More Peace of Mind Trivia Quiz

Answer:

As noted in the first installment (Peace of Mind), a number of world leaders have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize during their tenure as leaders of their country, or received them before or after their time in office. These were the second group of 15 to be honoured, with the quotes coming directly from the Nobel Prize website.

In 1991, Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights" in her country, despite years of house arrest and political persecution. Later, she became the State Counsellor of Myanmar (and Minister of Foreign Affairs), serving from 2016 to 2021.

Frederik Willem de Klerk, then President of South Africa, shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 with Nelson Mandela "for their work for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa." Mandela would go on to become the first Black president of South Africa, elected in the country's first fully representative democratic election (1994 to 1999).

In 1994, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize "for their efforts to create peace in the Middle East" in negotiating the Oslo Accords, a landmark step toward resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At the time, Peres was a former and future leader of Israel, serving as prime minister of Israel from 1984 to 1986 and again from 1995 to 1996, then as the president of Israel from 2007 to 2014.

Future president of East Timor Jose Ramos-Horta and Bishop Carlos Belo were both honoured in 1996 "for their work towards a just and peaceful solution to the conflict in East Timor." Ramos-Horta would become the country's fourth president between 2007 and 2012, then take office again as the seventh president in 2022.

South Korean President Kim Dae-jung received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 "for his work for democracy and human rights in South Korea and in East Asia in general, and for peace and reconciliation with North Korea in particular," notably through his 'Sunshine Policy.'

Former (1977 to 1981) U.S. president Jimmy Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 "for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development."

In 2006, Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh was recognized together with Grameen Bank "for their efforts to create economic and social development from below" through pioneering microcredit and microfinance programs that empowered millions of impoverished individuals, particularly women, to achieve economic independence. In 2024, Yunus became the fifth chief advisor of Bangladesh.

Martti Ahtisaari, former President of Finland, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008 "for his important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts," including efforts in Namibia, Kosovo, and Indonesia.

Barack Obama, while serving as President of the United States, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples," with one of the prime factors being the promotion of nuclear nonproliferation.

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was honored in 2011, sharing the award with Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkol Karman, "for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work."

In 2016, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos received the Nobel Peace Prize "for his resolute efforts to bring the country's more than 50-year-long civil war to an end," negotiating a peace agreement with the FARC guerrilla movement.

Abiy Ahmed, prime minister of Ethiopia, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 "for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea."