The Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo, which consists of survivors of the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II, has been announced as the recipient of the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize.
Jørgen Watne
Frydnes, Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, announced the award on Friday,
saying, "The ground efforts of the survivors of the atomic bombings of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II are commendable."
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He stated, “The
organization has tirelessly pursued their mission to create a world without
nuclear arms. Their goal is to ensure that nuclear weapons are never used
again. For this, the Nihon Hidankyo group is being awarded the Peace
Prize."
Setsuko
Thurlow, a member of this organization, spoke to the BBC earlier this year and
recounted the day when the American fighter planes dropped the atomic bombs.
Nihon Hidankyo
was formed in 1956 with the aim of warning the world about the dangers of
nuclear weapons by sharing firsthand accounts of the devastation caused. This
organization started nearly a decade after the bombings.
On August 6,
1945, an American fighter plane dropped a uranium bomb over the city of
Hiroshima. More than 140,000 people were killed.
Three days
later, the U.S. targeted another city, Nagasaki, and dropped an atomic bomb.
Two weeks later, Japan surrendered, bringing World War II to an end.
Toshiyuki
Mimaki, co-chair of the group, told reporters, "I never imagined in my
wildest dreams that this (Nobel Peace Prize) would happen."
Setsuko Thurlow
was one of the fortunate survivors of the Hiroshima bombing. At the age of 13,
she began her lifelong global efforts to inform the world about the
catastrophic dangers of nuclear weapons.
Recounting what
happened when the bomb was dropped, Setsuko told the BBC, "I saw a bright
flash. I didn’t even have time to think about what it was because my body was
flung into the air, and then I lost consciousness."
It was the
morning of August 6, 1945, at 8:16 AM when the U.S. The atomic bomb, called “Little
Boy,” was dropped over Hiroshima, marking the first use of a nuclear weapon in
warfare.
Fireballs and
clouds of dust everywhere Setsuko said, "When I regained consciousness, I
found myself surrounded by darkness. There was no sound."
"I
attempted to move my body, but I was unable to. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my
back, and a man’s voice said, ‘Don’t give up. Keep trying. Keep moving
forward.’"
Though Setsuko
never saw the man, she followed his instructions to escape the darkness. She
could hear the screams of her school friends, crying, "God save me, Mom
save me."
The building
had started burning. Those who were trapped inside were burned alive.
They looked like ghosts
In that room, 30 girls were working for the Japanese military. They
had been recruited as codebreakers because they were good at math.
Only Setsuko
and two other girls survived the attack.
Setsuko
recalls, "I could see that those bodies, which had just been human, no
longer looked human. They appeared like ghosts to me, their hair standing on
end. Their flesh and skin had melted off their bones, and parts of their bodies
were missing."
After the war
ended, Setsuko received an offer in 1954 to study sociology in Virginia, USA.
However, things became complicated after an interview was published in a
newspaper.
In 1952, the
United States conducted the first-ever hydrogen bomb test, which was 1,000
times more destructive than the atosmic bomb used on Hiroshima.
A newspaper in
Virginia wanted to interview someone who had experienced a nuclear attack
firsthand and hear their thoughts on the arms race. They contacted Setsuko for
an interview.
The article was
published with Setsuko's statement: "Enough is enough. Hiroshima and Nagasaki
must never happen again." She criticized U.S. nuclear policy. In return,
she received threats and hate letters from Americans.
But Setsuko
didn’t give up and has been campaigning worldwide against the dangers of
nuclear weapons ever since.
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