Wie sich Obama für den Nobelpreis bedankt

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

_________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release                                          October 9, 2009

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT

ON WINNING THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

Rose Garden

11:16 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  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 sometime their lives for
the cause of peace. 

That has always been the cause of America.  That's why the world has
always looked to America.  And that's why I believe America will
continue to lead.

Thank you very much.