• By Aditya Jha
  • Fri, 11 Oct 2024 03:04 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND

The 2024 Nobel Prize for Peace has been awarded to the Japanese organisation Nihon Hidankyo for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons. The Norwegian Nobel Committee in its citation stated that the organisation proved through witness testimony that nuclear weapons must never be used again.

Nihon Hidankyo, also known as Hibakusha, was formed in 1945 by survivors of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The committee, while announcing its decision in Oslo on Friday, said, “One day, the atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki will no longer be among us as witnesses to history.” 
“But with a strong culture of remembrance and continued commitment, new generations in Japan are carrying forward the experience and the message of the witnesses,” it added.

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Further, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the committee, said, “The stories and testimonies of the Hibakusha are an important reminder of how unacceptable the use of nuclear weapons is.”

The award committee applauded the grassroots movement, which was established in 1956 in response to the atomic bomb attacks of August 1945, by acknowledging that they had “worked tirelessly” to raise awareness about the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of using nuclear weapons. 

“The extraordinary efforts of Nihon Hidankyo and other representatives of the Hibakusha have contributed greatly to the establishment of the nuclear taboo. It is therefore alarming that today this taboo against the use of nuclear weapons is under pressure,” the committee said.

The committee later informed that 286 candidates were registered to be considered for the prize, of which 197 were individuals and 89 were organisations. Winners of the Nobel Prize typically receive 11 million Swedish krona ($1.06 million).

In 2023, Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammad received the Nobel Peace Prize for “her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all.”