Riccardo Liguori The Norwegian Nobel Committee has recognized the Japanese organization of survivors of the atomic bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki for their commitment to a world free of nuclear weapons, based on their powerful testimonies
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This year’s Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to the Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo, representing survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nearly eight decades after the tragic events of 1945, underlining the acuteness of the urgency that the world should be free from nuclear weapons.
The victory symbolized more than an acknowledgement of the past but even an invitation to act in the present and for the future. While the world is facing fiercer armed conflicts with the presence of a nuclear threat, Nihon Hidankyo reminds people of what it is really like to live with the aftermath of a weapon of mass destruction.
The voice of the Hibakusha
Nihon Hidankyo was formed in 1956 and is the only Japanese national organization of survivors of atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These first-hand witnesses, known as the Hibakusha, have dedicated decades to telling their experiences of the blasts that hit Hiroshima and Nagasaki and teaching the world about the horrors of nuclear weapons so others can learn a lesson that they will never be used again.
“The fate of the survivors of the atrocities in Hiroshima and Nagasaki has been all but ignored for far too long,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said when announcing the prize. Their testimony is both powerful and dramatic. “We have a moral duty to do everything in our power to ensure that what happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki is never repeated,” said Toshiyuki Mimaki, Nihon Hidankyo’s director during the news conference that followed the announcement of the award.
The “nuclear taboo”
The Japanese association has worked ceaselessly to remind the world of what happens as a consequence of nuclear weapons. “The Hibakusha help us describe the indescribable and to think the unthinkable“, remarked the Norwegian Nobel Committee and underlined that their testimonies indeed helped raise the awareness of the whole world to the dangers of nuclear energy for warfare.
The movement to ban nuclear weapons has celebrated various gains in the past decades, including the 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons-a milestone partly brought about by the activism and efforts of the Hibakusha. More work remains ahead as new powers with atomic capability are emerging, and ongoing conflicts maintain a continuous threat of an atomic attack.
Conflicts of today
Toshiyuki Mimaki spoke analogously during the news conference of the present situation in Gaza, comparing it to post-World War II Japan: “In Gaza, we see bloodstained children. It is like Japan 80 years ago.” His words ring with echoes of suffering past and present, a call for reflection on the cost of war and peaceful solutions.
Although the number of Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors is inevitably declining over time, their message of peace remains alive through new generations. Young activists and citizens from all over the world have taken up this experience and commitment.
As the Nobel Committee said, “One day, the Hibakusha will no longer be here as witnesses of history. But with a strong culture of remembrance and continued dedication, new generations are carrying forward their message.”
Source: Nobel Prize
