Nihon Hidankyo’s Quest for Nuclear Free World Earns Nobel
Siby K. Joseph
The year 2025 will mark the 80th anniversary of the catastrophic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It was on 6 and 9 August 1945, the United States of America detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively during the second World War. The Hibakushas (survivors of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki) are part and parcel of the history of the atomic bombings of these cities. These victims are living testimonies of the actual impact of these weapons. I had the opportunity to interview one of the Hibakushas during my student’s days. I realised how painful it was for a Hibakusha to recall that fateful day. Their stories are stories of hope and determination who are tirelessly engaged to eliminate nuclear weapons. It is estimated that by the end of 1945, the bombing had killed 140,000 people in Hiroshima, and a further 74,000 in Nagasaki. In the years that followed, many of the survivors faced leukaemia, cancer, or other terrible side effects from the radiation. Almost 8 decades later their effects are still being felt in these cities. In the case of hibakushas it increases dramatically with the passage of time and they have to bear the same throughout their lifespan. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017. “Each person had a name. Each person was loved by someone. Let us ensure that their deaths were not in vain.”- Setsuko Thurlow, survivor of the August 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima said the Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech in December 2017.
It is befitting that on October 11, 2024 the Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize to the Japanese organisation Nihon Hidankyo.” The Committee said “ This grassroots movement of atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, also known as Hibakusha, is receiving the peace prize for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and for demonstrating through witness testimony that nuclear weapons must never be used again.” They further stated how the work of the organisation contributed in making a nuclear weapon a taboo “No nuclear weapon has been used in war in nearly 80 years. 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.
Regarding the challenges in the front they cautioned “The nuclear powers are modernising and upgrading their arsenals; new countries appear to be preparing to acquire nuclear weapons; and threats are being made to use nuclear weapons in ongoing warfare. At this moment in human history, it is worth reminding ourselves what nuclear weapons are: the most destructive weapons the world has ever seen.”
They reminded “One day, the Hibakusha 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. They are inspiring and educating people around the world. In this way they are helping to maintain the nuclear taboo – a precondition of a peaceful future for humanity.” They concluded by stating that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2024 fulfils Alfred Nobel’s desire to recognise efforts of the greatest benefit to humankind.
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), Nobel Peace Laureate 2017, congratulated the Japanese Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations Nihon Hidankyo on receiving this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. The ICAN said in a statement “ This well-deserved and extremely important recognition comes at a crucial moment when the threat of use of nuclear weapons is as high as it’s ever been.”
The ICAN was working all these years alongside Nihon Hidankyo and the hibakusha to push for the prohibition and total elimination of nuclear weapons. The ICAN acknowledges that their testimonies and tireless campaigning have been crucial to progress on nuclear disarmament in general and the adoption and entry into force of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in particular in 2021.
Melissa Parke, Executive Director of ICAN, welcomed this decision by the Nobel Committee : “This is fantastic news and so well deserved. We congratulate Nihon Hidankyo. It is extremely important that the hibakusha – the survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – have been recognised for their lifelong work to bring the world’s attention to what nuclear weapons actually do to people when they are used. It is particularly significant that this award comes at this time when the risk that nuclear weapons will be used again is as high, if not higher, as it has ever been.”
This recognition from the Nobel Peace Prize committee should be seen as an opportunity to reawaken the public to the extreme dangers posed by nuclear weapons to the very survival of humanity and existence of life on this planet. On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki we should call upon all countries to listen to the frantic call of Hibakushas to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. It is important on the part of the International Fellowship Program on Nonviolence and Peace (IFPNP) to disseminate this message so that the voices of urgent calls for action are heard and acted upon by respective countries, especially the countries which possess nuclear weapons.
About the Author
Dr. Siby K. Joseph is Director, IFPNP, Sevagram Ashram Pratishthan, Wardha, MS, India. IFPNP -III is initiated by Sevagram Ashram Pratishthan and coordinated by the Jamnalal Bajaj Memorial Library and Research Centre for Gandhian Studies in association with Gandhi International, Academic University College for Non-Violence and Human Rights-AUNOHR, MGM University and International Centre of Nonviolence, Durban University of Technology.
Website: https://nonvpi.in/ Email: peace.nonviolence2022@gmail.com
