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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 23, 2024
Contact: Christian Ciobanu; cciobanu@napf.org, + 1 917 294 4029 | Aigerim Seitenova; aigeraseitenova@gmail.com
From the Pacific to the Steppes: Addressing Nuclear Sins and Advancing Nuclear Justice
On August 29th, 2024, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and its youth initiative Reverse the Trend: Save Our People, Save Our Planet will be hosting a Youth Forum entitled “From the Pacific to the Steppes: Addressing Nuclear Sins and Advancing Nuclear Justice” with the Steppe Organization for Peace (STOP) and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Foundation Kazakhstan in Astana, Kazakhstan. This forum is focused on facilitating dialogue between youth from impacted communities to discuss the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons and is set to occur on the International Day Against Nuclear Tests.
The forum is held in connection with the Coordination Committee meeting of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and is closely associated with the Nuclear Survivors Forum organized by International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapon (ICAN), in partnership with STOP, Center for International Security and Peace (CISP), and Peace Boat. The Nuclear Survivors Forum aims to provide important opportunities for exchange amongst nuclear affected communities from around the world and to input into the TPNW policy process on victim assistance and environmental remediation.
Participants for the Youth Forum will include: third generation survivors from Kiribati and Kazakhstan, the co-chairs of the working group on Articles 6 and 7 of the TPNW, Executive Director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, as well as high-level experts and diplomats. Participants for the Nuclear Survivors Forum will include: nuclear survivors from Kazakhstan, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Marshall Islands and the UK. Those from the USA, Fiji, Maohi Nui (French Polynesia) and Australia will also join virtually through video.
Speakers include: Dr. Ivana Hughes, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
Christian N. Ciobanu, Policy and Advocacy Director of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, RTT Project Coordinator and TPNW Advisor for Kiribati; Brock Walker, NAPF/RTT Nuclear Justice Campaign Manager; Aigerim Seitenova, Co-Founder of STOP; Maverick Peter-Seda, RTT Pacific Chapter; Sueichi Kido, a Hibakusha (atomic bomb survivor) from Nagasaki and Secretary General of Nihon Hidankyo (Japan Confederation of A-and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations); Aigerim Yelgeldy, a third generation nuclear test survivor from the city of Semey, Kazakhstan; Melissa Parke, the Executive Director of ICAN; H.E. Ambassador Alexander Kmentt, Director for the Disarmament, Arms Control and Non-Proliferation at the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who also served as the President of the First Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW, among other high-level participants.
Ciobanu states: “Youth empowerment is essential. It is critical for both i-Kiribati, Marshallese young Kazakhs, whose families experienced the tragic impact of nuclear weapons, and passionate youth from the Solomon Islands, to come together. Through joining forces, they can spark transformational change by engaging with diplomats who are preparing the guidelines for an international trust fund. I am pleased that the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and its youth initiative, Reverse The Trend, are playing a supportive role in this process.”
Walker states: “The Nevada-Semey movement fascinates me as a native of Las Vegas, Nevada because the idea of Kazakhs and Nevadans fighting side-by-side against nuclear testing, thousands of miles away from each other, is truly inspiring. I am excited to attend the Youth Forum in Astana, Kazakhstan to learn more about this history and help contribute to the next generation of advocates against nuclear testing and for nuclear justice.”
Aigerim states: “The Youth Forum will take place on the 75th anniversary of the first nuclear test which was conducted on 29th of August 1949. It is a special occasion to remind and be reminded of the catastrophic impact of nuclear weapons. As a Kazakh nuclear frontline community member, I am excited to welcome youth from nuclear frontline communities in Kazakhstan, to share the nuclear legacy of my hometown and to facilitate the dialogue uniting us in the common fight for nuclear justice.”
Kido states: “Nuclear weapons do not allow humans to die as humans or live as humans. They are the weapons of insanity, created with a sole aim of extinction of all. They are the absolute evil that humans can never accept. The citizens of the world have agreed to rid the world of nuclear weapons by adopting the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Only a handful of nations are against it. I hope the Nuclear Survivors Forum becomes a big step forward towards the creation of a world free of nuclear weapons.”
Rico Robertson, International Coordinator of Peace Boat, an International Steering Group member organization of ICAN states: “The ultimate aim of both Youth and Nuclear Survivors Forums is to bring people together for one shared goal: to achieve the world free from nuclear weapons. We sincerely hope that both Forums offer a space and opportunity for the nuclear survivors with diverse backgrounds to deepen and widen their horizontal network among themselves to work together towards the shared goal. Non-Qazaq/Kazakh participants and coordinators will also have an opportunity to learn about the nuclear legacy and the history of resistance by the people of Kazakhstan. The Forums will present the inputs from the nuclear-affected communities to the Third Meeting of State Parties to the TPNW in March 2025, which will be presided by Kazakhstan.”
Melissa Parke, the Executive Director of ICAN states: “On the International Day Against Nuclear Testing it is particularly poignant to be here in Kazakhstan with survivors of nuclear weapons from around the world. Kazakhstan is not only the location of devastating nuclear tests, but also the place where the world witnessed remarkable activism to end testing here and everywhere. Alongside nuclear weapons survivors from civil society, Kazakhstan is now co-leading work with Kiribati under the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons to implement a survivor-led and human rights based-approach to provide assistance and environmental remediation to nuclear survivors. I urge all governments to join this treaty without delay.”
Ultimately, the participants will present a declaration regarding the international trust fund to members of the TPNW coordination committee. They will also lay the foundation for a sustainable international youth network. This is a historic forum, where youth from Kiribati and Kazakhstan, both states that have suffered from nuclear weapons, will connect.
Participants will be available to answer questions in English. Translation will be provided into Qazaq/Kazakh.
About the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation:
The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is a non-profit, 501c(3) organization with a mission to educate and advocate for a just and peaceful world, one that is free of nuclear weapons. Since its founding in 1982, the foundation has been at the forefront of global efforts to abolish nuclear weapons and foster a culture of peace. Currently, the foundation is immersed in the promotion and implementation of the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, among other important projects and activities.
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