Thanks to two Norwegian lawmakers, Edward Snowden could soon join the ranks of world-changers like Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King Jr. Former environment minister Baard Vegar Solhjell and Snorre Valen, both Socialist Left Party members, penned a letter to the Norwegian Nobel committee yesterday recommending that the famous whistleblower be considered as this year’s recipient of one of the most honored and prestigious awards given out each year – the Nobel Peace Prize. While the names of each year’s nominees are not generally revealed until 50 years after the nomination, Solhjell and Valen opted to make their nomination public and the internet has been abuzz with opinions ever since.

While Snowden may initially appear to be an odd candidate for the prize, and will certainly have dozens of competitors in the Peace Prize category, he has nonetheless garnered rabid support across the globe for his part in revealing some of the government’s best kept secrets. Obviously not everyone feels this way, and even his Norwegian nominators have stated that they don’t condone all of his actions – however, they stated that they were “convinced that the public debate and changes in policy that have followed in the wake of Snowden’s whistleblowing has contributed to a more stable and peaceful world order.” They went on to add that “His actions have in effect led to the reintroduction of trust and transparency as a leading principle in global security policies. Its value can’t be overestimated”. So let’s say you agree with them – is all that enough to earn him a Nobel Prize?

According to the Nobel website, “A nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize may be submitted by any person who meets the nomination criteria”, which includes member of national assemblies and governments, as well as university professors (Solhjell and Valen qualify as national lawmakers). Interestingly enough, a Swedish professor actually nominated Snowden for the award last year, but did not get his nomination in prior to the deadline. This year’s deadline for nominations falls on February 1st, at which time the list of nominees will be cut down over the next several months, until a winner is announced in October. The October announcement will fall just a few months after his stay in Russia is up (he has been granted asylum there until June of this year while facing charges of espionage and theft in the United States). The sweet irony in all this is that if he takes the prize this year, it will be just a few short years after President Obama himself was presented with the award.