Elon Musk is nominated for Nobel Peace Prize by Norwegian MP who praises him for being a ‘stout proponent of free speech’ and ‘enabling’ Ukraine to communicate after Russia’s invasion

Elon Musk has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize as a ‘courageous supporter of freedom of expression’, joining conservationists, journalists, religious leaders and political activists in an exclusive group of the world’s leading agents for change.

Marius Nilsen, MP for Norway’s libertarian Progress Party, has called out the ‘ in a ‘continually more polarized world’.

Nilsen also mentioned Musk’s Starlink satellite internet constellation, operated by SpaceX, in his decision, noting that it is being used in Ukraine for resistance fighters to “communicate, coordinate and resist the attack from Russia” as the war continues.

Last week, Starlink won a license for similar use in Israel and parts of Gaza, where it proved increasingly difficult to collect up-to-date and diverse information from the conflict zone.

‘The multitude of technology companies that Musk has founded, owns or leads, aimed at improving societies, increasing knowledge of both Earth and space, in addition to enabling communications and connectivity worldwide… has helped the world has become a more connected and safer place,” Nilsen said.

The award accepts nominations from anyone who falls within certain limits criteria, including work in academia or government – ​​and previous award recipients. A shortlist will then be drawn up in March before judges assess the nominees for announcement in October.

“Humans can and will only evolve and come together when disagreements are sharpened in dialogue with critical thinkers and opposing views,” Nilsen said in his arguments for Musk’s 2024 nomination.

‘Echo chambers and yes-people do not produce the best ideas and collaboration, but regression and regression. Complementary views, opinions and thought processes unlock the best ideas.’

He argued that Musk’s contributions to freedom of expression and global connectivity “enable all parts of the world to discuss, exchange ideas, learn and get to know each other – and understanding each other is a very valuable contribution to prosperity and peace in the world’.

The South African entrepreneur began his acquisition of Twitter in April 2022 with overtures to protect freedom of expression, declaring himself an ‘absolutist’ on this issue. A month before the acquisition, he surveyed users and reported that 70 percent of users believed Twitter did not believe the site — under its longtime owners — “rigorously” enforced free speech.

Musk subsequently reinstated a number of banned accounts, including Andrew Tate and Donald Trump, and branded the site a free and open online marketplace for ideas.

Still, he faced some backlash after banning a user for sharing the location of Musk’s plane after saying he would allow the account to remain, citing freedom of speech.

The EU also intervened when Musk announced he would ban technology journalists who had shared his location. And the billionaire was criticized for suggesting he would ban accounts whose “primary purpose” was to promote competitor sites.

By 2022 X employees claimed they were fired for raising concerns about colleagues who were fired after criticizing Musk. Insider sources said at the time the company was still trading nominally under old policies that allowed criticism of leadership.

Before his takeover via Twitter, so was Musk’s car company Tesla accused calling on the Chinese government to use its censorship powers to block critics online.

And by the end of 2021, Tesla had filed two defamation lawsuits against citizens who raised concerns about the safety and quality of its vehicles, Free Press reported last year.

Musk’s Starlink terminals, meanwhile, have enabled Ukrainian commanders and units to communicate on the battlefield when their usual networks have been disabled by Russia, and have proven critical to the war effort.

They have also helped Ukrainian forces control drones that aid in reconnaissance, attacks on enemy tanks and direct artillery fire.

Ukraine’s military spy agency claimed this month that Russian forces have also bought Starlink satellite units from Arab countries in an effort to circumvent Western sanctions.

But SpaceX’s founder has said bluntly: ‘SpaceX said it ‘does not do any business with the Russian government or its military.’

The company said: ‘Starlink does not operate in Russia, meaning the service will not work in that country.

“SpaceX has never sold or marketed Starlink in Russia, nor has it shipped any equipment to locations in Russia.”

In 2022, Musk was awarded the Order of Defense Merit by Brazil after negotiating the launch of Starlink in the Amazon rainforest.

He was also named Time’s Person of the Year in 2021 and received the Oslo Business for Peace Award in 2017.

Mr. Nilsen’s Progress Party has identified itself with classical liberal views, espoused by the likes of John Locke and Adam Smith. Some have described the party as advocating both ‘conservative liberalism’ and ‘right-wing populism’.

His nomination puts Musk among the prominent activists vying for this year’s Peace Prize.

Nominees include British environmentalist David Attenborough, Australian activist Julian Assange, Pope Francis, UN chief António Guterres, Palestinian journalist Hind Khoudary, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Colombian President Gustavo Petro and former US President Donald Trump.

The prize is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1901 in the name of the Swedish inventor and industrialist Alfred Nobel.

The latest recipient is Narges Mohammadi, an Iranian human rights activist, “for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her struggle to promote human rights and freedom for all.”

In 2022, Belarusian activist Ales Bialiatski, Memorial and the Center for Civil Liberties shared the prize.

The organization said: ‘The Peace Prize winners represent civil society in their home countries. For years they have been promoting the right to criticize power and protect the fundamental rights of citizens.

‘They have made an excellent effort to document war crimes, human rights violations and abuses of power. Together they demonstrate the significance of civil society for peace and democracy’

The winner is chosen by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, a group of five appointed by the country’s parliament.

Over the years, the award has caused some controversy. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 after reaching a ceasefire with Eritrean leader Isaias Afwerki, but launched a devastating military campaign in the northern Tigray region just months later in November 2020.

‘He felt that he had a lot of international support and that nothing would happen if he went to war in Tigray. And he was right’, former administrative official Gebremeskel Kassa reflectedquoted in a New York Times article after the invasion.

In 2012, demonstrators in Norway marched on Oslo to protest the decision to hand the EU the award at a time of debt crisis.

The ‘Nobel Peace Prize Initiative for 2012’ protest joined forces with Noway’s Eurosceptic ‘No to the EU’ group and members of left-wing parties, trade unions and charities to argue that the award was unjustified and devalued the award.

Heming Olaussen, leader of No to the EU, criticized the decision given the social and economic unrest in the EU, growing youth unemployment in Southern Europe, aggressive trade policies towards developing countries and its weapons profile.

Henry Kissinger received the Peace Prize in 1973 for his role in negotiating the end of the Vietnam War. Historians have done that convicted Kissinger for his influence on policies that led to the deaths of millions of people while he was in power and to the continuation of foreign wars.