The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the Japanese anti-nuclear weapon group Nihon Hidankyo, made up of atomic bomb survivors known as Hibakusha. The award was given for their efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and to demonstrate that nuclear weapons must never be used again. The use of nuclear bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 killed an estimated 120,000 people, and fears of nuclear war have resurfaced in recent years due to the modernization and upgrading of arsenals by nuclear powers, as well as the potential acquisition of nuclear weapons by new countries.
The committee highlighted the importance of maintaining the taboo against the use of nuclear weapons, which has been upheld for 80 years. However, this taboo is currently under pressure due to threats made by world leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin and the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and other regions where nuclear tensions are high.
The peace prize was awarded in a year with more active conflicts than since World War II, with major wars in the Middle East and Europe, as well as ongoing civil conflicts in countries like Sudan. As countries like North Korea, India, China, Pakistan, Israel, and Iran continue to possess or develop nuclear weapons, the need to promote peace and prevent the use of these devastating weapons remains critical in global geopolitics.
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