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Twin threats to the Marshallese — Beyond Nuclear International

Art reflects trauma of nuclear testing and climate change

Twin threats to the Marshallese — Beyond Nuclear International

Youth activists paint pictures of their forgotten history and perilous present

From Reverse The Trend and the Marshallese Educational Initiative

Last summer, Reverse The Trend and Marshallese Educational Initiative showcased a series of paintings by Marshallese youth that reflect the twin existential threats of nuclear testing and climate change as part of the Amnesia Atómica Exhibit in New York City’s Times Square. 

The paintings expose the trauma experienced by youth living in diaspora in the United States who are learning about the ongoing biological, ecological, and cultural consequences of US nuclear testing on their homelands — a history not taught in US schools. 

Joining other youth from affected communities and using art as activism, Marshallese youth are reversing the trend and engaging leaders and their communities to act on these twin threats.

The Amnesia Atómica exposition centered around artist Pedro Reyes’s ZERO NUKES, a 30-foot-tall inflatable sculpture serving as a beacon to bring experts, political leaders, and engaged citizens together to address the nuclear threat. 

It was commissioned by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, which focuses on three main areas—nuclear risk, climate change, and disruptive technologies—and equips the public, policymakers, and scientists with the information needed to reduce man-made threats to our existence.

The sculpture was designed to serve as a central platform for a series of public programs and events to spotlight the voices of activists, artists, scientists, and community organizations in the anti-nuclear field, and drive conversations around non-proliferation and disarmament. 

Amnesia Atómica was curated by Pedro Alonzo, who specializes in ambitious artworks in public spaces.

We are also sharing our documentary, “A Journey Home.” The film is based on a community poem written by six Marshallese students — ranging from high school to undergraduate — living in Springdale, Arkansas. It is a reflection on the many meanings of home: as Arkansas, as the Marshall Islands, and as Earth that needs to be protected and cultivated for the next generation…………more https://beyondnuclearinternational.org/2023/02/05/twin-threats-to-the-marshallese/—

February 6, 2023 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | culture and arts, OCEANIA