Who will win the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize

Announcements of Nobel prize winners began earlier this week, so we at Kaplan International English decided to take a moment to explore the different nominees for the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize. With an astounding 376 nominations – 228 individuals and 148 organizations – this year is a record breaker for the number of people being considered. So who do you think will win? Let us know in our poll below before the winner is announced this Friday!

For more information on any particular nominee, refer to the descriptions below.

Although much of the nomination process for the Nobel prizes is quite secretive, we are always bound to catch wind of a few names that have been put up for consideration. So here are some of the people we know are in the running, and a little background about what they did to be considered.

Pope Francis

Since becoming pope a little over 3 years ago, Pope Francis has won the adoration of more than just the Catholic people with his stances on issues such as refugees, poverty, and climate change. In April, he visited the Greek island of Lesbos to meet with refugees and assure them that he was there  in their time of need.

Angela Merkel

The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has been a popular contender since last year because of her open-door policy for refugees, taking in over 1 million people since last year.

Susan Sarandon

The critically acclaimed actress is considered one of the potential nominees because of her work as an international volunteer helping with the relief effort in the Greek islands. Like Pope Francis, she spent some time in the Lesbos working first-hand with refugees.

Juan Manuel Santos and Timochenko

The Colombian president, Juan Manuel Santos, and the leader of the Farc rebel group, Rodrigo Londoño (AKA Timochenko) are considered as possible nominees because of the peace deal they signed last month to end 52 years of war. Since the 1980s, every government has attempted to end the war with the Farc, who have been fighting against the Colombian state in 1964.

Syrian White Helmets

The Syrian White Helmets are a voluntary group of rescuers and humanitarians that have braved the dangers of Syria to rescue thousands of people. They provide medical treatment for the wounded in rebel-controlled areas, and have been backed by over 130 supporting organizations.

So who do you think will win? Was there any one else you think the Nobel Prize Committee might be considering? Let us know what you think.