Nobel Peace Prize honors atomic bomb survivors as they share anti-nuclear message with youth

The 2024 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, a group of atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This recognition highlights their ongoing efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of nuclear weapons as their numbers dwindle. With an average age of 85.6, the hibakusha are concerned that younger generations do not fully grasp the nuclear threat. The number of local hibakusha groups has decreased from 47 to 36, and the Japanese government has not signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. In response, a youth movement is emerging, with students pledging to continue the survivors' activism. Initiatives like the Japan Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons are connecting young people with hibakusha to document their stories and promote peace.