ATOM Project presented at the ICAN Civil Society Forum in Oslo

The Atom Project will tell the tragic and hopeful stories of survivors of nuclear testing from the region of Semey, Kazakhstan, the site of more than 450 Soviet-era nuclear tests. The survivors and their children continue to suffer from illness, disease and severe deformities caused by exposure to nuclear radiation during and after the testing, which took place 100 miles outside of the city, then called Semipalatinsk.

semipalatinsk in eastern kazakhstan was the main test facility for nuclear weapons in the soviet union – photo by robert knoth

04 March 2013, 11:37

ASTANA. March 4. KAZINFORM Kazakh delegation with the Honorary ATOM Project Ambassador Karipbek Kuyukov was among 500 campaigners from 70 countries gathered in Oslo, Norway, from 2 to 3 March 2013 for the Civil Society Forum of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), with the aim of ramping up efforts to get negotiations started on a treaty banning nuclear weapons. The two-day forum included presentations by international policy and military experts, the Red Cross and UN representatives.

The ATOM project has been presented during the event. Deputy Director of “Nazarbayev Center” Roman Vasilenko informed the participants and guests of the efforts of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the international community in the aftermath of nuclear tests at the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, and stressed the importance of further work in this area.

The ATOM Project is an international petition campaign designed to unify global public opinion against nuclear weapons testing. The Atom Project went live August 22, 2012 with international television and social media campaigns, a short documentary and video profiles of current survivors of nuclear testing.

The Project is an initiative of The Nazarbayev Center, whose mandate, in part, is to continue and broaden Kazakhstan’s legacy of fighting for a world free of nuclear weapons and weapons testing. The Atom Project hopes to affect real and lasting change by engaging millions of global citizens to stop nuclear weapons testing by joining together to show the world’s leaders that its citizens deserve and demand a world safe from additional nuclear weapons testing.

The Atom Project will tell the tragic and hopeful stories of survivors of nuclear testing from the region of Semey, Kazakhstan, the site of more than 450 Soviet-era nuclear tests. The survivors and their children continue to suffer from illness, disease and severe deformities caused by exposure to nuclear radiation during and after the testing, which took place 100 miles outside of the city, then called Semipalatinsk.

K.Kuyukov noted the importance of the ATOM project in the construction of a nuclear-free world. “Today, we have the right to note that the anti-nuclear project ATOM is contributing to increasing the understanding of the world of the need to struggle against the nuclear threat, understanding common destiny on this planet. Today, we have to mobilize world public opinion more widely than ever, in order to eliminate nuclear weapons,” ATOM Honorary Ambassador said.

The forum included meetings with academics and non-governmental organizations dealing with nuclear disarmament. Executive Director of the Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomac in London, Rebecca Johnson expressed gratitude to Kazakhstan for continued efforts towards nuclear disarmament.

“Thank you for what has been done and is being done by Kazakhstan. This is important, for it shows an example to other countries real nuclear disarmament. ” R. Johnson said.

During the meeting with the head of the Oslo Center for Peace and Human rights Bike for Peace Tore Naerland joint actions in Kazakhstan and in other countries, particularly in Russia and the U.S. were discussed

T.Naerland, organized and committed bike ride Semey-Almaty-Astana in August 2011, and made numerous bicycle races for the world in different continents since 1970, believes key to future success lies in bringing together civil society activists from Kazakhstan and the world.

“I want to say “Rakhmet” (Thank You) to Kazakhstan for its contribution and for its hospitality! I want to come to Kazakhstan once again! We need to work together more actively to make progress! And we need to make future bicycle races with the people of Kazakhstan “, T.Naerland concluded.

http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2539662

Images also courtesy of http://www.icanw.org/campaign-news/norway/oslo-civil-society-forum/#.UTRMiByP8xA