Royaltrumpetersheraldedthebeginningoftheannualceremony,asNorway'sroyalfamilyandthisyear'sNobellaureatesenteredthehall.TheNobelCommitteechosethethreewomenfortheiractivisminthecauseofpeacefulchangeintheircountries.ButPresidentSirleafsaiditreallybelongstomanymoreoppressedwomenaroundtheworld."Thisawardbelongstothepeoplewhoseaspirationswehavetheprivilegetorepresentandwhoserightswehavetheobligationtodefend,"saidSirleaf."Historywilljudgeusnotbywhatwesayinthismomentintime,butwhatwedonexttoliftthelivesofourcountrymenandwomen."Herfellow-Liberian,LeymahGbowee,wholedagroupofwomeninwhitet-shirtswhostareddownwarlordstohelpturnthetideofhercountry'scivilwar,alsospokeaboutthemillionsofotherswhowerenotonthestageinOsloonSaturday."IbelievethattheprizethisyearrecognizesnotonlyourstruggleinLiberiaandYemen,itisinrecognitionofthestruggleofgrass-rootswomeninEgypt,theDemocraticRepublicofCongo,CoteD'Ivoire,Tunisia,PalestineandIsraelandineverytroubledcorneroftheworld,"saidGbowee.Gboweeadded"victoryisstillafar...thereisnotimetorest."TheNobelcommitteechairmansaidhefirstheardthevoiceofYemeniactivistTawakkolKarmanwhenshewasspeakingfromatentinSana'a'sTahrirSquare.Afewmonthslater,shebecamethefirstArabwomanandyoungestpersonevertowintheNobelPeacePrize.OntheNobelstage,shesaidtheprizewillliftthespiritsandsupporttheaspirationsofArabswhoarestrugglingpeacefullytoimprovetheirlives.Karman,whoappearedonthevergeoftearsduringpartsoftheceremony,composedherselftomakeastrongspeech,sayingthisyear'sArabrevolutionsconfrontedtyrantswhowenttoofarindeprivingtheirpeopleoffreedomandjustice.Shecalledontheinternationalcommunitytodomoretofulfillitspledgesandresolutionscallingforpeace,freedomandwomen'srights.ThethreeNobelPeacePrizewinnerseachreceivedamedalandadiploma,andwillshareUS$1.5million.TheNobelPrizesinmedicine,chemistry,physicsandliterature-andtherelatedprizeineconomics-werepresentedlaterSaturdayinStockholm.
