When the corner stone was laid for what is today the European Union, this continent was still dealing with the aftermath of the Second World War. The aim of securing peace in a region that had been experiencing frequent conflicts may have seemed ambitious at the time.
Some 60 years on, however, the European Union counts a total of 27 member states and more are expected to join. Countries across the region continue to work towards this goal of peaceful cooperation and it is with this thought in mind that the Nobel Prize Committee awarded its Peace Prize to the EU this year.
,I have previously written about the Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to the EU, emphasising the significance of this prestigious prize.
The European Union has since joined the ranks of numerous high-profile laureates, which is not only an honour, but also a great deal of responsibility.
On 10 December 2012, the award ceremony of the Nobel Peace Prize took place in the Norwegian city of Oslo. The Prize was jointly collected by European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Parliament President Martin Schulz. Leaders from 20 different member states, including French President François Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The delegation was accompanied by four young European citizens, who represented the EU at this important event.
These four young Europeans were chosen through a competition organised by the EU and the European Youth Forum. It challenged citizens of EU member states as well as acceding and candidate countries to come up with a creative response to the following question: "Peace, Europe, Future: What does Peace in Europe mean to you?"
Younger citizens were able to submit their entries in the form of drawings, whereas older participants were asked to draft a short text. The competition received a great wave of response, as some 5400 applications were sent in from over 30 different countries.
The four winners come from Malta, Italy, Poland and Spain. The Maltese application was penned by the 23-year-old Zebbug resident Larkin Zahra and subsequently chosen as the winning entry through a vote on the social networking site Facebook.
In response to the question put forward in the contest, Mr Zahra wrote: "My grandparents would have said 'a dream'. My parents would have said 'a process'. I say that it's my everyday reality." This statement also reflects the thinking of the Nobel Price Committee, which despite the financial crisis and concerns over social unrest in some European countries, decided to honour the EU for its role in leading the continent from a history of war towards a union of peace. The presence of Larkin Zahra at the ceremony also demonstrates that young Maltese citizens identify with their European family and are able to make great contributions towards this project.
The importance of the younger generation for the future is also mirrored in the allocation of the Prize money. Whilst the medal and the diploma will be kept at the European institutions, the European Commission announced that it would allocate the prize money of approximately 930,000 euro to humanitarian aid projects that benefit children who live in war zones.
According to Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, this is based on the rationale that children are both the "hope for the future" and yet one of the most vulnerable groups of society.
Embodying the cooperation of European member states and institutions, Council President van Rompuy and Commission President Barroso jointly delivered their acceptance speech at the award ceremony.
In his speech, van Rompuy highlighted the role that reconciliation and fraternity have played, and continue to play, on the European continent. Concerned over the disruptive effects that the economic crisis could have on European unity, he further emphasised the importance of peacekeeping efforts in these difficult times.
Commission President Barroso, in turn, praised the European Union for the way in which it connects people and nations across the region and enables them to overcome their differences. He further assured that the EU would keep up its "efforts to fight for lasting peace, freedom and justice in Europe and the world".
The award of the Nobel Peace Prize to the European Union comes at a difficult time for many citizens who are affected by the negative repercussions of the economic crisis, which are equally shaking the foundation on which the EU is built. But it also comes at a crucial moment in time.
It reminds European leaders that continuous efforts need to be made to maintain the achievements that this community of nations has made and to ensure that current woes do not divide this Union, but help it emerge even stronger from the turmoil it is experiencing.
David Casa is Nationalist MEP