10 December 2024
At a time of deep crisis in global cooperation and governance, the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Nihon Hidankyo, the organization representing survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Hibakusha), is an essential reminder of what is at stake in the world today – and the strength and commitment of activists to ensure a peaceful future that respects the human rights of all.
The Hibakusha overcame adversity – mental, emotional, and physical trauma, stigmatization, and the dominating geopolitics in the post-Cold War order – to deliver a clear message: there is no humanity, and there are no human rights, when a nuclear weapon is used. As the Hibakusha know too well, the indiscriminate effects of nuclear weapons mean that innocent civilians will inevitably suffer unimaginable and inhumane consequences as a result of their use.
Nihon Hidankyo’s mission to abolish nuclear weapons and ensure no one else suffers their consequences is finally recognized by the Nobel Committee on International Human Rights Day – underlining the fundamentality of peace to the exercising of human rights. In fact, the mere existence of nuclear weapons and the threat of their use have been used to perpetrate human rights violations on a global scale – most recently through Russian president Vladimir Putin’s nuclear sabre rattling around Ukraine and the vague but nonetheless concerning statements of Israeli ministers. At the same time, the deteriorating state of peace on a global level exacerbates nuclear risks, with warnings of a new nuclear arms race underway.
With the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists’ Doomsday Clock at just 90 seconds to midnight, the testimonies of the Hibakusha and tireless work of Nihon Hidankyo to spread awareness and push for the abolition of nuclear weapons is just as – if not more – important than ever. New technologies and increasing expenditure have made nuclear weapons deadlier and more destructive than ever. The call has been strengthened with the recent unanimous approval by UN member states of the Pact for the Future.
Today, as we witness history with the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony, and as we reflect on the protection of human rights across the globe, it is an occasion for both celebration and deep reflection on the need to strengthen the global movement for nuclear abolition, peace, and global cooperation.
Nihon Hidankyo and the Hibakusha serve as an example of what committed, tireless, and brave peace activism can and must look like in an era of war and division. Let us all join alongside to call for a more peaceful and just future based in human rights and common security.