KUALA LUMPUR: Following the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony for Nihon Hidankyo on Dec 10, the Nobel Peace Prize Forum will take place at the Oslo University Aula on Dec 11.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the forum is organised by the Norwegian Nobel Institute and co-sponsored by the University of Oslo, the City of Oslo, Soka Gakkai International (SGI), and the International Forum for Understanding. Soka Gakkai President, Minoru Harada, expressed that the award to Nihon Hidankyo is an inspiration to intensify efforts towards nuclear weapons abolition. He stated in a statement that the forum aims to foster deep dialogue that appeals to global citizens, particularly the youth.

The forum, titled “Nukes: How to Counter the Threat”, will feature 13 expert speakers. Among the speakers are two hibakusha, Masao Tomonaga, director emeritus of the Japanese Red Cross Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Hospital, and Keiko Ogura, founder of Hiroshima Interpreters for Peace and a three-time Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Other notable parti
cipants include IAEA director general Rafael Mariano Grossi, ICAN executive director Melissa Parke, and Pugwash Conferences for Science and World Affairs secretary-general-elect Karen Astrid Hallberg. The forum will be attended by 500 people in person, with SGI also co-hosting a Facebook live stream.

Additionally, a high-level panel titled “Avoiding Nuclear War: The Case for No First Use” will be held in the afternoon. This workshop, co-organised by the University of Oslo, Peacebook, and SGI in association with the Norwegian Nobel Institute, will feature discussions on risk reduction and confidence-building under the Chatham House Rule.

In parallel, SGI will organise a Youth Dialogue with Hibakusha at the University of Oslo. Dr. Tomonaga and Ogura will engage with local high school and university students, as well as SGI youth members, in discussions about their experiences. Since the 1970s, Soka Gakkai has gathered testimonies from survivors and created numerous resources related to the atomic bombings.