cuba before visiting both countries in September.