But is this effort worth a Nobel Peace Prize?

Some say absolutely. Obama has been attempting to reverse the previous administration’s conflict-heavy rule, opting for peaceful solutions, declaring torture wrong, and calling for diplomatic dialog rather than a hit first, ask questions later policy.

However, there are others–including his own supporters–who say no. Not only were there many contenders for the prize this year with much less celebrity status and many more years spent on their causes; there is also the fact that we still have wars ranging on in the Middle East that Obama has not yet pulled out of.

And whether or not people are in support of that, continuing to wage war does not scream “Nobel Peace Prize.” Even famous liberal Michael Moore said that President Obama needed to “earn” his prize. (He later changed his mind.) Some have even argued that accepting the award is simply unconstitutional.

One thing is for sure: people cannot simply blame the president for winning the award. He didn’t buy it, or order it to be given to him, after all. He’s also not the first president to win a Nobel Peace Prize. But will he–or has he already–live up to the award?

This year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner will be announced October 6. The award will be given on December 10, which is the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.

So far, the concert’s lineup features Donna Summer, Wyclef Jean, Luis Fonsi, Amadou & Mariamand, and Toby Keith. While some of these performer selections make sense, Keith, known for his pro-war stance and songs that promote the “American way” of fighting other countries, may be considered a questionable choice by some.

More performers will be added to this lineup; hopefully the updated list will include a few more pro-peace singers as well. Speculations also abound on whether or not Will Smith himself will perform at the event.

Regarding the event, the Smiths released this statement: “The opportunity to recognize the laureate’s contributions to the world peace movement will be an awe-inspiring experience. We are both humbled and honored to take part in the Nobel Peace Prize Concert this year, and look forward to sharing the historic evening with artists and humanitarians from across the globe.”

Last year’s laureate was Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari. Michael Caine and Scarlett Johansson were last year’s celebrity hosts.

Secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee Geir Lundestad said the Smiths were chosen for their collective impact on philanthropy and the arts in general. He said that they “will be excellent ambassadors of peace.”

And then along came Twitter.

More than 220,000 “tweets,” or 140-character updates and messages, about Iran have been sent in a single hour during this turmoil. And according to former United States National Security Advisor Mark Pfeifle, this makes the social network deserving of a Nobel Peace Prize.

Pfeifle writes, “When traditional journalists were forced to leave the country, Twitter became a window for the world to view hope, heroism, and horror… because of this, Twitter and its creators are worthy of being considered for the Nobel Peace Prize.”

Do you think Twitter truly deserves the same award that’s been given to the Dalai Lama and Mother Theresa–people who have dedicated their entire lives to peace? Shouldn’t intention play some sort of part?

Another question that remains is whether or not, especially given the decline of print media, Twitter will become a major news source in and of itself. With a society of technologically-savvy citizens with short attention spans, overly-bombarded with information and constantly strapped for time and money, it doesn’t seem impossible.

Nobel Peace Prize worthy or not, Twitter seems to have proved itself to be more than a time-wasting daily distraction of worthless drivel and insignificance. And perhaps with its continued use, the world can keep standing with Iran, and the people living in the conflict will know that there is still hope.

“Without Twitter, the people of Iran would not have felt empowered and confident to stand up for freedom and democracy. They did so because they knew the world was watching,” Pfeifle says.

Ebadi, 61, has kept her word. In light of the recent controversial Iranian election, she has called for peace, saying that she expects “the international community to prevent the pursuit of violence by the government.”

At a news conference in Geneva, she went on to say that she also expects the government to stop firing on the people of Iran, and that a new election should be held in Iran.

According to Amnesty International, up to 10 people have been killed in the violence, hundreds have been arrested, and street protests against the dubious election results continue.

Ebadi, a lawyer, says that those imprisoned should be released, and that protests should continue, though peacefully.

Through death threats and constant opposition, Ebadi has continued to lobby for human rights for all people. “I condemn all human rights violations. I am not an opposition leader, I am a human rights defender,” she says.

According to Ebadi, the closing of her Defenders of Human Rights Center in Tehran was illegal; however, though she has filed a complaint, it has yet to be addressed.

“But for the moment the authorities haven’t looked at our case.”

Hopefully her impassioned words will help end some of the violence in Iran.  U.N. Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay echoed Ebadi’s cries for peace at the same news conference, saying that the Iranian government should put a stop to the Islamic militiamen who are supposedly behind the violence.