Global impacts of
Nuclear Testing
Global Health and Ecological Impacts of Nuclear Testing
RECORDING DATE: Tuesday, June 2nd, 2020
YOUTUBE LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnfciYUo_Bg
This event has already taken place, see recording available below
Chapter 100 of Veterans For Peace invites you to join an inter-generational dialogue on the global health and ecological impacts of nuclear weapons testing. This webinar will feature a panel discussion with speakers from Alaska, Kazakhstan, the Marshall Islands, North Africa, and the US Southwest - regions that were each sites of nuclear weapons testing and development. The panel discussion will be followed by a 30 minute Q&A session.
Panel Discussion: Guest Speakers
Melaika Andrike
Marshall Islands | Melaika attends the University of Washington, studying Medical Anthropology and Global Health. She is also currently completing an internship with the Republic of the Marshall Islands National Nuclear Commission. During the webinar, Melaika will discuss the history of the US Nuclear Testing Program in the Marshall Islands (1946-1958), and explore the implications of the popular cartoon show Spongebob Squarepants on the very real story of the people of Bikini who are not able to go back to their home atoll due to the high levels of radiation
Taylor Dunne
United States | Taylor Dunne is a filmmaker, curator and educator. Her practice explores the intersection of place, history and landscape. She and her partner, film-maker Eric Stewart, are currently producing the feature length documentary Off-Country about the impact of nuclear testing on down-winder communities in the Southwestern United States. Their film recontextualizes the nuclear legacy of the Southwest from a grassroots perspective. They will discuss our approach to storytelling which uses oral history methodologies as a counterpoint to mainstream historic narratives.
Ciuguun Anastasia Pleasant
Alaska | Ciuguun is Yup'ik and Iñupiaq from Bethel, Alaska. Her parents are Martha Pleasant from Bethel, Alaska and Julius Pleasant Sr. from Nome, Alaska. Her maternal grandparents are Marie and Evon Wassilie from Kongiganak and Akiak, Alaska and her paternal grandparents are Alma Pauwok and Axel Otton from Elim and Koyuk, Alaska. Ciuguun has a background in working with children and diverse cultures around Alaska in non-profit sectors and corporate branches. As a student at the University of Alaska Southeast Ciuguun was given the opportunity to intern at the Legislative office with Representative Tiffany Zulkosky. After the 90 day internship, Ciuguun participated in a Northern Alaskan Indigenous Leadership cohort with Iḷisaġvik College and 30 other Alaska Native students from across the nation. Now Ciuguun focuses her time on completing her degree and learning Iñupiatun to revitalize the language and reclaim her identity as an Iñupiaq woman.
Amel El Mejri
Tunisia | Amel is a PhD candidate in international nuclear law and a part-time professor at the University of Carthage Tunisia. She is actively engaged in nuclear disarmament with ICAN France. In this webinar, she’ll discuss French nuclear tests in Algerian Sahara and their effects on local population. Between 1960 and 1996, France conducted 210 nuclear tests. Of these 210 tests, 17 took place in the Algerian Sahara before being moved to Polynesia. In a declassified top-secret document, the French Ministry of Defense revealed the details of these tests.
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Marzhan Nurzhan
Kazakhstan | Marzhan is the Abolition 2000 Youth Network Coordinator and the holder of UNODA - OSCE Scholarship for Peace and Security (2019). In 2017, she was chosen by the President of the UN General Assembly as the youth speaker for a UN High Level Meeting on Nuclear Disarmament. During the webinar, she’ll discuss the history of Soviet nuclear testing in Kazakhstan, civil society protests that lead to the closure of the Semey test site, and today’s global youth network for disarmament.