Winner of Spain's Prestigious Peace Prize: The City of Berlin

Marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the triumphal subsequent reunification of Germany into an economic and political powerhouse (largely non-militarily), the City of Berlin has been award Spain's prestigious Prince of Asturias Peace Prize. The Peace Prize is one of series presented each year in the Arts, International Cooperation, Social Sciences, Communication and Humanities, Technical and Scientific Research, Letters, Sports and Concord, often compared with the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Prince of Asturias Foundation, which awards the prizes of $72,000 and a sculpture by Joan Miro, had this to say about its choice on its website:

The Berlin Wall, symbol Europe's reunification, was for decades the worldwide representation of the Cold War. The peaceful revolution, which on 9th November 1989 lead to the fall of the Berlin Wall and subsequently to the reunification of Germany, has captivated millions of people worldwide, contributing significantly towards the reestablishment of the balance between the East and the West.

Few would disagree, but many wonder what the city will do with the money, and whether this will continue the precedent for other state-corporations to win again, rarely the case with the Nobel Peace Prize, which has been awarded to humanitarian organizations. Why this would be a problem has not been addressed.  The Concord Prize has been awarded annually since 1986.

Past Prince of Asturias Peace Prize laureates include J.K. Rowling, author of the worldwide Harry Potter Series phenomenon (2003); conductor Daniel Barenboim and critic Edward Said for their work with a Palestinian-Israeli orchestra (2002); Doctors without Borders (1991); Stephen Hawking (1989); and the City of El Salvador (1987). Spain's peace prize can be more flexible as to who receives the award, unlike the Norwegian Nobel Prize, constrained by instructions in its namesake's will.

This year's other winners include: in the Arts, architect Norman Foster; in International Cooperation, the World Health Organization; in Social Sciences, broadcaster David Attenborough; in Communication and Humanities, the Autonomous National University of Mexico; in Technical and Scientific Research, Martin Cooper and Raymond Samuel Tomlinson for their developments in mobile and internet technologies; in Letters, essayist and poet Ismail Kadare; and in sports, Yelena Isinbayeva, considered the best pole-vaulter of all time. All in all, a group that is creating our future in being current events themselves.