×

News

Nihon Hidankyo awarded Nobel Peace Prize: Interview with Norwegian Nobel Committee Chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes speaks of “wish to honor all A-bomb survivors”

by Michiko Tanaka, Senior Staff Writer

On the night of October 28, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, 39, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, the body that made the decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to the Tokyo-based Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo), participated in an online interview with the Chugoku Shimbun. In the interview, Mr. Frydnes emphasized the committee’s wish to honor all A-bomb survivors (hibakusha), including many that are “no longer here,” who have chosen to speak about their experiences in their call for a world without nuclear weapons.

Mr. Frydnes, serving as chair of the committee with its five members, read out the reasons for awarding the prize to the Nihon Hidankyo organization when the prize announcement was made on October 11. Regarding the contributions of the A-bomb survivors, he offered his praise in the interview. “They have been able to establish and uphold what we call the ‘nuclear taboo’ by continuing to tell and retell their stories. Also, bringing new generations into that storytelling is really important.”

As a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize, Nihon Hidankyo has repeatedly been part of the conversation since the 1980s. Mr. Frydnes mentioned the increased tensions in global affairs as the backdrop for awarding this year’s prize to the organization. Referring to the situations in Ukraine and the Middle East, he said that the threat of nuclear weapons use was growing “more and more serious.” To the political leaders of nations around the world including Japan, he stressed, “Now, we should really use the time to listen to the stories of the hibakusha for all of humanity, because their stories are so important for reminding ourselves of why we need a nuclear-free world.”

Mr. Frydnes said he has not been to Japan. He mentioned that he “would like to visit Hiroshima someday” with his two children.

(Originally published on October 30, 2024)

Archives