WCC WELCOMES NOBEL PEACE PRIZE FOR NIHON HIDANKYO

On October 11, 2024, the World Council of Churches (WCC) warmly welcomed the announcement that Nihon Hidankyo had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Nihon Hidankyo, the organization of survivors of the nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, known as Hibakusha, received the prize for their efforts to advocate for a world free of nuclear weapons. They achieved this by sharing their personal testimonies and highlighting the devastating humanitarian impacts of nuclear weapons.

Their stories not only exposed their suffering but also contributed to a shift in the moral perception of nuclear weapons worldwide.

Since its founding in 1948, the WCC has opposed nuclear weapons, describing the threat of nuclear war as a "sin against God and a degradation of humanity." The organization has consistently called for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons through its various programs and global church networks.

Peter Prove, the WCC's director of the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, reiterated the organization’s commitment to supporting all efforts to eliminate the nuclear threat. Prove also urged governments around the world to ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and provide nuclear justice and environmental restoration to regions affected by nuclear testing.

The message was clear: “Nuclear weapons do not offer security; instead, they create ongoing insecurity as long as they exist.”

With this award, it is hoped that Nihon Hidankyo's fight for a world without nuclear weapons will receive even more international support.