Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Japanese anti-nuclear weapons group Nihon Hidankyo
USA TodayOCT 9 2024
The 2024 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Japan's atomic bomb survivor (hibakusha) group Nihon Hidankyo for its efforts to rid the world of nuclear weapons.
The Norwegian Nobel committee Friday said that Nihon Hidankyo had shown through witness testimony that "nuclear weapons must never be used again.”
The committee has earlier, too, awarded efforts to curb atomic weapons, like the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons in 2017, for instance.Reportedly overwhelmed by the award, Nihon Hidankyo chief Toshiyuki Mimaki said in Hiroshima that "the abolition of nuclear weapons can be achieved."
In a world increasingly desensitized to nuclear threats, Nihon Hidankyo's Nobel Peace Prize serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of atomic warfare. This organization of Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors has tirelessly shared their harrowing experiences for decades, putting faces and stories to the abstract horror of nuclear devastation. The recognition amplifies the urgent need to heed the voices of those who have witnessed atomic destruction firsthand, making them uniquely deserving of this honor.
The world now stands on the brink of a renewed nuclear arms race. As tensions rise between major powers, the US, Russia, and China are modernizing and expanding their nuclear arsenals. The once-diminished specter of nuclear conflict looms large again, with leaders openly discussing the possibility of using such weapons. This alarming shift threatens to unravel decades of disarmament progress, potentially leading to a more unstable and dangerous world. Nations face critical decisions about nuclear policy that could dramatically escalate global tensions or, conversely, de-escalate it. We are at an old crossroads again.