Remember Chernobyl and say NO to new plans for more nuclear power

April 26, 2006 is the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident. 20 years later we find that nuclear power is once more being looked to as the path to solve the energy crisis.

WILPF branches have an opportunity to share our concerns about the expansion of nuclear power and nuclear safety issues by hosting a program during the month of April. Here are some suggestions for programs ideas using the resources you can find on the ABOLITION NOW website and other resources such as the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. The Abolition website also provides a calendar of planned events. Perhaps you can join in with others who are organizing a local event and make it a bigger event by joining together.

1. Show a film and have a discussion.

The Discovery Channel feature Zero Hour depicts the actual events of the Chernobyl reactor failure from the control room.

The China Syndrome. The 1979 feature film with Jane Fonda and Jack Lemon is based on a real event at the Dresden II reactor near Chicago. See .

Chernobyl Heart the HBO Academy award winning film features the Chernobyl Children’s Project which addressed the heath effects of the survivors.

After any of the films, use the study guide notes to lead a discussion.

2. Host a reading which features the words of those who remember Chernobyl first hand. See Voices from Chernobyl: TheOral History of a NuclearDisaster by Svetlana Alexievich and translated by Keith Gessen. See also Chernobyl the Forbidden Truth by Alla Yaroshinskaya as translated by Michele Kahn and Julia Sallabank. Invite survivors or persons who were involved in the clean up efforts living in your community to speak about their first hand experiences.

3. Use the WILPF Water Campaign to have an environmental panel discussion using local speakers from universities or public health departments to study the effects of a nuclear accident on your local water supply. Ask local emergency preparedness officials what they plan to do to protect your water supply. Subscribers to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists can also find helpful materials in their on-line archives.

submitted by Regina Sneed, DISARM Leadership Team and San Francisco Branch.