Chernobyl: 20 Years On
ByOne of the projects that is taking up some time at the moment is a trip I’m trying to organize to Belarus in March to report on the way children are still suffering following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster despite IAEA reports that it was not that bad.
This year is the 20th anniversary of the explosion at the Chernobyl power plant. Expect many stories in the coming months leading up to the anniversary on April 26.
Ideas for editors who may be interested in off-the-beaten-track, human interest stories from schools and hospitals and orphanages in Belarus written by a fluent Russian speaker (me!) would be gratefully accepted.
If you have access to SKY TV you may want to watch the Biography Channel (8.30pm tonight) for a program about Igor Pavlovets, one of the first child victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
4 Comments
January 6th, 2006 at 12:47 pm
What about contacting Human Rights watch or some of the women’s mags (Marie Claire UK may like the woman/child aspect). I have some contacts.
Got accepted to yoga school….! Have you spoken to rob yet?
January 6th, 2006 at 3:34 pm
Congrats Mimi!
January 7th, 2006 at 8:23 am
Pavvers, thank god you’re back in the land of the blogging. I couldn’t bear it without you… A nice thing about going to Hellarus in March is that you might, with some hope, get caught up in some sort of election fever. Lukashenka has rigged/set the elections for March 19th, so, with any luck, there could be a bit of an Orange Revolution. Although the bitter likelihood is that the elections will probably pass off with something of a wimper, not a bang.
Majorly belatedly, Happy 2006!
February 15th, 2006 at 10:12 am
Dear Friends,
On April 26, 1986 an accident on the Chernobyl nuclear power station made about a quarter of the territory of Belarus contaminated by nuclear isotopes that by far exceed the safety levels. Belarus was hardest hit by Chernobyl. A large number of people, whole families and whole villages were evacuated. The former Soviet leadership tried to play down the accident, represent it as a minor problem that will soon be solved. Same tried to proclaim Belarus dictator Lukashenka. But radiation does not take orders from the communist bosses or from totalitarian dictators.
And now, 20 years after the catastrophy, there are people who live in the contaminated area, 1.8 million of them. They are subjected to nuclear radiation every day, every hour, every minute. They eat contaminated food and drink contaminated water, they grow agricultural products that go further to territories relatively free from contamination. They get sick, and they die from thyroid gland cancer, leukemia and other radiation-related diseases.
People in the contaminated areas as well as people evacuated to other territories in Belarus need medical help, they need medicine, they need clean products, clean water, clean air. A lot of help was given by the volunteer organizations and funds that provided humanitarian help, medication and hospital equipment for the people of Belarus. Now due to the ban of the Lukashenka’s dictatorial regime this help is stopped. Lukashenka said “NO†to help for his own people!
Children of Belarus used to come on invitations from the people of good will throughout the world to stay during vacations with their foster families and enjoy clean food, new friens and stress-free environment. Now they are not allowed to leave Belarus, because Lukashenka said “NOâ€Â.
People, who participated in liquidation of the Chernobyl power plant accident and became disabled, no longer receive benefits and free medical care, they are outcasts, because Lukashenka said to them “NOâ€Â.
Sadly, this disgraceful and no good dictatorship will most likely due to falsifications and terror, survive the March 19 elections, and the thief-at-large of Belarus will continue his nasty act.
THAT IS WHY WE, BELARUSANS OF NEW YORK AND THE UNITED STATES WILL COME 20 YEARS AFTER CHERNOBYL TO THE U.N. HEADQUARTERS IN MANHATTAN, AND TO THE BELARUS CONSULATE IN ny AND TO THE BELARUS EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON.
WE WANT TO SAY “NO!†TO THE DICTATORIAL REGIME OF LUKASHENKA IN BELARUS. WE WANT TO SAY “NO” TO THE INHUMAN TREATMENT AND DESINFORMATION OF OUR FELLOW BELARUSANS ON THE CONTAMINATED TERRITORIES IN HOMEL AND MAHILOU AREAS AND THE REST OF BELARUS.
WE WANT YOU TO JOIN US AND KEEP IN TOUCH:
http://baza-belarus.org/index.php?newlang=english