INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Internet Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

The Internet, which has virtually revolutionized the world, has been nominated for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize.
The Internet was proposed by the Italian edition of the popular ‘Wired’ magazine for promoting "dialogue, debate and consensus through communication" as well as democracy, the media reported.
Premier endorsers of the Internet for the nomination include 2003 Nobel lau reate Shirin Ebadi and Umberto Veronesi, the famous Italian surgeon known for his contributions to breast cancer treatments.
The magazine has also launched a dedicated campaign, "Internet for Peace", which will carry on till September, featuring different stories and experiences of those who with the Web have tried to do something concrete to promote peace and harmony in the world.
"We have to look at the Internet as a huge community where men and women from all over the world and with very different religious views can communicate and sympathize, spreading a new culture centered on collaboration and sharing of knowledge that breaks all barriers," Riccardo Luna, editor of the magazine, said.
"For this reason, the Internet can be considered the first weapon of mass construction, which we can deploy to destroy hate and conflict and propagate peace and democracy," he added.
Erna Solberg, the head of Norway's Conservative Party, put forth the name of Russian human rights activist Svetla na Gannushkina.
Kwame Anthony Appiah, president of the PEN American Center and a Prince ton philosophy professor, said in a statement that he had nominated Liu Xiaobo, a recently jailed Chinese dissident, for his "distinguished and principled leadership in the area of human and political rights and freedom of expression." The Chinese government urged the jury to disregard the submission.
"It would be completely wrong for the Nobel Prize committee to award the prize to such a person," foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said.
Former Illinois governor George Ryan was another nominee. (`AP' contributed to the story.)

Source: mint, Dated:Feb. 04. 2010.