All eyes – and presumably a lot of money – are on Pope Francis this Friday, as the head of the Catholic Church is favoured to win the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize.
Betting websites such as Paddy Power and Odds Checker have given those gambling on the pontiff two-to-one odds that he will take home the prestigious prize and monetary award of over $1 million, that honours humanitarian achievement and peacemaking (though betting has now closed).
But perhaps not surprisingly, those gambling on peace don’t always have it right. Last year, Malala Yousafzai was favoured as the front-runner for her activism on women’s rights and her fight against the Taliban. But instead, the award went to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
READ MORE: Why Malala Yousafzai is favoured to win the Nobel Peace Prize (2013)
Yousafzai is still a good bet this year, according to the sites. Here’s a closer look at some of this year’s other top contenders:
Pope Francis
From apologizing to sex abuse victims of the Catholic Church to advocating for an expanded role of women in the church, it’s been a busy year for Francis. He also spent time in South Korea and the Middle East this year, promoting peace in those regions.
The “People’s Pope” has shown he’s not only interested in modernizing the Catholic Church, but he’s also embracing his social media skills.
READ MORE: Pope Francis ab libs Palm Sunday homily, poses for ‘selfies’
In 2013, he was named Time magazine Person of the Year and on Friday we’ll find out if he’s the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize recipient.
READ MORE: A look at key moments in Pope Francis’ 1st year
Denis Mukwege
This doctor from the Democratic Republic of Congo – who founded the Panzi Hospital in his home country – has been nominated for the award twice already. Last year, he was behind Yousafzai on the list of top contenders and has previously been honoured with the Clinton Global Citizen Award and named the 2009 African of the Year, among others.
Mukwege specializes in gynecology – the Panzi Hospital is renowned for its treatment of survivors of sexual violence. He has treated over 40,000 rape victims and according to the hospital, he still sees patients weekly and performs surgery two days a week, on top of travelling the world to raise awareness of the situation in the Eastern DRC.
Ban Ki-moon
The Secretary General of the United Nations just wrapped up the General Assembly in New York late last month, where world leaders discussed the state of the world, including the conflict in Ukraine, beheadings in Iraq and Syria and the bombing of UN schools in Gaza.
“It has been a terrible year for the principles of the United Nations Charter,” Ban told delegates in his opening speech to the 69th annual session, according to the New York Times. “From barrel bombs to beheadings, from the deliberate starvation of civilians to the assault on hospitals, UN shelters and aid convoys, human rights and the rule of law are under attack.”
It’s an attack that Ban has spent much of his professional career combating. He’s been the Secretary General at the UN since 2007 and in 2011 was re-elected to serve until the end of 2016. During his time there, he has worked on initiatives such as promoting sustainable development and empowering women, according to his biography.
READ MORE: UN chief appoints first woman to command a UN peacekeeping force
Médecins Sans Frontières
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- Russia vetoes UN resolution to prevent nuclear arms race in space
- Why U.S. colleges are turning to police to quell pro-Palestinian student protests
With the world’s eyes on the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, one front-runner to win the award is an organization: Médecins Sans Frontières or Doctors Without Borders. Bookies only give MSF a 16-to-one shot.
In 1999, when the organization’s odds were higher, it took home the prize.
READ MORE: MSF call for military help with Ebola response shows outbreak’s severity
Other familiar names on the list of contenders, as calculated by the book-keeping websites, include Angelina Jolie, Facebook and even Vladimir Putin, but bettors would be taking home bigger jackpots if any of these unlikely people were awarded the prize.
Others, however, think no one should win. According to Slate‘s Joshua Keating, there have been 19 occasions in which the prize wasn’t awarded – and he thinks this year should be one of them. “Such a move would highlight that this has been a particularly violent year around the world,” he wrote.
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