The Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2024. This grassroots movement represents the survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, known as Hibakusha.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee stated in its citation that Hibakusha is receiving the peace prize for their efforts to create a world free of nuclear weapons and for their testimonies that demonstrate the need to prevent the use of nuclear arms ever again. The committee emphasized that Hibakusha helps us to describe the indescribable, think about the unimaginable, and understand the profound pain and suffering caused by nuclear weapons.
Last year, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Iranian journalist and activist Nargis Mohammadi, who has long advocated for democracy and women’s rights, while opposing the death penalty. Given the ongoing conflicts around the world, there was speculation that the Nobel Committee might not announce a peace prize this year.
The Nobel session will conclude on Monday, with the announcement of the Nobel Prize in Economics. While most Nobel Prizes are selected in Stockholm, the decision for the Nobel Peace Prize is made by a five-member committee in Oslo. The award includes a cash prize of one million US dollars, and the Nobel Peace Prize is traditionally presented on December 10, the anniversary of the death of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, who established the awards in his will in 1895. In his will, Nobel stated that the prize should be awarded for the most significant or best efforts towards brotherhood between nations, the reduction or abolition of standing armies, and the organization of peace congresses.
Nobel Prizes have previously been awarded for efforts against nuclear weapons. In 2017, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) received the Nobel Peace Prize for its international campaign to eliminate nuclear arms. Additionally, in 1995, Joseph Rotblat and the Pugwash Conferences were honored with the prize for their efforts to diminish the role of nuclear weapons and work towards their eventual elimination.
