Nobel Peace Prize 2024: What is the role of the Nihon Hidankyo organization ?

This Friday, the Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo received the Nobel Peace Prize for its commitment against nuclear weapons.

The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded this Friday, October 11, to the Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo. It was rewarded for “its efforts in favor of a world without nuclear weapons and for having demonstrated by testimonies that nuclear weapons must never again be used.” This is a consecration for the organization that had already been in the running in 1985, 1994 and 2015.

This award comes as 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of these explosions. Nuclear threats are also being made in current conflicts, notably by Vladimir Putin and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un. Iran's nuclear program is also feared in the context of military escalations with Israel.

Nihon Hidankyo is a confederation of survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, founded in 1956. Its leaders are all Hibakusha, a term for the victims of these atomic bombings. The Japanese organization's initial mission was to push its country's government to grant rights to the victims of the bombings. Then, it focused more on the fight against the use of nuclear weapons and their financing.

Strong actions and moving testimonies

Nihon Hidankyo presents three main objectives on its site: the “prevention of nuclear war and the “elimination of nuclear weapons”, “compensation by the state for the damage caused by the A-bomb” as well as”improving current policies and measures for the protection and assistance of the Hibakusha”.

To achieve its objectives, different types of actions are put in place. First of all, for prevention, the organization provides testimonies from victims, thus making it possible to become aware of the real after-effects left by such a disaster. She also speaks for the Hibakusha at the UN and shares statements against nuclear tests and exercises. In addition, she works to enact a law to help victims, including compensation from the State for these people as well as for the bereaved families. This can be done through “signature campaigns, marches, sit-ins”. Finally, she is committed to “providing advice and other assistance to the Hibakusha in their health difficulties” and life".