Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese organization of atomic bomb survivors, has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize. These survivors, known as hibakusha, from the 1945 Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, were honored by the Norwegian Nobel Committee for their efforts in advocating for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
Nobel Committee Chair Joergen Watne Frydnes stated that the group had “contributed greatly to the establishment of the nuclear taboo.” He also cautioned that this “nuclear taboo” is now “under pressure” and commended the group’s powerful use of witness testimony to stress the importance of preventing nuclear weapons from ever being used again.
Founded in 1956, Nihon Hidankyo sends survivors around the world to share their accounts of the “atrocious damage” and the immense suffering caused by nuclear weapons. Their mission began nearly a decade after the devastation in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On August 6, 1945, a U.S. bomber dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, killing around 140,000 people. Three days later, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, and two weeks later, Japan surrendered, ending World War II.
In an emotional statement to reporters, a tearful Toshiyuki Mimaki, co-leader of the group, said, “Never did I dream this could happen.” AFP reports him as further criticizing the belief that nuclear weapons bring peace. “It’s often said that nuclear weapons maintain peace in the world. But they can also be used by terrorists,” Mimaki warned.
In a BBC interview last year, Mimaki, who was only three years old when the bomb hit Hiroshima, recalled seeing dazed and burnt survivors stumbling past his home, a memory that has stayed with him.
The Nobel Peace Prize, which includes a diploma, a gold medal, and $1 million (£765,800), will be awarded to Nihon Hidankyo in December in Oslo, commemorating the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. Nihon Hidankyo has been nominated multiple times in the past, including a notable mention in 2005.
This year, the decision to recognize the group was seen as steering clear of more contentious nominees. There had been significant speculation about awarding the prize to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), but controversies, including allegations of some employees’ involvement in a Hamas attack, led to significant public opposition.
Similarly, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had been considered, but its ongoing assessment of potential genocide in Gaza and related statements made this nomination sensitive as well. By selecting Nihon Hidankyo, the Nobel committee shifted attention to the global nuclear threat, a critical issue in the context of current conflicts, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the tensions in the Middle East over Iran’s nuclear aspirations.
This year’s 286 nominations included 197 individuals and 89 organizations, reflecting a broad interest in peace efforts worldwide.
Nominations can be made by people in positions of significant authority, including members of national assemblies, governments and international courts of law.
Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi won the prize in 2023, when she was honoured for her work fighting the oppression of women in Iran. Ms Mohammadi is currently being held in Evin prison in Tehran, having already spent 12 years in jail serving multiple sentences related to her activism. ‘Atomic bomb hell must never be repeated’ say Japan’s last survivors
