The Nobel Peace Prize. It’s an award globally recognized for honoring incredible achievements in peace. Yet, its history is sprinkled with controversy. Many times, deserving individuals seem to have been overlooked, while some choices have raised eyebrows. This list shines a light on ten remarkable people whose dedication to peace arguably earned them a Nobel Prize they never received.
10. Irena Sendler
Irena Sendler, a Polish Catholic social worker, stands as a beacon of courage. During World War II, from 1939 to 1945, she risked her life daily to save 2,500 Jewish children from the horrors of the Warsaw Ghetto. She ingeniously forged documents and found shelter for them in homes and convents across Warsaw.
Her bravery came at a terrible cost. In 1943, the Gestapo captured her. They tortured her severely, demanding the locations of the hidden Jewish children. Irena never broke. Sentenced to death, she was miraculously saved by a last-minute bribe to a Nazi officer, who left her for dead in a forest with broken limbs. Undeterred, once recovered, she resumed her life-saving work. Nominated in 2007, the prize went to Al Gore instead. Irena passed away in 2008 at the age of 98, a true hero.
9. Mohandas Gandhi
Mohandas Gandhi, a name synonymous with nonviolent resistance, dedicated his life to India’s independence from British rule. Starting his efforts in 1916, he saw his nation gain freedom in 1947. Many credit Gandhi with single-handedly challenging the might of the British Empire without resorting to violence, inspiring movements across the globe.
He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize five times: in 1937, 1938, 1939, 1947, and just before his assassination in 1948. Despite numerous nominations, particularly from Ole Colbjornsen of the Norwegian Parliament, he never received the award. The Nobel Committee’s rules prevent posthumous awards, but many feel an exception could have been made for a figure of his stature. His legacy of peaceful defiance continues to resonate worldwide, a testament to his profound impact.
8. Abdul Sattar Edhi
Abdul Sattar Edhi, a revered philanthropist from Pakistan, was the driving force behind the Edhi Foundation. In 1951, with very limited funds, he opened a small medical shop in Karachi. His mission was simple: to help anyone in need. Though he had little formal medical training, his compassion knew no bounds. He often said he helped people because he found joy in it, much like others might find joy in less noble pursuits.
His foundation grew to provide widespread medical care at extremely low costs, including a free maternity clinic and nursing school. When a flu epidemic hit Karachi in 1957, Edhi set up free treatment tents. He even bought an ambulance with donations, which he drove himself. The Edhi Foundation operates on a significant budget, yet Edhi himself lived a famously simple life, taking no money for personal use. His immense humanitarian work made him a strong contender for the prize he never received before his passing in 2016.
7. Jose Figueres Ferrer
Jose Figueres Ferrer served as President of Costa Rica three times and left an indelible mark on his nation’s history. During his first term, he championed progressive reforms. He granted women the right to vote, astutely noting that mental faculties knew no gender. Perhaps his most famous act was abolishing Costa Rica’s army, arguing a police force was sufficient for domestic order and that armies often invited conflict.
Figueres Ferrer also nationalized the country’s banking system, established a welfare state, and outlawed the Communist Party. He oversaw the creation of a new constitution, guaranteed public education for all citizens, granted citizenship to children of Black immigrants, and set up a civil service. His bold vision for a peaceful, educated, and equitable society made Costa Rica a unique example in the region.
6. Ho Feng-Shan
Ho Feng-Shan, a Chinese diplomat, earned the moniker “China’s Schindler” for his extraordinary heroism during World War II. After graduating from Munich University in 1932, he served in diplomatic roles before being appointed Consul-General in Vienna in 1938, just as Hitler annexed Austria.
Following Kristallnacht, the perilous situation for Austria’s 200,000 Jews became terrifyingly clear. Their only hope was to flee Europe, requiring exit visas. Despite the Evian Conference where 38 nations refused Jewish immigrants and direct orders from his superior not to issue visas, Ho Feng-Shan chose compassion over compliance. He endangered himself by issuing thousands of visas, potentially saving many lives. By October 1938 alone, he had issued nearly 2,000 visas. His actions remind us that one person’s courage can indeed change the world.
5. Cesar Chavez
Cesar Chavez, often called the “Mexican Martin Luther King,” was a pivotal figure in the American labor movement. Witnessing the appalling working conditions endured by Latino farm laborers in California, he co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, later known as United Farm Workers. He became a powerful voice for civil rights activism and was appointed national director of the Community Service Organization in 1958.
Through relentless, nonviolent organizing, Chavez fought for higher wages and better working conditions for farmworkers, achieving significant successes by 1966. He also campaigned to limit the entry of illegal immigrants who might undermine the gains made by legal workers. His birthday is now a state holiday in California, a testament to his enduring legacy. In 1994, a year after his death, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Freedom.
4. Steve Biko
After Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment in 1964, Steve Biko emerged as a leading voice in South Africa’s anti-Apartheid movement. He founded the Black Consciousness Movement, a powerful philosophy that aimed to empower Black South Africans and advocated for a “brotherhood of man” worldwide.
Biko was a central figure in organizing the protests that culminated in the Soweto Uprising in June 1976. He consistently preached non-violence, though tragically, the uprising was met with brutal force, as Apartheid police indiscriminately killed school children in the crowds. Subsequently, Biko himself became a target. He was arrested and brutally beaten to death by police, dying on September 12, 1977. His martyrdom galvanized the anti-Apartheid struggle further.
3. Dorothy Day
Dorothy Day was an American journalist, social activist, and devout Catholic convert whose life was dedicated to serving the poor and advocating for peace. In the 1930s, alongside Peter Maurin, she co-founded the Catholic Worker movement. This movement uniquely blended direct aid to the homeless and impoverished with nonviolent direct action on their behalf, championing pacifism and social justice.
A deeply respected figure, particularly within the U.S. Catholic community, Day’s commitment to her principles was unwavering. Her work has received numerous posthumous honors, including the Courage of Conscience Award from the Peace Abbey in 1992 and induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2001. The Catholic Church is also considering her for sainthood, recognizing her profound spiritual and social impact.
2. Oskar Schindler
Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist and member of the Nazi Party, became an unlikely savior during the Holocaust. He is famously remembered for saving the lives of 1,200 Jews by employing them in his enamelware and munitions factories between 1943 and the end of World War II. This act placed him in constant, extreme danger, as the Nazi regime was well aware his workforce was Jewish.
Schindler was a master of persuasion, leveraging his connections and substantial payments to Nazi officials. He argued his workers were vital to the war effort, manufacturing essential goods. Secretly, however, he instructed his workers to sabotage the ammunition they produced, ensuring it would be ineffective. His complex story demonstrates extraordinary courage and humanity in the face of unimaginable evil.
1. Pope Pius XII (Eugenio Pacelli)
Even before becoming Pope Pius XII, Eugenio Pacelli was a vocal critic of Nazism. In a 1935 speech to 250,000 pilgrims in Lourdes, France, he condemned the Nazis as “miserable plagiarists who dress up old errors with new tinsel,” denouncing their ideology. During the war, as Pope, he continued to speak out. When mass arrests of Jews began in Italy in 1943, the Vatican’s newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, protested the internments and property confiscations, leading the Fascist press to label it a “mouthpiece of the Jews.”
Before the Nazi invasion of Italy escalated, Pope Pius XII worked to help Jews emigrate. Afterwards, he focused on hiding them. He ordered religious buildings to shelter Jews, even relaxing cloister rules for monasteries and convents. Thousands, estimated between 4,000 and 7,000, found refuge in Vatican City, churches, and other Church properties. Many more were sheltered in his summer residence, private homes, and hospitals. His actions were so significant that the Chief Rabbi of Rome during WWII, Rabbi Israel Zolli, converted to Catholicism after the war, taking the name Eugenio in reverence for the Pope.
The Nobel Peace Prize aims to recognize exceptional contributions to peace, but history shows that many deserving figures may not receive this formal acknowledgment. The individuals on this list, through their immense courage, compassion, and unwavering dedication to humanity, have left legacies that transcend any award. Their impact on the world serves as a powerful reminder of what it truly means to strive for peace.
Who else do you think deserved a Nobel Peace Prize but was overlooked? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
