The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize to the Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo, a grassroots movement of atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, also known as the Hibakusha. The organization is being honored for its relentless pursuit of a world free from nuclear weapons and its powerful witness testimony emphasizing that nuclear weapons should never be used again.
In awarding this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to Nihon Hidankyo, the Nobel Committee highlighted a crucial milestone: no nuclear weapon has been used in conflict for nearly 80 years. The dedication of Nihon Hidankyo and other Hibakusha representatives has been instrumental in establishing the global “nuclear taboo.”
However, the Committee expressed concern that this long-standing taboo is now under threat. Nuclear powers continue to modernize and expand their arsenals, while new countries show interest in acquiring nuclear weapons. Ongoing conflicts have even seen threats to use nuclear arms. “At this moment in human history, it is vital to remember what nuclear weapons are: the most destructive weapons the world has ever seen,” stated the Committee.
