( CNN ) -- So many tyrants to resist , so many heroes to support , but the Nobel Committee decided to ignore all of that and grant the Nobel Peace Prize this year to a large bureaucratic political alliance , the European Union . The committee passed up a chance to give a tangible boost to and put the valuable global spotlight on an individual , a cause or an organization that could really benefit from the award . What a sadly missed opportunity . Peace Prize is a slap on the back for a struggling European Union . Malala Yousafzai , the 14-year-old Pakistani girl shot by the Taliban for advocating girls ' right to an education , is precisely the kind of person who should have inspired those making the selection . There 's only one Malala , but there are countless people around the world doing heroic work every day , many risking their lives to end tyranny , hunger and illiteracy . I have nothing against the EU . It has accomplished important things , and the Norwegians who award the Peace Prize surely wanted to give it recognition during a time of economic turmoil and political tension in Europe . Still , the Norwegian Nobel Committee wasted the moment . We are living through a time when competing forces are fighting for radically different visions of the future . Activists for democracy , for women 's rights , for religious tolerance have faced off against state security forces , religious extremists and brutal misogynists . Zealous prosecutors , loyal to authoritarian regimes , have imprisoned artists , executed homosexuals and tortured democracy activists . Those permitted to nominate candidates gave the panel ideas , a dazzling collection of extraordinary organizations and individuals . The list will remain secret for half a century , but that did n't keep people from speculating about who might win . The favorites included Sima Samar , a doctor and human rights activist who served as Afghanistan 's women 's affairs minister until she was forced out with death threats for challenging laws that oppress women . There 's Maggie Gobran , a Coptic nun in Egypt whose Stephen 's Children charity helps Christian children living in Cairo 's slums . In Nigeria , where clashes between Christians and Muslims have left hundreds dead and threaten to tear up the country , Archbishop John Onaiyekan and Sultan Sa'ad Abubakar are fighting for reconciliation . In Cuba , blogger Yoani Sanchez struggles for democratic reform in and out of jail , as do other dissidents languish in prison . In Russia , where journalists who criticize the government turn up dead much too frequently , the number of courageous writers and artists standing up for reform includes many courageous figures . The list goes on and on . And , in case anyone doubts just what a difference the Nobel Peace Prize can make , consider some of the inspired choices the Norwegian panel has made . The military junta ruling Burma , which renamed the country Myanmar , had locked up pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi , whose party , the National League for Democracy , won the 1990 election . When she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 , her cause -- the plight of the Burmese people -- became the world 's struggle . She was not allowed to travel to Oslo for the awards ceremony . But the Burmese people discovered that they were not alone . After many years , including more than a decade of house arrest , she was set free in 2010 . She traveled to Oslo to receive the prize in person , and now it looks as though Burma stands at the threshold of freedom . The Peace Prize of 1975 drew attention to the work of Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov , the physicist who became , in the committee 's words , `` a spokesman for the conscience of mankind . '' He spent years in exile in Siberia , but his work helped forge the nuclear test ban and international cooperation . The award became a megaphone for his ideals . In the past , the Nobel committee has proved daring and controversial . This time , it was supremely uninspired . Nonviolent figures such as the Rev . Martin Luther King Jr. , the Dalai Lama and Poland 's Lech Walesa became household names because they received the prize . Their protest techniques became subjects of academic study and practical guidance around the globe . Their selection inspired last year 's winner , Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo , author of `` No Enemies , No Hatred , '' another of several Nobel winners who could not attend the awards ceremony because their governments put them in prison or banned them from traveling . The Nobel spotlight can bring donations and needed publicity to a cause . The push for a landmines ban started making headlines after Jody Williams and her Campaign to Ban Landmines won in 1997 . True , the committee 's choice always upsets some people . But it 's more frequently because of boldness than blandness . Naturally , the choice can be politically charged . After Barack Obama won in 2009 , with just a few months in office , it left many scratching their heads . When told of the announcement , Walesa said , `` Who , Obama ? ... He has n't had the time to do anything yet . '' Obama went on to stun his hosts when he received the award . His Nobel lecture turned out to be a brilliant exposition of when war becomes a requirement for peace . It was not exactly what they expected from a Nobel Peace Prize winner . The decision reflected the committee 's hopes more than Obama 's achievements . The panel wanted Obama to become the president of peace . He accepted the award , but it turned out he was not a pacifist . The choice for this year also reflects aspirational views . The Norwegian Nobel Committee , selected by Norway 's parliament and made up mostly of politicians , is telling the world , specifically Europeans , that they should do whatever it takes to save the European Union . It is asking them to remember that Europe , the continent that in the 20th century perpetrated the worst wars the world has seen , has managed to stay mostly at peace for almost 70 years . The committee gives the credit to the EU . It was a retrospective award , a historical analysis . What the committee should have done was use this chance to take sides and to speak in a way that makes a difference in favor of freedom , equality and tolerance . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Frida Ghitis .
The Nobel Committee awarded the Peace Prize to the European Union . Christina Ghitis : What a sadly missed opportunity . She said the jury missed on chance to put global spotlight on person or country . Ghitis : Peace Prize always make a difference ; this time it was supremely uninspired .