Joint Statement by Four Christian Universities
On November 25, 2024, the presidents of four Christian universities in Nagasaki Prefecture (Chinzei Gakuin University, Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies, Nagasaki Junshin Catholic University, and Kwassui Women’s University) issued a joint statement on the receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo).
The joint statement emphasized that “it is the mission of those of us at the universities to find a path to a world free of nuclear weapons and a way to achieve world peace,” and President Sakamoto called on the Japanese government to sign and ratify the Nuclear Weapons Convention, as Nagasaki will be the last A-bombed city in Japan.
The four universities plan to hold joint student-led forums and symposiums in 2025 to mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing.
Joint Statement by Four Universities on the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations
We, the four Christian universities of Nagasaki prefecture—Chinzei Gakuin University, Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies, Nagasaki Junshin Catholic University, and Kwassui Women’s University—wholeheartedly welcome the announcement by the Nobel Peace Prize Committee that the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo) has been selected as the recipient of the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize. On this occasion, we wish to once again express our deepest respect for the tireless efforts Nihon Hidankyo has made toward the abolition of nuclear weapons and the promotion of peace.
It goes without saying that Nihon Hidankyo’s members have consistently appealed to the world about the horrors of nuclear weapons and the preciousness of peace from their perspective as atomic bomb survivors. Our four universities in Nagasaki prefecture also share a history of having suffered direct and indirect losses and devastation from the atomic bombings. The existence of nuclear weapons is by no means a distant issue for us. Regrettably, when we look at today’s international community, conflicts such as those in Ukraine, the Gaza Strip, and Lebanon appear to be expanding rather than subsiding. Moreover, tensions among major military powers—such as the United States, Russia, and China—show no signs of easing. The danger of nuclear weapons being used again is becoming a growing concern. It is against this backdrop that Nihon Hidankyo’s receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize carries profound significance.
In Nagasaki, the late Dr. Hideo Tsuchiyama, former president of Nagasaki University and a survivor of the atomic bombing, was a prominent leader in the nuclear disarmament movement. He often remarked, “The abolition of nuclear weapons requires reason and sensitivity to move forward together, like the two wheels of a cart.” Survivors of the atomic bombings have shared their unimaginably horrific experiences to stir the hearts and sensibilities of people around the world, highlighting the terror of nuclear weapons and the necessity of their abolition.
We, as members of the academic community, see it as our mission to appeal to humanity’s reason and to seek pathways toward a nuclear-free world and the achievement of global peace. Furthermore, it is our responsibility, as educators, to nurture the younger generations who will carry forward the movement for nuclear disarmament. On the occasion of Nihon Hidankyo’s receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize, we reiterate our profound respect for the efforts of atomic bomb survivors toward the abolition of nuclear weapons and the realization of world peace. As universities located in Nagasaki, the epicenter of this global issue, we reaffirm our commitment to redouble our efforts toward achieving a world free of nuclear weapons.
November 25, 2024
President Kang Sang-jung, Chinzei Gakuin University,
President Akihito Ishikawa, Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies,
President Kumiko Sakamoto, Nagasaki Junshin Catholic University,
Chancellor Satoshi Hirose, Kwassui Women’s University
