Financial Assistance Available for U.S. Activists to Attend Chernobyl+20 Conference in Kiev. Apply Now!


NIRS has received a grant to provide financial assistance for U.S. grassroots activists who want to attend the Chernobyl+20: Remembrance for the Future conference in Kiev, Ukraine, April 23-25, 2006. The conference is a true international effort, bringing together experts and activists from across the globe. Besides the formal conference sessions, there also will be a networking session for grassroots groups from across the globe on the afternoon of April 25. The conference is being organized by NIRS, WISE, Heinrich Boell Foundation, Greens/EFA in the European Parliament, Bundnis 90/Die Grunen (German Greens), International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), Earth Day Network and Ecoclub (Ukraine). For more information about the conference and a regularly updated program and speakers list, visit www.ch20.org.

U.S. activists wishing to apply for financial aid should contact Michael Mariotte at nirsnet@nirs.org with an indication of how much assistance is requested. However, please recognize that funds are limited. Current round-trip airfares to Kiev are in the $750-900 range; hotel (shared room) ranges from about $30 to $120 per night, depending on choice of accommodations (for more information on conference hotels, go to www.ch20.org/kyiv.htm). Conference fee is $60. Lunches will be provided at the conference; dinners in Kiev can range from dirt-cheap to wildly extravagant.

In addition to the conference, on Saturday, April 22, there will be Earth Day and anti-nuclear activities in Kiev’s famed Independence Square, as well as an optional trip to the Chernobyl reactor site organized by conference sponsors (cost is about $25). There are also likely to be activities in downtown Kiev on the anniversary of the accident, April 26.

We hope to have a good showing of U.S. activists in Kiev; if you want to go, please contact us!