The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded Friday to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese organization of survivors from the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in recognition of its decades-long activism against nuclear weapons.
Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said the award was given because the “taboo against the use of nuclear weapons is under pressure.”
“The Nobel committee wishes to honor all survivors who, despite physical suffering and painful memories, have chosen to use their costly experience to cultivate hope and engagement for peace,” Frydnes said.
Hidankyo chairperson Tomoyuki Mimaki, who was at Hiroshima City Hall when the announcement was made, cheered and teared up upon receiving the news.
“Is it really true? Unbelievable!” Mimaki screamed.
Efforts to eradicate nuclear weapons have been previously recognized by the Nobel committee. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons received the peace prize in 2017, and in 1995, Joseph Rotblat and the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs were honored for “their efforts to diminish the part played by nuclear arms in international politics and, in the longer run, to eliminate such arms.”
This year’s Nobel Peace Prize was awarded against the backdrop of devastating global conflicts, notably in the Middle East, Ukraine, and Sudan.
Frydnes emphasized the growing threats in response to a question about Russia’s rhetoric surrounding nuclear weapons in its invasion of Ukraine.
“It is very clear that threats of using nuclear weapons are putting pressure on the important international norm, the taboo of using nuclear weapons,” Frydnes said. “And therefore, it is alarming to see how threats of use are also damaging this norm. To uphold a strong international taboo against the use is crucial for all of humanity.”
Alfred Nobel’s will specified that the peace prize should be awarded to those who perform “the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.”
Last year’s Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to jailed Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi for her advocacy of women’s rights, democracy, and her opposition to the death penalty. The Nobel committee noted that the prize also recognized “the hundreds of thousands of people” who protested against “Iran’s theocratic regime’s policies of discrimination and oppression targeting women.”
In a year marked by global conflict, there was speculation that the Norwegian Nobel Committee might decide not to award a peace prize at all this year. However, the committee continued its tradition of honoring those who work for peace.
The Nobel Prizes carry a cash award of 11 million Swedish kronor ($1 million). While most Nobel Prizes are selected and announced in Stockholm, the peace prize is uniquely decided and awarded in Oslo by the five-member Norwegian Nobel Committee.
The Nobel season concludes Monday with the announcement of the winner of the economics prize, formally known as the Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
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