The Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo, representing survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings, received the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday. This award serves as a caution to nuclear-armed nations against using nuclear weapons.
Members of this grassroots movement, known as Hibakusha, witnessed the only use of nuclear bombs in conflict and have dedicated their lives to advocating for a nuclear-free world. The committee highlighted how Hibakusha helps articulate the unimaginable suffering caused by nuclear weapons.
Joergen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, advised against the use of nuclear arms by nuclear states. “Today’s nuclear weapons are significantly more destructive, capable of killing millions and causing catastrophic climate impacts. A nuclear war could destroy our civilization,” he stated at a press conference.
Frydnes praised Nihon Hidankyo and other Hibakusha representatives for their pivotal role in establishing a taboo against nuclear weapons. “It is alarming that this taboo is now under threat,” he remarked.
Next year will mark the 80th anniversary of the 1945 atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States.
The Nobel Committee has frequently addressed nuclear disarmament, notably awarding the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons in 2017.
The Nobel Peace Prize, worth about $1 million, will be presented in Oslo on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death, the founder of these awards.
