Organisation of atomic bomb survivors wins Nobel Peace prize

Pax Christi members during their visit to Japan with peace activists and hibakusha.

Pax Christi USA has extended its warmest congratulations to Nihon Hidankyo, an organization founded in 1956 of hibakusha - survivors of the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - for receiving this year's Nobel Peace prize. Hibakusha have spent decades sharing their stories, lobbying governments, and raising awareness about the devastating consequences of nuclear weapons.

The Nobel Peace prize website states: 'The extraordinary efforts of Nihon Hidankyo and other representatives of the Hibakusha have contributed greatly to the establishment of a nuclear taboo.'

"We are thrilled about the Nobel Peace prize being awarded to a group of Japanese hibakusha for their dedication to campaigning for nuclear disarmament," said Jim Thomas, a member of Pax Christi USA's nuclear disarmament working group. "As a group dedicated to disarmament, Pax Christi draws new inspiration and energy from this recognition. We congratulate the Japanese atomic bomb survivors and stand in solidarity with all hibakusha and all downwinders who have been impacted by their exposure to harmful radiation from the production, testing, and use of nuclear weapons. For the sake of the world and future generations, we will not rest until all nuclear weapons are eliminated."

Nihon Hidankyo is a shortened version of the Japanese name of the group, translated into English as 'Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations.'

Eleven Pax Christi USA members traveled to Japan in March 2024 to meet with church leaders, peace activists and hibakusha. See: https://paxchristiusa.org/2024/03/05/pax-christi-usa-members-take-pilgrimage-to-japan/

Read more on Pax Christi USA's recent work on nuclear disarmament: https://paxchristiusa.org/nuclear-disarmament/