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Young Changemakers Advocate for Nuclear-Free Future through Educational Journey in Kazakhstan

The Astana Times – bringing Kazakhstan to the world, By Assel Satubaldina , 29 July 2024

ASTANA—A group of 20 young changemakers from Kazakhstan and Germany recently embarked on a week-long educational journey through Kazakhstan to explore the country’s nuclear past, meet policymakers, and talk to affected communities. 

The tour took the group to the ministerial halls in Astana, activists in Almaty, researchers, and the nuclear-affected communities in Semei, which was once the site for the Soviet-run nuclear test site. This educational tour, organized by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Kazakhstan, ICAN Germany, and Kazakhstan’s STOP (Steppe Organization for Peace) youth initiative, aimed to foster a deeper understanding of nuclear non-proliferation and amplify the voices of affected communities. 

Kazakhstan’s Semipalatinsk nuclear test site was a venue for the Soviet Union to test nuclear weapons. Official data indicates that 456 nuclear tests between 1949 and 1989, including 340 underground and 116 atmospheric tests, were conducted at the test site, with an area of 18,300 square kilometers. 

Around 1.5 million people have been affected by radiation exposure over the years, including health consequences such as an increase in cancer rates, birth defects, and other radiation-related illnesses among the local population. The long-term effects are still present for generations. 

Meeting with government officials in Astana

Astana was the first stop on the trip. The group visited the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There, Arman Baissuanov, the head of the ministry’s international security department, briefed them on the country’s nuclear history and its leading role in global non-proliferation efforts. He also discussed Kazakhstan’s role in the Central Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

Among other officials, the group met with Roman Podoprigora, a judge of the Constitutional Court of Kazakhstan, who spoke about recommended changes to the 1992 law on those affected by the nuclear tests, and Nurlan Auesbaev, a member of the Parliament.

Yerdaulet Rakhmatulla, co-organizer of the study tour, described it as a positive sign that civil society representatives could visit the ministry and productively discuss the nuclear politics and more. According to him, it is quite a rare occasion. 

“I think just this step from their side was a great sign of progress in our bilateral relationships as state, as government and civil society,” he said in a comment for this story.

Officially titled the law on social protection of citizens who suffered from nuclear tests at the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, the document envisioned measures to address the severe health and social impacts. However, experts say the law has many shortcomings, including a limited scope of financial compensation, which is insufficient to cover the long-term health needs of the affected population. The law’s criteria to identify affected individuals have also been seen as too narrow.

Сonfronting the human impact of nuclear testing

Understanding Kazakhstan’s tragic nuclear past would not be complete without visiting the region where thousands of people witnessed the tests firsthand and have borne the consequences for many years since. In Semei, the young people met with people still grappling with the legacy of the Soviet-era tests, listening to their stories that, for some reason, often remain unheard. 

Maira Abenova, a survivor of the Soviet nuclear tests in Semei and founder of the Polygon 21, an institution that advocates for the rights of Semipalatinsk nuclear test survivors, helped the group to meet those affected in Semei and Astana.

During the meeting in Semei, many of the survivors reported on their health problems, such as cancer and heart disease, according to a press report from ICAN Germany. They said they hope their voices will be heard internationally. Their voices “do not yet reach as far as those of Hiroshima and Nagasaki,” say the survivors. 

For Rakhmatulla, these meetings were “extremely special………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Lessons learned

Janina Ruther, a participant of the tour and project manager at ICAN Germany, spoke to The Astana Times, sharing her impressions and key takeaways from the educational tour. 

Because of her experience with ICAN, she got to know more about Kazakhstan and the country’s history with nuclear weapons. 

Ruther said what made the trip so special was the variety of places they visited and the diverse range of people they spoke to in different contexts. 

“That was so special, and it made it a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she added. “I think I don’t have words for that because we talked to so many people who were actually surviving all these tests. It was so brave that they talked to us because I cannot imagine how hard it must be.”

She also shared meeting young people at the universities and experiencing the night train journey was unforgettable.

She described the tour using a quote from one of the meetings: “The more we educate young people, the greater the hope for a world without nuclear weapons.”

She stressed that the primary goal was to reach young people who could spread the message and educate others. Equally important was understanding the needs and desires of the people affected by nuclear testing in Kazakhstan and bringing their voices to an international level.  https://astanatimes.com/2024/07/young-changemakers-advocate-for-nuclear-free-future-through-educational-journey-in-kazakhstan/

July 29, 2024 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Kazakhstan, opposition to nuclear