The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese organization representing survivors of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Nobel Peace Prize
- The Nobel Peace Prize is the only Nobel award that can be given to institutions, as opposed to individuals.
- It is selected by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, composed of five members appointed by the Norwegian Parliament (Storting).
- While the other Nobel Prizes are awarded in Sweden, the Peace Prize ceremony takes place in Oslo,Norway.
Notable Recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize
- Malala Yousafzai is the youngest-ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded at age 17 in 2014.
- Joseph Rotblat became the oldest laureate in 1995 at the age of 86.
- The Red Cross holds the distinction of winning the Nobel Peace Prize three times in 1917, 1944, and 1963.
- Indian Nobel Peace Prize recipients include Mother Teresa (1979) and Kailash Satyarthi (2014).
- Mahatma Gandhi was nominated five times but never received the award, with his last nomination occurring just before his assassination in 1948.
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About Nihon Hidankyo
- Nihon Hidankyo is a Japanese organization founded in 1956 that represents the survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, known as Hibakusha.
- The group’s key mission is to:
- Advocate for nuclear disarmament.
- Secure welfare and compensation for the Hibakusha.
- Raise global awareness of the aftermath and dangers of nuclear weapons.
- This award recognizes their efforts to promote a world free of nuclear weapons and their role in raising awareness about the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear warfare.
- Through testimonies and public outreach, Nihon Hidankyo has contributed significantly to the establishment of the nuclear taboo, which has helped prevent the use of nuclear weapons since 1945.
The 1945 Atomic Bombing
- The United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan during World War II:
- Hiroshima: The bomb “Little Boy” was dropped on August 6, 1945, killing over 70,000 people instantly.
- Nagasaki: The bomb “Fat Man” followed on August 9, 1945, killing at least 40,000 people instantly.
- The devastation led to Japan’s surrender and an acknowledgment from Emperor Hirohito that continuing the war would lead to the “total extinction of human civilization.”
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Previous Nobel Peace Prizes for Disarmament
- Nihon Hidankyo joins a long line of disarmament-focused Nobel laureates.
- In 2017, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) won for its efforts to establish a treaty banning nuclear weapons.
- Nihon Hidankyo and ICAN have collaborated to document the humanitarian impacts of nuclear weapons, furthering the cause of global disarmament.
October 14, 2024
