Astana hosts Congress International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War
Those days the capital of Kazakhstan welcomes more than five hundred delegates from fifty countries who struggle for prohibition of nuclear tests worldwide and for disarmament.
The Congress consists of 4 parts: bike ride from Semey to Astana, students’ and researchers’ conferences, trips of foreign delegates to the city of Semey and to Semipalatinsk nuclear test site.
The event will feature speeches of Kazakhstan government representatives, the President of World Congress and the Public Association Kazakhstan Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War Mr Abai Baygenzhin, Chairman of Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation; Secretary General of the organization Mayors for Peace Yasuoshi Komizo, Dr. John Borrie of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), as well as world-renown scientists from Japan, Australia, the UK, Kazakhstan and other countries involved in nuclear disarmament.
As part of the XXI World Congress there will be discussed a variety of issues, among them are medical and environmental consequences of nuclear testing on Semipalatinsk nuclear test site; influence of nuclear chain reaction on human health, environment and safety of mankind, as well as definition of the political and diplomatic activities aimed at destruction of nuclear weapons.
Another session of the Congress will be devoted to the problem of nuclear weapons trafficking, there will be developed a new program for prevention of warfare usage. There also will be presented a summary report Do not invest into bomb that identifies the manufacturers of nuclear weapons and financial institutions supporting that multi-million dollar industry.
The event will also touch the accident at Fukushima. Even after three years the affected power plant extends a huge amount of radioactive substances. The seminar will look at the current situation around the nuclear power plant and its influence on health of the local population.
First International Congress of the movement International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War was held in March 1981 in the small town of Airlie (USA). Congress participants from 11 countries first presented a summarizing report on the medical consequences of nuclear war. It was time for the world to find out that explosion of one atomic bomb with capacity of one megaton over the city with a population of 1 million people would mean instant death for 300 thousand inhabitants, and 400 thousand of residents would painfully die from burns, radiation sickness, and other injuries.
In 1984, movement was awarded with UNESCO Prize for its work, and in 1985 it was awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize for spreading authoritative information and by creating an awareness of the catastrophic consequences of atomic warfare.
The conference is devoted to the 23rd anniversary of the closure of Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. It was on August 29, 1991 when the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan decided to close Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. A big role in this decision was played by a popular anti-nuclear movement Nevada - Semipalatinsk.
In August 2012, Kazakhstan announced the launch of the international project ATOM which is supported by thousands of concerned people from more than 120 countries worldwide.
