2009 Nobel Peace Prize Lecture by Barack Obama

Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2009
Credits: Norsk Rikskringkasting AS (production)
Watch Barack H. Obama deliver his Nobel Peace Prize Lecture during the Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony at the Oslo City Hall in Norway, 10 December 2009.
For the complete Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony, please see: nobelprize.org/award_ceremonie...

[@billmortensen1682]

It was nice that he acknowledged the fact that there were people more deserving than him to receive the prize, even if it was indirectly.

[@ballHand]

Fake modesty. Fact is he was given a Nobel peace prize and was responsible for authorization of drone strikes that resulted in thousands of innocent people dying, or as Obama put it "collateral damage"

[@Mr._X84]

8 ball181 Hand Since when did you get so good at knowing what’s in someone’s heart?

[@TheLazyGamer42]

Well he was pretty direct about it

[@eugeneflores6153]

He should not accepted it, a fake humble speech coming from an american

[@anniemac7276]

You must feel like so much more

[@leky1325]

20K bomb for Nobel Peace prize .

[@flowerpower223]

this was before

[@gpavela]

You might try actually reading and thinking about the speech.

[@sunwukong7567]

@@gpavela Go and read the speech aloud in the cemeteries, in front of the thousands of victims.

[@yurigagarin5758]

Underrated

[@Marcus.22823]

Right bro 🤜🤜🤜

[@suryag1236]

Dude killed more people in the middle East than bush and got a noble peace prize for that 😂

[@AshiksTechVlog]

Where are we living

[@AshFarlow]

His speech was very empathetic intelligent and prudent. That being said, later in his presidency, he would become a warmonger. The irony of this fact will not be forgotten.

[@FirstnameLastname-my7bz]

@ERIC MALTSER not when it is war started by you, started somewhere so much further from you and for which not you will be paying (but Europe)

[@yeoungshia6206]

Later in his presidency??? That dude legit sent 30k more soldiers there in his second year of presidency in 2009

[@historicrecord]

He was just a good talker . It was Biden who actually withdrew us forces from Afghanistan

[@nkululekonazo5755]

There's no such thing as a perfect leader in any Country... Not Ghandi...Not Kennedy...Not Mandela so Obama is no exception.

[@JaleelBeig]

If Xi does it's genocide, if Obama does is peacekeeping. Irl Both are one

[@ErwinTheBolocBoloc]

Where there is oil, there is america and where there is america, there is war and destruction. Time and time we have witnessed it. But alas

[@kevinwoods9274]

Please tell me more. Extremely simplistic. Not even a real criticism.

[@ExpiredMilk-GO77867]

@@kevinwoods9274 He said the truth

[@ultraviolent29]

Yes good speech, but there is so much that we don't know what these type of people do behind the scenes.

[@adeeness]

Of course he would have done not so respectful things. He's a human being. No one's black or white entirely. Everyone's grey.

[@FirstnameLastname-my7bz]

@@adeeness wrong, there ARE people that absolutely good. AT LEAST on their own terms and in terms of world and culture they were raised in. But also I think even in general. Like people that literally can't be criticized if only except by jealous and haters.

[@CCP-Dissident]

I lost my respect to the entire Nobel Prize thing after they gave Obama a Nobel Prize for no reason

[@slowawakening7214]

to make all the new viewer this was in 2009 when Obama was just 11 days in the office.

[@frantiseknovotny9315]

11 months

[@rob141]

@@frantiseknovotny9315 true but the nomination deadline was 2 weeks after he entered office

[@Zetsuke4]

yup

[@saketsagar2156]

Awesome

[@cheriedeurope]

The biggest cruelty of this world is that hundreds of thousands of people are dead or dying from wars that are initiated by you yet you're here accepting a prize for peace with the highest prize level, making your hypocritical speech, showing your modesty.

[@matthewstrickland1773]

He pretty much said, in what way was giving me of all people a Nobel peace prize a rational idea? In a very educated way.

[@AfroMedic]

Still I don’t understand why he got this 😹😹

[@tsm3479]

No one does. Well actually we do, but it has nothing to do with his abilities.

[@seangregory2835]

Do you know who the recipients of the Nobel peace prize have been since his nomination? Do you know who was overlooked? To parrot such talking points is shameful.

[@willyrosk8649]

What a joke, US and peace can't be in the same sentence

[@PikachuPromo]

Even though undeserved, that was a great speech. Obama was probably the greatest president at giving speeches.

[@deidara_8598]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1028">17:08</a> Basically justifying war, the very thing he condemned as a human folly at the start of the speech.

[@kipzjr5797]

He's educating you. You should learn something. Don't just leave the good shit and take the bad!

[@joaquincespedes3073]

@@kipzjr5797 bruh

[@FabianNdegeObg20000]

Malcolm X would be disgusted by this man.

[@ranwow]

you cant even start comparing between Obama and Jose Ramos Horta, Jose Ramos Horta is a peace activist in East Timor since 1976, basically Jose Ramos dedicated his life for peace, after majoring international laws, peace studies and human rights laws. I don't see Obama's country under any brutal occupation, unless you include the crise in the economy a brutal attack, which basicaly should be blamed by the autorities for creating a nation that it's moto is "Consume, Consume and Consume"

[@kerajohnson1922]

Damn, this comment is old as hell! Wtf you been doing since Ranwow?

[@diana050661]

He didn’t think he deserved it btw if you read his book he thought there was other more deserving people of it

[@randomduck8679]

@@diana050661 The point still stands. The Nobel Peace Prize is dumb.

[@leothegreygoose7657]

As much as he didn´t deserve the award, that was a great speech.

[@amiir.1243]

Indeed he is very good talker

[@joncerda351]

Doesn't that describe his entire political career?

[@sogekingfromsniperisland7033]

@@amiir.1243 that’s a politician’s ability.

[@today8100]

anyone else thinking of drone strikes while watching this video?

[@seangregory2835]

There were 2,243 drone strikes in the first two years of the Trump presidency, compared with 1,878 in Obama's eight years in office. For posterity's sake

[@nielsw.8587]

@@seangregory2835 doesn‘t make obama‘s crimes better

[@mann536]

@@seangregory2835 source: trust me bro

[@petrektek1385]

This world is crazy.

[@rajk8605]

He doesn't have an idea why he was awarded with this

[@juice8431]

The Nobel peace prize lost its value after this

[@OTWStrappin]

No peace when u bomb the middle east 🤪😂

[@nuciari80]

Maybe the most undeserved prize in the history of time

[@justleavecommentslol]

I'm confused he hadn't done anything to deserve this award

[@haroldgilbert9202]

It was mostly for descaling the nuclear program

[@anonymouscitizen8920]

justleavecommentslol he got it for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. I mean he could’ve also deserved it later in his presidency for signing a New START Agreement with Russia, helping South Sudan Declare Peace, Withdrawing 800,000 Troops, or especially for the Iran Nuclear Deal!!!

[@teonorjoasil3600]

Because you are blinded.

[@hcprieto]

Fantastic speech, sure. "We do not have to live in an idealized world to reach for those ideals that will make it a better place." He truly captivated the meaning of human progress, and justice, in this lecture. But... did he meant Guantanamo torture, the murder of Osama, or the 61 people OTAN left to die in starvation, in the Mediterranean sea? Many decent citizens... think he should return the prize, or it be claimed back by the nobel comittee. [I hope my comment is not deleted]

[@Deadbars01]

nope its not

[@b.deville3236]

It says a lot that Martin Luther King's speech for the acceptance of the Nobel Peace prize was eleven minutes long and Shmobama's speech droned on for thirty-seven minutes.

[@mohamedalahmadani5174]

“Droned” nice

[@dfigz15]

Boy....they must be handing these peace prizes out like candy.....

[@I_want_a_name]

The boundaries between peace and appeasement are so blurred, I hope the Nobel Prize Committee can clearly distinguish the difference between them, and have never regretted the decision that day.

[@Racerrr684]

He should have gotten the best motivational speakers award

[@philster611-ih8te]

What an eloquent speaker. Almost forgotten how brilliant a speaker he is.

[@yahoo6692]

Its kind of sad being president. People keep thinking he has all the power to do whatever he wants but in reality he has almost the same power as the next guy except to him it seems more convenient to do so. I mean the fact that you can call an airstrike, send troops to hot spot, and etc. but you can't close down 1 freaking prison makes this system very constricting. And as a result people can just criticized you for so many things even though you are trying to hard to please them.

[@singairtcf7463]

how he Get the Price? He destroy the world.

[@henryarero]

Together as one people of the World to make peace, Reconciliation

[@Digiphex]

Can I have one? I have also done nothing, then failed at my major goals.

[@thenewtwenties]

Did you listen to the speech?

[@YouVRay]

But yes, don't put this on Obama. It's those who selected him.

[@barkhadabdulkadir694]

Barak obama fantastic puplic speak and truly speak,first president become USApresident he undertood political.he desering nobel peace press

[@chenggangfu3920]

Ridiculous

[@darkofius]

Nobel Peace Prize should not be bestowed on a person with shadows of gray on his soul...there is no post war II an American President that deserves Peace Prize...

[@kcmaldonado3948]

Shows you what a crock the prize is.

[@sancho7863]

I forgot that they gave him a nobel. He definitely didn’t earn that

[@henryarero]

Women's rights are Human Rights

[@bogueji1]

@mbenzsl2000 The people who run the committee today were not even born when Ghandi lived, it's not their fault that Ghandi was not endowed with a prize. Don't discredit Obama winning because Ghandi did not win, Ghandi didn't need a prize to be realized as a great man. He made his mark and am sure anybody who went to school knows who he is.

[@fulyou7523]

No matter what he has done or not to win the prize, just carefully listen to his words and you can learn a lot from this wonderful speech...

[@Neo_indian1]

Therefore i dont trust nobel peace price it can be bought 😂😂

[@gerrardyango7760]

Each time i liste to this speach, i think of our people of libya and Africa as a whole. The involment of NATO. To me most deserving Nobel peace Price IS that of Martin Luther king Jr.

[@mayaahmed8038]

Disgraceful,

[@tonejaw]

This is definitely some 1984 stuff right here. You can fool some people sometimes.......WAR IS PEACE PEACE IS WAR. DrooooL I love my T.V.....

[@OmegaPsiPhi0]

That’s a President!! USA 🇺🇸

[@staffy4389]

Ridiculous..definitely not deserved...

[@saketsagar2156]

One thing I can say is This a realistic overview of world speech not mere idealistic notions .

[@legalvampire8136]

Mostly realistic, not just well-intentioned. There is an interesting book about the Nobel Peace Prize and its winners, including Obama 'Peace they Say' by Jay Nordlinger.

[@AshFarlow]

Thank you! I was trying to find a book on this subject for a while.

[@stefbren]

..AND do yourself ana american favour, READ HOWARD ZINN, READ NOAM CHOMSKY, or even just watch South PArk! the American who doesn't know why his country is bad type of american is frankly no longer bearable.

[@muralikrishna9516]

Who is here after annamalai speech.

[@YouVRay]

"You can't be more badass than that!" (Joe Wong, Correspondence Dinner). Well, you really can't be more badass than this. I guess being the first black president of the U.S. sparks sensations that overwhelm the entire world--and cloud their judgment quite a bit.

[@henryarero]

For any Nation Sovereignty to be respected, first and foremost All the Nation in the world should respect other Nation Sovereignty ⭐,Stand for Human rights,

[@gregoryhoward7594]

People 10 years later still hating.

[@jasonf5856]

Gregory Howard because it doesn’t make sense. Kills hundreds of innocent civilians in drone strikes and wins a Nobel PEACE prize. I mean sure he was a good president but not a peaceful one.

[@aam2087]

@@jasonf5856 you complain when he does not take actions on the east, you complain when he leaves the terrorists alone - you Americans will never be happy (btw I'm not defending him but stating a point)

[@tanderson596]

Also did anyone else question "America has never fought a war against a democracy"? I know they fought the British in the Revolutionary War and then again in the War of 1812, when on both occasions Britain was a constitutional monarchy. Whether it was a 'democracy' in the modern sense is debatable, though.

[@Zodroo_Tint]

Iran was a democracy before the US sent the CIA to brake it. That was a war too. Mexico I think was a democracy when the USA went against it. The Phillippine was a democracy too if I'm not mistaken.

[@normaluser333]

​@@Zodroo_Tint The Philippines was never a democracy lol

[@DONGOE]

What did BarackO do to earn the Nobel Peace Prize?

[@CyndraMystic]

Say what you will about the man, but this was a good speech. I need the transcirpt

[@sssalsera]

No reading. Awesome speaker and nobility.

[@mhaziog]

Powerful phrase 👉 '...difficult questions about the relationship between war and peace, and our effort to replace one with the other.'👌✔

[@thomaswalker6953]

he replaced war with more war

[@Arctic_Dude]

I'm not gonna claim he was the best choice for the peace prize at the time, and many of us in Norway joked about Obama receiving the prize for not being George W. Bush. He did give a good speech though. But in these extraordinary times when both the US and the world are in need of intelligent leadership, I really do miss him.

[@iceman6114]

It’s a matter of roles... the President of the United States can’t be a Nobel Peace Prize winner. The role is historically antithetical...

[@RobSquared44]

The sheer amount of ignorance in these comments is astounding. Go back to watching FOX News and leave the governing to those who can read at a collegiate level.

[@lafeeshmeister]

Think of Lincoln.

[@stefbren]

Guilty as charged, really sorry about the world cup by the way!

[@pacificrules]

The year 2020 is almost ending and Im still listening to a great orator of the century.

[@nathanhardin8530]

Great speaker. Too bad he went on to drop more bombs on more countries and murdered more civilians than the previous and preceding presidents in the last two decades.

[@emperorkarlfranzrulerofthe2826]

if he deserved is highly debatebel , but it is a great speach

[@joshatkins94]

I wonder, in the past ten years, has a better speech been given?

[@IchCharacter]

I don't know about "better", depends on how you define it. What I do know is that many more honest speeches have been given and you don't need to look one year back to find one.

[@ballethenics6174]

The best performance

[@mohamedbinelias3246]

Thank you very much good so happi

[@obeydomingo]

Show me one person who is a better speaker than this man! Still watching in 2019!

[@williamgregory1848]

As much as I admire Obama, I still don’t understand why he won the Nobel Peace Prize literally one year into his first term.

[@stefbren]

"Freedom isn't free, it costs fol like you and me, and if we don't all chip in we'll never pay that bill, and if you don't throw in your buck o' five who will?..ooh yeah, freedom costs a buck o'....fiiiiiive yeah"

[@alemesh1052]

Legend. Charismatic, polite, articulate person with wonderful sense of humour.

[@falcon_224]

and warcriminal

[@DeepakKumar-ee5zm]

Sir, I Like Peace.

[@ranwow]

sanitation

[@azrodrigues]

What has he done to promote peace? Keep US troops in the Middle East? I've just lost all the respect i had for this prize!!

[@anonymouscitizen8920]

azrodrigues he got it for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. I mean he could’ve also deserved it later in his presidency for signing a New START Agreement with Russia, helping South Sudan Declare Peace, Withdrawing 800,000 Troops, or especially for the Iran Nuclear Deal!!!

[@malihezoghi2208]

Yes ... like peace in Afghanistan ...

[@stefbren]

I know a thing or two about your country, my wife's an aussie...

[@BlackPillHurts]

He didn't pick to get the prize.....think.

[@Jonmad17]

@Jonmad17 *I meant Yasser Arafat. No idea why I said Gaddafi.

[@ethiopianamhara3984]

This year ,2019, the award goes to ኢትዬጵያ ;Thanx all 💚💛❤️🦅✊🏾👏🏽

[@stefbren]

I agree the situation in Cuba as of today is not acceptable.

[@The_DropTV]

Why do this video have so many dislikes it's a great speech come on guys!

[@noless]

+Prodigious Thoughts Because many people don't think he deserves the prize. And they are right. This is the same president who dropped a lot of bombs on other countries after winning this award.

[@ruchpat1]

Thank you Noble Prize for posting this video.

[@aarabiu1]

this man can deceive any one with his speech

[@kevinrandalrulach]

Awesome :-D great speech

[@ed3osp]

He is a president who operates under certain rules and in specific environment.If he went all the way how most of the people commenting here wanted he would not be a president for long.So having said that I believe he's doing the best he can.Power is not in his hands alone.He avoids all out wars.I myself have been in one and I know what it does.Sad truth.

[@angiemanley8867]

Is that Europe Obama in 2009 or 13 year agos

[@shooter4242]

you have understand that was neither the time nor the place for such an apology. american's on the left are the first to point out that much of the trouble we're in is a result of 50 years of really poor US foreign policy. however much of that was not due to the selfish acts of an evil empire but rather the tactics of a young republic trying to win a cold war without it turning into an all out world war. mistakes we're made, and i hope we've learned from them, but was is hell.

[@robbieswain]

Still think this?

[@desmcc01]

Love the speech after <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1790">29:50</a> - very apt

[@KevinCaiBeadsOfHope]

BS what the hell did he does?

[@lubime10]

@SoyunSerSuperior : Maybe your moral Value is totally different of the people with real moral value. You maybe think that you have in your pockets us$100 dollars and when you go to the market you are sorprise that what you have had is a Counterfeit money for your whole live but you still think that the mayority ot the people are the one that have the fake ones.

[@Philip991967]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="97">1:37</a> Well done P.O.

[@latvija13]

I get the feeling that the majority of the dislikes are people who didn't watch any of the speech. Obama didn't say that he felt like he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize, but he gave a speech directly addressing War and the role of the world to face the reality that sometimes war is necessary to obtain lasting world peace.

[@DanDan-xh9zx]

69AnonShibe69 😂 it really makes me laugh. Amazing how this wars always start in countries with oil and gas. And always the same damn thing: democracy...

[@yahoo6692]

On another note..... Hey its Will Smith!!! XD

[@tombasye1016]

Just A Meaningful Speech, Bringing Many Together In His Direct Such Great Words, Thank You For All You Have Accomplished Being A Helpful Rightful For Many Reasons President. ❤

[@Whitefangbioweapon]

By bombing India, sure.

[@mkhanna90]

Its not Ghandi its Gandhi. At least get the name right.

[@SimoneDOnofri-cz1ol]

surely helped set China on a path where millions of its citizens have been lifted from poverty and connected to open societies. Pope John Paul's engagement with Poland created space not just for the Catholic Church, but for labor leaders like Lech Walesa. Ronald Reagan's efforts on arms control and embrace of perestroika not only improved relations with the Soviet Union, but empowered dissidents throughout Eastern Europe. There's no simple formula here. But we must try as best we can to balance isolation and engagement, pressure and incentives, so that human rights and dignity are advanced over time. Third, a just peace includes not only civil and political rights -- it must encompass economic security and opportunity. For true peace is not just freedom from fear, but freedom from want. It is undoubtedly true that development rarely takes root without security; it is also true that security does not exist where human beings do not have access to enough food, or clean water, or the medicine and shelter they need to survive. It does not exist where children can't aspire to a decent education or a job that supports a family. The absence of hope can rot a society from within. And that's why helping farmers feed their own people -- or nations educate their children and care for the sick -- is not mere charity. It's also why the world must come together to confront climate change. There is little scientific dispute that if we do nothing, we will face more drought, more famine, more mass displacement -- all of which will fuel more conflict for decades. For this reason, it is not merely scientists and environmental activists who call for swift and forceful action -- it's military leaders in my own country and others who understand our common security hangs in the balance.

[@0598ari]

I want him back!

[@DoesThisOffendYou]

What about the Alien Disclosure??? When are you going to tell us??

[@ballHand]

Lmao

[@aaronuhrich4046]

B.S He did not deserve this at all.

[@trickq5883]

December 17th 2009? This was only 11 months into his presidency. Say whatever about him, but Obama was better than the orange menace in the White House.

[@anonymouscitizen8920]

Fancy Wizard he got it for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. I mean he could’ve also deserved it later in his presidency for signing a New START Agreement with Russia, helping South Sudan Declare Peace, Withdrawing 800,000 Troops, or especially for the Iran Nuclear Deal!!!

[@sIurz]

He also bombed Iran Iraq and destabilized the Middle East

[@noless]

What diplomacy did he strenghten? I keep hearing this but he didn't seem to strenghten any at all. People around the world still hate america.

[@portialwalker7396]

THAT'S RIGHT PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA TELL THE TRUTH IN NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH THAT'S I.M TALKING ABOUT PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA TELL THEM WHAT THEY THERE FOR ☺😉👍❤

[@jekubloogwet5878]

Just glancing at the comment section, you can tell Americans have been deteriorating since 2010