“With a Nobel, but Without Peace” · Global Voices
Elizabeth Rivera

Image: Netflix poster art for “The White Helmets” / modified by Kevin Rothrock
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on October 7, 2016 for his efforts to put an end to more than five decades of conflict between his government and the country's oldest insurgent group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
The win came as a surprise to many.
In a referendum held earlier this week, Colombians rejected Santos’ peace deal. If the deal had passed the vote, it would have indeed marked an end to a war that has claimed more than 220,000 lives since 1958.
Dice mi papá: “Con Nobel y sin paz”.
— Sinar Alvarado (@sinaralvarado) October 7, 2016
My dad says: with Nobel, but without peace
Thousands of kilometers away, Syria's Civil Defense volunteers, widely known as the ‘White Helmets‘ because of their white helmets worn during rescue missions, were seen as the choice of many. They are seen as heroes in a war that has claimed more than 470,000 lives in five years.
Several high-profile publications  endorsed the White Helmets for the Nobel Peace Prize, including The Guardian and Time magazine. Many had hoped that giving the White Helmets the Nobel Peace Prize would not only give Syrians hope, but it might have given the White Helmets protections against airstrikes of the Assad regime and the Russian government.
As soon as the Nobel Peace Prize was announced, the White Helmets congratulated the president and people of Colombia.
Congratulations to the President of Colombia for the @NobelPrize and we wish the people of Colombia peace
— The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) 7 October 2016
The award for Santos excluded FARC commander Rodrigo Londondo, alias “Timochenko”, also a signatory of the failed accord. The Nobel Peace Prize committee emphasized that this prize also pays tribute to the people of Colombia.
You can hear the phone call between the Norwegian Nobel Committee committee and President Santos below:
Twitter was quick to question the award given to Santos for trying to bring peace to his country:
Man, the Nobel committee seems to be giving out a lot of Gold Peace Stars for Participation recently. https://t.co/3FId1eC9Jj
— Julian Sanchez (@normative) October 7, 2016
The recognition to peace that is yet to come is unbelievable, to some. Angelica Casallas, from Colombia, compared the win to Macondo, a fictional town in One Hundred Years of Solitude. The novel was written by Colombia's most famous writer Gabriel García Márquez.
Gabo ganó el Nobel por Macondo, Santos por gobernarlo.
— Angélica Casallas ☮️ (@AngelicAzulita) October 7, 2016
Gabo (Gabriel García Márquez) won the Nobel for Macondo, Santos for governing it.
On Facebook, Robert Valencia, Colombian Global Voices author commented:
This is proof that Colombia is the cradle of Magical Realism. While the country is on the brink of (possibly) going to war again after the failed referendum, the President wins the Nobel Peace Prize.
Others used the famous meme that circulated after Miss Colombia was incorrectly called the winner of the Miss Universe pageant, earlier this year, to illustrate the controversy that could rise between the “No” supporters and the recently awarded president:
Cuando ganas el plebiscito / Cuando le dan el Nobel a Santos. pic.twitter.com/RHMqORjuuy
— Carolina (@Caromunozb) October 7, 2016
When you win the referendum / When they give the Nobel to Santos.
Some Twitter users, like Erik del Búfalo, showed relief that the award wasn't handed to the FARC as well:
Al menos no se lo dieron también a Timochenko. En esta época de la humanidad se podrían esperar este tipo de cosas.
— Erik Del Bufalo (@ekbufalo) October 7, 2016
At least they didn't give it to Timochenko too. In this time in humanity, one could expect this kind of stuff.
Meanwhile, Ivan Marquez, chief negotiator for the FARC, congratulated the president, saying:
Esperamos que el Nobel de paz le de al Presidente Santos fuerza para darle vida al Acuerdo Final y dignidad a todos los colombianos
— Iván Márquez (@IvanMarquezFARC) 7 October 2016
We hope that the Nobel peace prize gives President Santos strength to give life to the final agreement and dignity for all Colombians.
There were those who were optimistic that the prize could boost the peace process:
Nobel really helped Oscar Arias in 1987, when Reagan admin was bitterly opposing his Central Am peace effort. Dynamic could be similar now.
— Adam Isacson (@adam_wola) October 7, 2016
Countless people took to Twitter to express their love to the White Helmets, saying that they won the ‘hearts of the world’ even though they didn't win the Nobel Peace Prize. All of the following tweets, by Syrians and others, were retweeted by the White Helmets themselves.
Syrian response to @SyriaCivilDef not winning the @NobelPrize: “their prize is in heaven, not in this world. Their mission is saving souls.”
— Adham (@adhamsahloul) 7 October 2016
Well deserved, despite the disappointing referendum result. Sad that the @SyriaCivilDef didn't get it, they need the support even more now. https://t.co/22eVo241Qg
— Luc Dockendorf (@LucDockendorf) 7 October 2016
They faced bullets, bombs, torture & genocide. We are lucky that we had heroes living among us who decided to save lives. @SyriaCivilDef
— Lina Sergie Attar (@AmalHanano) 7 October 2016
Head of @SyriaCivilDef Raed Saleh tells @AFP the best prize his group could receive is what they do every day — saving a life. #Nobel pic.twitter.com/JSp5zIqZ8G
— Maya Gebeily (@GebeilyM) 7 October 2016
What a class act! The White Helmets congratulating the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. @SyriaCivilDef you are heroes. https://t.co/PjYclAz6hD
— Nargis Walker (@NargisWalker) 7 October 2016
Congrats for the Syrian @SyriaCivilDef heroes for winning our hearts and losing a stone prize. You are our #NobelPeacePrize heroes
— Mahmoud Al Basha (@Mahmoud_Bashaa) 7 October 2016
Palestinian-Syrian caricaturist Hani Abbas drew the following in honor of the White Helmets:
The White Helmets and the Nobel Peace Prize. Cartoon by Hani Abbas. Photo Source: Twitter.
Many had hope the prize would put the organization in a protective spotlight. UK-based activist and editor at Pulse Media Idrees Ahmad tweeted:
It is also an abdication of responsibility since a @NobelPrize would have made it harder for Russia to actively target @SyriaCivilDef
— Idrees Ahmad (@im_PULSE) 7 October 2016
And indeed, the White Helmets’ center in Hama, in West-central Syria, was targeted today.
At the time of the @NobelPrize announcement, @SyriaCivilDef center targeted in Hama. Back to work. pic.twitter.com/DsOE0WRbs3
— The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) 7 October 2016
They also lost another volunteer in Daraa, southwestern Syria.
Mahmoud Al Muhammad killed today in Daraa after responding to bombing of civilians leaving Friday prayers. pic.twitter.com/TE686D9Ujt
— The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) 7 October 2016