According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize should be awarded to the person who "...shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses", writes Wikipedia.
Let drive the name research a bit further. Some more of the more popular, well-known names of laureates.
1999 Medicines Sans Frontiers, for "in recognition of the organization's pioneering humanitarian work on several continents." - Fail by definition.
1994 Arafat, Rabin and Peres"to honour a political act which called for great courage on both sides, and which has opened up opportunities for a new development towards fraternity in the Middle East." - Sorry, wishful thinking only, not to mention that to me Arafat will never be anything else but a bomber, murderer and terrorist. Fail.
1993 Mandela and de Klerk, for "for their work for the peaceful termination of the
apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa." - Demilitarisation, arms control, peace between nations? Fail.
1991 Aung Saan Su Kyi, for "her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights." - Ha snothing to do with Nobel's intention. Fail.
1989 Dalai Lama, because "in his struggle for the liberation of Tibet [he] consistently has opposed the use of violence. He has instead advocated peaceful solutions based upon tolerance and mutual respect in order to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of his people." - He has not acchieved anything in saving Tibetan culture, which is subject to the systematic effort by the Chinese to eliminate it as an existing tradition and functional ethnic community (which btw qualifgies it as genocide by the UN defintiion of the term): Fail. This also does not meet the intention of Nobel: Fail again.
1986 Elie Wiesel, becasue he was "Chairman of "The President's Commission on the Holocaust". Fail.
1984 Desmond Tutu. "Bishop of Johannesburg; former Secretary General, South African Council of Churches." Fail.
1983 Lech Walesa. "Founder of
Solidarność; campaigner for human rights." Fail.
1981 UN High Commissioner for refugees. "An international relief organization founded by the U.N. in 1951". - Fail.
1979 Mother Teresa. "Leader of Missionaries of Charity". - Fail.
1977 Amnesty International, for " protecting the human rights of prisoners of conscience." - Fail.
etc etc etc.
What choices of laureates do I fully agree with ?
1997 Jody Williams, International Campaign to ban Landmines, for "their work for the banning and clearing of anti-personnel mines".
1995 Jospeh Rotblat, Pugwash Conferences onSciences and World Affairs, "for their efforts to diminish the part played by nuclear arms in international politics and, in the longer run, to eliminate such arms."
1990 Mikhail Gorbatchev, "for his leading role in the peace process which today characterizes important parts of the international community."
1987 Oscar Maria Sanchez, "for his work for peace in Central America, efforts which led to the accord signed in Guatemala on August 7 this year".
1985 International Physicians for the Prevention of a Nuclear War, "For authoritative information and by creating an awareness of the catastrophic consequences of atomic warfare. The committee believes that this in turn contributes to an increase in the pressure of public opposition to the proliferation of atomic weapons and to a redefining of priorities, with greater attention being paid to health and other humanitarian issues."
1978 Mohamad Anwar Al-Sadat and Menchem Begin, "for the Camp David Agreement, which brought about a negotiated peace between Egypt and Israel."
To stop here. Thjere are two or three more names in that time range where I am not certain what tzo think of them, but the discrepancy between failed and met qualifications of laureates is obvious.
There are quite many names who did remarkable things and efforts for the sake of noble intentions (and also some total non-starters). However, a Prize awarded should reflect the will and definition of criterions the founder of this Award has set, and it should not be given arbitrarily and for very different things, or for egoist motives in order to not reward somebody having acchieved something, but to project influence on demanded future developements.