The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2024 to the Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo. This grassroots movement of atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, also known as Hibakusha, is receiving the Peace Prize 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.
Details
- Winner : Nihon Hidankyo 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.
Hibakusha
- The survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, who have shared their personal stories to educate the world about the horrors of nuclear weapons.
- They advocate for disarmament and emphasize that such weapons must never be used again.
Global Movement
- After the bombings in 1945, a global movement emerged, raising awareness about the humanitarian devastation caused by nuclear weapons.
- This effort contributed to the establishment of the nuclear taboo, the moral stigma against using such weapons.
- The Hibakusha played a crucial role in consolidating this taboo through their witness accounts.
Historical Significance/Nihon Hidankyo
- The atomic bombs dropped by the U.S. on Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed around 120,000 people instantly, with many more dying from burns and radiation in the months that followed.
- Nihon Hidankyo emerged from these events and became Japan’s most influential organization for Hibakusha.
- Formed in 1956, Nihon Hidankyo became the largest and most influential Hibakusha organization in Japan.
- It has played a pivotal role in raising awareness through witness testimonies, organizing educational campaigns, and actively participating in international forums such as the United Nations.
No Use of Nuclear Weapons in 80 Years
- The Nobel Committee recognized that no nuclear weapon has been used in conflict for nearly 80 years, due in part to Nihon Hidankyo’s contributions.
- However, the nuclear taboo is under pressure today, as countries modernize their arsenals and new threats emerge.
Impact of Hibakusha Testimonies
- The stories shared by the survivors have created a widespread opposition to nuclear weapons, encouraging others to think critically about the catastrophic effects these weapons can have on humanity and civilization.
- As time progresses, new generations in Japan are continuing Hibakusha’s mission to educate the world about nuclear disarmament and peace.
- This culture of remembrance helps maintain the nuclear taboo, ensuring that the lessons of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are never forgotten.
Future of Disarmament
- Nihon Hidankyo‘s work ensures that the nuclear taboo is carried forward by future generations, as a precondition for a peaceful and stable future for humanity.
- Their participation in international forums, such as the United Nations, reinforces the urgency of global nuclear disarmament.
What is HIBAKUSHA?
- Hibakusha is a Japanese word which means ’survivor of the bomb’ or ‘person affected by exposure (to radioactivity)is a word of Japanese origin generally designating the people affected by the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States at the end of World War 2.
About NIHON HIDANKYO
- Founded in August 10, 1956.
Organization and Membership
- NIHON HIDANKYO is the only nation-wide organization of A-bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Hibakusha).
- It has member organizations in all 47 Japanese prefectures, thus representing almost all organized Hibakusha.
- Its officials and members are all Hibakusha.
- The total number of the surviving Hibakusha living in Japan is 174,080, as of March 2016.
- There are several thousands of more Hibakusha living in Korea and other parts of the world outside Japan.
- HIDANKYO is cooperating with those organizations in their work for the defense of the living and rights of these people.
Main Objectives
- Prevention of nuclear war and the elimination of nuclear weapons, including the signing of an international agreement for a total ban and the elimination of nuclear weapons. The convening of an international conference to reach this goal is also part of Hidankyo’s basic demand.
- State compensation for the A-bomb damages. The state responsibility of having launched the war, which led to the damage by the atomic bombing, should be acknowledged, and the state compensation provided.
- Improvement of the current policies and measures on the protection and assistance for the Hibakusha.
Major Fields of Activities
- Actions for the prevention of nuclear war and a total ban on nuclear weapons.
- Telling stories of the HIbakusha to make known to the people their experiences, actual damage and after-effects of the A-bombing, both within and outside Japan.
- Actions for the enactment of a Hibakusha-aid law providing state compensation for the Hibakusha themselves and bereaved families, as well as for a guarantee that there should never be another Hibakusha. These actions include signature drive, marches, sit-ins and many other forms.
- Providing counseling and other assistance to the Hibakusha in their difficulties in health and living.
Details on Peace Prize
- Alfred Nobel showed a big interest in social issues and was engaged in the peace movement. His acquaintance with Bertha von Suttner, who was a driving force in the international peace movement in Europe and later awarded the peace prize, influenced his views on peace.
- Peace was the fifth and final prize area that Nobel mentioned in his will.
- The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by a committee elected by the Norwegian Parliament (Stortinget).