John AdoyiThe Japanese group of atomic bomb survivors commonly known as Nihon Hidankyo, has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
The prestigious award was presented to the organization “for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and for demonstrating through witness testimony that nuclear weapons must never be used again.”
Join our WhatsApp ChannelFounded in 1956, Nihon Hidankyo has tirelessly advocated the abolition of nuclear weapons, representing the voices of hibakusha—survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 by the United States.
The committee praised the organisation for its unique and powerful approach to using the personal stories of hibakusha to raise global awareness about the devastating effects of nuclear warfare.
The Norwegian committee highlighted how the testimony of hibakusha survivors had “helped to generate and consolidate widespread opposition to nuclear weapons around the world by drawing on personal stories, creating educational campaigns based on their own experience, and issuing urgent warnings against the spread and use of nuclear weapons.”
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The committee commended Nihon Hidankyo’s unique approach, stating that “the hibakusha have helped the world to describe the indescribable, think the unthinkable, and grasp the incomprehensible pain caused by nuclear weapons.”
The Nobel Committee emphasised the relevance of Nihon Hidankyo’s mission, particularly as concerns about nuclear proliferation and modernized arsenals grow. “At this moment in human history, it is worth reminding ourselves what nuclear weapons are: the most destructive weapons the world has ever seen,” the committee stated.
The Nobel committee added that “the Nobel Peace Prize for 2024 fulfils Alfred Nobel’s desire to recognise efforts of the greatest benefit to humankind.”
Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, attending the East Asia Summit in Laos, called the award “extremely meaningful” and a testament to the organization’s decades of work toward abolishing nuclear weapons. However, Japan has yet to ratify the 2021 treaty banning the possession and use of nuclear weapons, a point of contention in international disarmament discussions.
Toshiyuki Mimaki, co-chair of Nihon Hidankyo, said the recognition would bolster their efforts. “Nuclear weapons should absolutely be abolished,” he stressed during a press conference in Hiroshima. Mimaki rejected the notion that nuclear weapons maintain global peace, warning that their use by states or terrorists could have devastating ripple effects. “If Russia uses them against Ukraine, or Israel against Gaza, it won’t end there. Politicians should know these things.”
105 Nobel Peace Prizes have been awarded since 1901 to 142 laureates – 111 individuals and 28 organisations. . It was not awarded on 19 occasions. Jailed Iranian women activist, Narges Mohammadi was awarded the 2023 Peace prize for her courageous struggle against the oppression of women in Iran and relentless fight for social reform. Nihon Hidankyo would be given the prize money of $1M, Nobel gold medal and diploma on December 10, 2024.
