Alva Myrdal’s Acceptance Speech, on the occasion of the award of the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, December 10, 1982

(Translation)

Your Majesty, Your Royal Highnesses, Mr. Chairman,

I wish to assure you that the brevity of my speech is in no way a measure of the depth of my gratitude.

I would like to express special thanks to the Chairman of the Nobel Committee for a bold acknowledgement of the principles which must support all efforts to attain peace and disarmament.

My main purpose today is to express my warmly felt thanks to the Norwegian Nobel Committee for granting me this year’s Nobel Prize for the cause of peace.

I also extend my thanks to the large groups of people who have, due to a new awareness, brought forth a strong popular movement for peace. Now sounds the cry “Down with nuclear weapons!”

My gratitude also goes to those great numbers of experts and authors in many countries who have destroyed false misconceptions and provided us with powerful arguments for a cessation of this competition in overarmament.

All mankind is now learning that these nuclear weapons can only serve to destroy, never become beneficial.

And thus we can hope that men will understand that the interest of all are the same, that hope lies in cooperation. We can then perhaps keep PEACE.