Survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Nobel Prize for Peace and Hope!

Survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Nobel Prize for Peace and Hope!

In a moving moment of history, the survivors of the Japanese atomic bombs, which have come together in the Nihon Hidankyo group, have received the Nobel Prize for Peace 2024. This award was given to them for their tireless efforts for a world without nuclear weapons. A sign of hope in a time when the threats from nuclear weapons come back to the fore!

The members of the group, now in their 80s and 90s, experienced the ceremonial ceremony in the Oslo town hall in Norway. Among them was Toshiyuki Mimaki, 82 years old and co -chair by Nihon Hidankyo, who expressed his surprise in an interview with Al Jazera. "I was sitting in the Hiroshima town hall and expected the price this year will be awarded to people who work for peace in the Gaza Strip," he said. "I was just shocked."

an appeal for peace

The group's mission is clear: "We have to make sure that nuclear weapons are never used again," emphasized Mimaki. This message is reinforced by the current conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine. Terumi Tanaka, who thought the thank you speech for Nihon Hidankyo, spoke urgently about the dangers that come from today's wars. "The nuclear superpower of Russia threatens to use nuclear weapons in the war against Ukraine, and a cabinet member of Israel even spoke about the possible use of nuclear weapons in the middle of the incessant attacks on Gaza," warned Tanaka.

"I am infinitely sad and angry that the nuclear is taboo," he added. In his moving speech, Tanaka remembered the "bright, white light" that he saw when an American bomber aircraft winded the atomic bomb over Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, just three days after the first attack on Hiroshima. "Many people who were seriously injured or burned were simply left to themselves, without any help. I became almost emotionless and concluded my feeling for humanity, while I simply aimed at my goal," he said.

Since this terrible day, Tanaka has worked with other survivors to prevent the use of nuclear weapons for decades. Their commitment led, among other things, to sign the contract for the ban on nuclear weapons, a crucial step towards a more peaceful world.