Nobel Peace Prize Awarded To Japanese Atomic Bomb Survivors | rssama.com

The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded Friday to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese statement of survivors of nan U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, for its activism against atomic weapons.

Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of nan Norwegian Nobel Committee, said nan grant was made arsenic nan “taboo against nan usage of atomic weapons is nether pressure.”

Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a displacement successful his country’s nuclear doctrine, successful a move aimed astatine discouraging nan West from allowing Ukraine to onslaught Russia pinch longer-range weapons. It appeared to importantly little nan period for nan imaginable usage of Russia’s atomic arsenal.

Tomoyuki Mimaki, typical head of nan Nihon Hidankyo, attends a property convention aft nan group was awarded nan 2024 Nobel Peace Prize connected Friday.

STR via Getty Images

Watne Frydnes said nan Nobel committee “wishes to grant each survivors who, contempt beingness suffering and achy memories, person chosen to usage their costly acquisition to cultivate dream and engagement for peace.”

Hidankyo’s Hiroshima branch chairperson, Tomoyuki Mimaki, who was opinionated by astatine nan metropolis hallway for nan announcement, shouted and teared up erstwhile he received nan news.

“Is it really true? Unbelievable!” Mimaki screamed.

Efforts to eliminate atomic weapons person been honored earlier by nan Nobel committee. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons won nan bid prize successful 2017, and successful 1995 Joseph Rotblat and nan Pugwash Conferences connected Science and World Affairs won for “their efforts to diminish nan portion played by atomic arms successful world authorities and, successful nan longer run, to destruct specified arms.”

This year’s prize was awarded against a backdrop of devastating conflicts raging successful nan Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan.

A dove flies from nan model of nan Nobel Peace Center successful Oslo, Norway aft Japanese statement Nihon Hidankyo was awarded nan 2024 Nobel Peace Prize.

THOMAS FURE via Getty Images

“It is very clear that threats of utilizing atomic weapons are putting unit connected nan important world norm, nan taboo of utilizing atomic weapons,” Watne Frydnes said successful consequence to a mobility connected whether nan rhetoric from Russia surrounding atomic weapons successful its penetration of Ukraine had influenced this year’s decision.

“And truthful it is alarming to spot really threats of usage is besides damaging this norm. To uphold an world beardown taboo against nan usage is important for each of humanity,” he added.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said connected X that “the spectre of Hiroshima and Nagasaki still looms complete humanity. This makes nan defense of Nihon Hidankyo invaluable. This Nobel Peace Prize sends a powerful message. We person nan work to remember. And an moreover greater work to protect nan adjacent generations from nan horrors of atomic war.”

Alfred Nobel stated successful his will that nan bid prize should beryllium awarded for “the astir aliases nan champion activity for fraternity betwixt nations, for nan abolition aliases simplification of opinionated armies and for nan holding and promotion of bid congresses.”

In this 1945 record photo, a position of nan devastation aft nan atomic explosive was dropped successful Hiroshima, Japan.

via Associated Press

Last year’s prize went to jailed Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi for her defense of women’s authorities and democracy, and against nan decease penalty. The Nobel committee said it besides was a nickname of “the hundreds of thousands of people” who demonstrated against “Iran’s theocratic regime’s policies of favoritism and oppression targeting women.”

In a twelvemonth of conflict, location had been immoderate speculation that nan Norwegian Nobel Committee that decides connected nan victor would opt not to grant a prize astatine all. The prize has been withheld 19 times since 1901, including during some world wars. The past clip it was not awarded was successful 1972.

In nan Middle East, spiraling levels of unit successful nan past twelvemonth person killed tens of thousands of people, including women and children. The war, sparked by a bloody ambush into Israel by Hamas-led militants connected Oct. 7, 2023, that near astir 1,200 group dead, mostly civilians, has spilled into nan wider region.

In nan past week, Israel sent crushed troops into Lebanon to prosecute Hezbollah militants firing rockets into Israel, while Iran -– which backs some Hamas and Hezbollah -– fired ballistic missiles into Israel. Israel has yet to respond, but its defense curate vowed this week that its retaliation would beryllium some devastating and surprising.

The warfare successful Gaza has killed much than 42,000 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate betwixt civilians and combatants successful its count but says much than half are women and children. In Lebanon, much than 1,400 group person been killed, pinch thousands much injured and astir 1 cardinal displaced since mid-September, erstwhile nan Israeli subject dramatically expanded its violative against Hezbollah.

The warfare successful Ukraine, sparked by Russia’s invasion, is heading toward its 3rd wintertime pinch a monolithic nonaccomplishment of quality life connected some sides.

The U.N. has confirmed much than 11,000 Ukrainian civilian dead, but that doesn’t return into relationship arsenic galore arsenic 25,000 Ukrainians believed killed during nan Russian seizure of nan metropolis of Mariupol aliases unreported deaths successful occupied regions.

The Nobel prizes transportation a rate award of 11 cardinal Swedish kronor ($1 million). Unlike nan different prizes that are selected and announced successful Stockholm, laminitis Alfred Nobel decreed nan bid prize beryllium decided and awarded successful Oslo by nan five-member Norwegian Nobel Committee.

The Nobel play ends Monday pinch nan announcement of nan victor of nan economics prize, formally known arsenic nan Bank of Sweden Prize successful Economic Sciences successful Memory of Alfred Nobel.

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Corder reported from The Hague, Netherlands, and Becatoros from Athens, Greece. Mari Yamaguchi successful Tokyo, Lori Hinnant successful Paris and Vanessa Gera successful Warsaw, Poland, contributed.