Last Friday, October 11, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons won the Nobel Peace Prize. The organization was awarded this honor “for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons.”
The OPCW works with the United Nations to make sure that all counties’ chemical weapons are destroyed and no longer a threats to others.
The organization is tiny, employing only 500 people, but after it made sure Syria was unarmed with chemical weapons, it was well known for saving many lives.
There have been mixed responses from the public on the the winning. Most expected Malala Yousafzai, the 16-year-old Pakistani girl who risked her life to campaign for girls’ education, to take the Peace Prize.
The Nobel committee thought that the OPCW worked under the radar and deserved to be recognized, since many people did not realize who they were and what they accomplished. Some people don’t understand why they are worthy of such a high honor, and others are very grateful of their services.
Either way, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has now won the same award as Nelson Mandela, the United Nations, Mother Teresa, and Martin Luther King Jr.