Report of the study visit “Cherobyl. 20 years after-So What?”
SVIT, with its roots in the Ukrainian environmental movement, organised a study tour from 22nd of April 2006 to 3rd of May 2006 with the title “Cherobyl. 20 years after-So What?” Since the 26th of April 2006 marked the 20th anniversary of Chernobyl, people know less and less about the catastrophe, nuclear energy is getting more and more attractive as it is seen as the main alternative to climate change, SVIT decided to host this event in the country where the accident happened, in order to:
• inform participants about the energy policy of Ukraine and other participating countries,
• develop a common vision - message of all the participants, how a sustainable future of the energy sector in Europe should look like,
• analyze, discuss and distribute information materials about the current state of problems, develop a joint vision of the participants on the accident and its consequences,
• organize actions jointly with local NGOs, aimed to raise awareness of the local population on the Chernobyl disaster and current situation in the energy sector,
• learn about work of youth and environmental NGOs in Ukraine,
• build contacts among participants and organizations involved for future contacts, information exchange and future activities
To achieve these aims participants got the opportunity to exchange with local environmental organisations in Kiev and Eastern Ukraine who are working on a grass-root level with local population on this topic.
The study visit started in Kiev with participation to the Earth day and the international Chernobyl conference: Chernobyl + 20- Remembrance for the future”. Further more a special meeting was organised with the environmental organisation MAMA 86 about “Chernobyl and health, current state of energy strategy in Ukraine”. After the stay in Kiev the study visit went through Dneprodzerzhinsk, meeting with the local NGO “Golos Prirody” and exchanging about alternative energy sources and energy saving, Nikopol, meeting with the NGO “Civil watch” and discussing about nuclear industry, temporary storage of nuclear waste and the power plant in Zaporozhye. The study tour ended in Artemovsk where participants met with the NGOs ECC “Bakhmat”, local group of MAMA 86 and an organisation of former liquidators “Soyuz Chernobyl Ukraine” and discussing about final storage of nuclear waste, lobbying and work of public organizations.
It was very much appreciated to get to know Ukraine as a country in working on environmental issues related to the catastrophe of Chernobyl. During the work on follow up it came apparent that most of he participants see a need to concentrate on public work as it is needed to spread information about the consequences of the Chernobyl catastrophe, especially regarding the future of energy supply. Efforts should be made to increase a sustainable vision of energy supply in concentrating on energy efficiency, energy saving and alternative energies.
To learn more, please read impressions of some of the participants: Nadia Pinatsi from Greece, Jasmin Soehner and Anne Merle Weissbach from Germany, Natacha Pastoukoff from France and Galyna Uvarova from Ukraine.