Nihon Hidankyo, a group representing survivors of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Committee praised the group’s decades-long efforts to eradicate nuclear weapons, recognizing their impactful witness testimonies as a cornerstone in preventing future nuclear conflicts.
Key Highlights:
- Recognition of Atomic Bomb Survivors’ Efforts: The group, comprised of hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors), has been acknowledged for its tireless advocacy against nuclear weapons, playing a key role in establishing the global “nuclear taboo.”
Japanese Atomic Bomb Survivors, Nihon Hidankyo, Awarded 2024 Nobel Peace Prize for Anti-Nuclear Advocacy – BusinessNews.LK
- Nuclear Taboo Under Pressure: Nobel Committee Chair Joergen Watne Frydnes highlighted the importance of maintaining the nuclear taboo, which is currently facing new threats due to increasing global tensions.
- Global Advocacy Through Testimony: Since its founding in 1956, Nihon Hidankyo has sent atomic bomb survivors around the world to share their stories of the horrors caused by nuclear weapons. Their work aims to deter future use by humanizing the catastrophic consequences.
- Historical Background of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 resulted in the deaths of over 200,000 people. Survivors, like co-head Toshiyuki Mimaki, have shared their first-hand accounts of the devastation, with Mimaki criticizing the belief that nuclear weapons maintain peace.
- Nobel Peace Prize Details: The Nobel Peace Prize includes a diploma, a gold medal, and $1 million. The prize will be presented at a ceremony in Oslo this December, honoring the survivors’ unwavering fight for a nuclear-free world.
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial building – BusinessNews.LK
The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Nihon Hidankyo shines a light on the renewed global debate over nuclear weapons, especially in the context of current conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. The group’s efforts remind the world of the irreversible devastation nuclear weapons can cause, even as nuclear threats loom larger today.
Last modified: October 11, 2024
