Walk to Chernobyl for a Nuclear-Free World, April 12 - 27, 1996

Participants in the FOR MOTHER EARTH 'Walk across Europe for a Nuclear-Free World' which ended in Moscow last October 12th, decided to organize a Walk to the Chernobyl NPP to commemorate the disaster.

The participants of the Walk across Europe have been confronted directly with the aftermath of the Chernovbyl disaster as they walked last summer through the contaminated country-side of the Ukraine and Belarus. The testimonies of liquidators, physicians, people who were relocated by force, and those who received no support to move, demonstrated the enormous consequences of the largest industrial accident. This was confirmed in the new UN-report on Chernobyl which states 9 million people were affected by the Chernobyl catastrophe, and this estimate only reflects those living in the Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.

FOR MOTHER EARTH invites people to join in a commemorative walk starting April 12th in Kiev to end at the Chernobyl NPP for the 10th Anniversary of the disaster, April 26th, 1996.

FOR MOTHER EARTH designed this walk as part of its ongoing campaign for a complete phase-out of all NPP's and promotion of energy-saving programs and renewable energies. FOR MOTHER EARTH calls citizens to organize or participate in actions at NPP's worldwide.

FOR MOTHER EARTH participates in the European 'No more Chernobyls' campaign and the 'Chernobyl Working Group' of Abolition 2000, the global network to eliminate nuclear weapons. FOR MOTHER EARTH is also an international anti-nuclear citizens network. There are now groups in Belarus, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Slovakia and the USA.

Proposed schedule for the Walk:

Friday April 12th - Kiev

• All day : First international meeting of FOR MOTHER EARTH.

Saturday April 13th - Kiev

• Morning : welcoming of walk participants. with briefing

• Afternoon : Video, slides and pictures on previous FME walks and actions

• Evening Party

Sunday April 14th - Kiev

• All day : Workshop on Chernobyl accident (with audio-visuals) and energy situation in Ukraine.

Monday April 15th - Kiev - Chernobyl - Kiev

• Excursion to Chernobyl by bus

Tuesday April 16th - Kiev

• All day : Non-violent training and last preparations of the walk (making signs, banners, etc.)

Wednesday April 17th - Kiev - Korostin

• Morning : Start walk in center Kiev with ceremony and action. Seventy six signs are made with the names of the Ukranian evacuated villages and towns. We will take a train to Korostin.

Thursday April 18th

• Walk from Korostin - Ignatpol (aprox. 16- 23km)

Friday April 19th

• Walk from Ignatpol - Ovruch (aprox. 20- 22km)

Saturday April 20th

• Walk from Ovruch - Narodichi (aprox. 22- 25km)

Sunday April 21st

• Restday in Narodichi

Monday April 22nd

• Walk from Narodichi - Paleskoye (aprox. 25-27km)

Tuesday April 23th

• Walk from Paleskoye - Kraciatichi (aprox. 25-27km)

Wednesday April 24th

• Walk from Kraciatichi - Ivankov (aprox. 25-27km)

Thursday April 25th

• Walk from Ivankov - Aranaye (aprox. 20km)

Friday April 26th

• Midnight walk from Aranaye to 30km ZONE (aprox. 10km) to have ceremony at 01:23 am, followed by actions for a nuclear-free WORLD!
• Evening: Return by bus to Kiev

Saturday April 27th - Kiev

• Possible participation in rally in Kiev (depends of Ukranian NGO's)
• Evening : farewell party

Sunday April 28th - all directions leaving Kiev

For more information and registration contact the FOR MOTHER EARTH International office, Gewad 15, 9000 Gent, Belgium; Phone +32-9-2334924 Fax +32-9-2337302;
E-mail: abolition@motherearth.knooppunt.be