Peace Prize Playoffs

by April Fatula, assistant professor of communications

The Nobel Prize Laureates were announced last week, and for my HNRS 2010 class, it was the Olympics, March Madness and Super Bowl all rolled into one.

Harding’s Honors College has been selected by the National Collegiate Honors Council and the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, Norway, as a Partners in Peace institution. This recognition is based on a Fall 2025 honors course that examines the rhetorical strategies of Nihon Hidankyo, the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize-winning survivors group from Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The course emphasizes peacebuilding, civic engagement and the power of testimony. 

The designation as a Partners in Peace institution brings national distinction to Harding and opens doors for further scholarship and student engagement on a global stage. I have been invited to present the course results at the Oslo Peace Congress in May 2026.

Organized in 1956 and composed of survivors of the American atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945, Nihon Hidankyo relies on personal witness statements to educate audiences on the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of the use of nuclear weapons. 

This semester, honors students are examining the communication tactics employed by Nihon Hidankyo and exploring ways to apply them to other problems and crises affecting humanity. Students are also studying the history of peace and protest in the U.S., globally, on college campuses and among religious communities. We are addressing the following Big Questions: Who are we? What matters? and What are my responsibilities?

Students are also learning more broadly about the Nobel Peace Center. The Nobel Prize announcements kicked off Oct. 6 with the Prize in Physiology or Medicine and built throughout the week, culminating in the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize on Oct. 10.

Although the outcome was a closely guarded secret, students in the course carefully researched and selected their candidates for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, and we encouraged the Harding community to be part of the excitement by voting for the most likely winner. Campaign posters were on display in the Sears Honors House, and students gave formal campaign speeches. Greta Thunberg was the class winner, competing against David Attenborough, Irwin Cotler, Tim Friede, Yulia Navalnaya, Cheryl Perera, Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms and Donald Trump.

Although none of these was the actual winner, my students and I have gained a deeper understanding of the concept of peace, as well as the problems plaguing nations across the globe. But in the process, we are also learning about the goodness that exists in humanity and the fact that we are all created in God’s image. This is a powerful reminder and challenge. 

Two of these students and I will also take part in the Partners in Peace second annual Knowledge Café today, Oct. 13. There are 25 institutions from around the world signed up, with more than 120 students and 25 faculty members expected to engage with the theme of peace. This event will give students from around the world an opportunity to interact, share perspectives and explore how we — individually and collectively — can amplify the impact of the Nobel Peace Prize.