Beyond the Headlines: The Quiet Architects of Peace
A young girl in Gaza crouches amid piles of discarded plastic and splintered wood, searching for anything she can sell to feed her family. In a region scarred by conflict, her desperate quest for scraps is a stark reminder that peace is not only a diplomatic ideal but a daily struggle for survival. As the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize looms, the world’s attention often fixates on familiar faces—world leaders, celebrities, and high‑profile politicians. Yet the true work of building peace is carried out far from the cameras, by courts that uphold international law, journalists who risk their lives to expose atrocities, and humanitarian groups that cradle children in war‑torn landscapes.
Haakon Gjerløw, acting director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo, argues that “the more war there is, the more the Nobel peace prize matters.” His institute tracks conflict trends, and its latest report records 65 state‑based armed conflicts in 2025—the highest tally since records began in 1946. In such a bleak backdrop, the prize becomes a beacon, pointing toward those who nurture humanity amid devastation.
Courts, Journalists and the Law: Foundations of Accountability
International law is only as strong as its enforcers. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) embody the principle that even the most powerful nations must answer for breaches. This year, the ICJ and ICC sit near the top of betting markets, reflecting a growing recognition that legal mechanisms are essential for peace. Awarding the prize to these institutions would affirm that rules matter, even when they are inconvenient for dominant powers.
Yet laws require evidence. In 2025, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) recorded 132 journalists and media workers killed—a record‑breaking death toll, with two‑thirds attributed to incidents in Israel. Mariam Dagga, a reporter killed in an airstrike on a hospital in Khan Younis, left behind a damaged camera and phone, symbols of the risks journalists take to document war crimes. Protecting reporters is not a peripheral concern; it safeguards the very record needed for justice and, ultimately, for peace.
Haakon Gjerløw, who regularly fields questions about the prize’s relevance amid escalating wars, stresses that “the prize should look past the big names and bet on those doing the painstaking work of building peace.” He points to the CPJ as a fitting laureate, because its mission preserves the truth that underpins accountability.
Humanitarian Hearts: Saving Children in the Midst of Conflict
While courts and journalists lay the groundwork for justice, humanitarian organisations provide immediate relief to those most vulnerable. Save the Children works across the globe to prevent grave violations against children in conflict zones. In Ukraine, Mykola Kuleba’s Save Ukraine initiative has facilitated the return of more than 1,700 children from Russia and occupied territories, offering a lifeline to families torn apart by war.
In Sudan, community‑led Emergency Response Rooms have built networks that deliver food, medical care, and other life‑saving services amid relentless fighting. These rooms are not just aid stations; they are hubs of resilience, where local people organise to protect neighbours when state structures have collapsed. Their work exemplifies how peace is woven into everyday acts of compassion.
The plight of children in Gaza, scavenging for plastic and wood to support their families, underscores the urgency of such humanitarian efforts. While the images are harrowing, they also highlight the indomitable spirit of those who refuse to let war erase hope. For Gjerløw, these stories reinforce why the Nobel committee must consider organisations that directly safeguard the most vulnerable.
Space Cooperation: A Model for Peaceful Collaboration
Not all peacebuilding happens on Earth. The International Space Station (ISS) stands as a testament to sustained cooperation between geopolitical rivals. For over 25 years, nations that clash on Earth have shared a peaceful scientific partnership in orbit, even as terrestrial tensions have escalated. As the ISS approaches decommissioning and space becomes increasingly crowded, commercialised, and weaponised, a Nobel prize for the ISS partnership would celebrate what can be achieved when nations set common goals above rivalry.
Gjerløw notes that the ISS demonstrates “how cooperation can reduce uncertainty and foster predictability, even amid conflict.” Extending that principle to other domains—be it law, journalism, or humanitarian aid—could offer a blueprint for a more stable world.
Why it Matters
The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize is more than a ceremonial honour; it is a statement about where the world places its moral priorities. By recognising courts, journalists, humanitarian groups, and the ISS partnership, the committee would affirm that peace is built through institutions, transparency, and compassion—not merely through high‑profile diplomatic gestures. In a year that has already shattered records for armed conflict, such a decision would shine a light on the unsung heroes who turn fragments of war into foundations for a more hopeful future. Their work reminds us that peace is not a distant ideal but a series of deliberate, often quiet, actions that protect the most vulnerable and preserve the truth that underpins any lasting resolution.
