<p>John Vizcaino/Reuters</p> 
<p>Five days after his nation voted down his effort to end a 52-year conflict with leftist rebels, President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia was <a type="internal">awarded</a> the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating a peace treaty. President Barack Obama <a type="internal">won the prize</a> only nine months into his presidency.</p> 
<p>Should the Nobel Prize be awarded for concrete achievements, or is it important to recognize those who aspire to peace? What is lost or gained when awards are given for aspirations?</p> 
<p>Without moral clarity with respect to the recipient, only the greatest achievement can overcome the taint of a compromised past.</p> 
<p>The prize sends a message about how societies should work, instead of how they actually do. It rewards service in the quest of a peaceful world.</p>
What the Nobel Peace Prize Prizes