Zhenisgul Konarova
Public Fund - International Alliance of Woman & Children "Samal- Samantha-Sadako"
Kazakhstan
 

Samal, Samantha, Sadako-the symbol of world without the nuclear.  Dear Ladies and gentlemen.  Dear participants of a touching conference.

I am intimately grateful to organizing committee of a conference for the invitation and the opportunity to speak.

"The Japanese people, unique people in the world which who had the nuclear bombardment tested on themselves" ?is written by the prominent Japanese writer, the Nobel Prize laureate, Kenzaburo Oe.

No territory, no people in the world have suffered as much as the territory and peoples of Kazakhstan from the Semipalatinsk nuclear, test complex.  There are no equipments in world practice.  The nuclear weapon has tested over a period of years, in the form of ground and air tests in this densely populated area. Then for another twenty-five years, in the form of underground tests with almost constant eruption of radioactive gases.

Within fourteen years people received a repeated radiation irradiation both in large and in small doses.  The Semipalatinsk region can be compared to a number of regions on a planet which has suffered too much from nuclear experiments.  And in the opinion of many independent foreign experts the region is the most severely damaged of all.

The testing range has struck children. Almost fifteen percent of the children's population of area suffer from chronic diseases. Children are invalids ? monsters. They were born that way.  Also there is no power in the world which can make amends for a genetic code incorporated by radiation into the genes of parents.

Seventy percent of women have pathologies caused by complications during pregnancy and childbirth.  The area holds the first place in the republic for the disease of anemia among women. The parameters are difficulties in child birth, underweight children, inherent anomalies and premature aging grow. A serious problem is childhood gynecological problems, when young girls suffer by this pathology.

Today's theme is the problem of our future. What will it be? The answer is a healthy posterity.  Only healthy mothers can give birth and bring up healthy children.  There is a saying, "The health of woman is the health of the nation."   This has special importance in our circumstances.

By the way, I would like to note, that under the decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, in August 29 1991 the super nuclear test range of the world, namely the Semipalatinsk nuclear test range was closed.  The first range in the world has broken off on sacred ground of Kazakhstan. It is a historically significant date and it will be marked in August of this year at the level of the states.

Yes, today a range has closed. The nuclear charges were taken out from Kazakhstan.  The republic no longer has a nuclear zone. But the nuclear bomb of the delayed action has remained in the genes of the irradiated population of about 1,5 million.

Today, when the decades from a beginning of the first explosion of nuclear bombs on Kazakhstan have passed, whether we have the right to ask the question, "Dose time have the power force to heal the wounds, which have resulted from long-term nuclear tests?  The answer will be an unequivocal ?  No!

For Kazakhstan, as a country with transition economy, there are significant economic and financial difficulties in overcoming of consequences the nuclear tests. The republic for this purpose doesn't have sufficiently modern medical, scientific and financial base.  There is not the necessary experience.

Therefore, the activities of non-governmental organizations is one of the driving powers capable of solving social problems of the Semipalatinsk region.

So, for example, the Union of the victims of nuclear tests "Iris" under the management of Gulsum Kakimzhanova cooperating with antinuclear forces from Japan, Germany, Netherlands, renders powerful help for the improvement of children in the Semipalatinsk region.

As a chain reaction each year extends the number of antinuclear organization in the world.  In it a very important role is played by the annual Global Conference against nuclear and hydrogen bombs organized by your organization - Gensuikyo.

I returned with deep impressions and meditations from the World Conference against A & H Bombs in August 2000.

As a result of the trip to the Japanese Global conference of the year 2000 and twelve-years experience of work in the International antinuclear movement "Nevada-Semipalatinsk," we have created one more new antinuclear organization by ourselves on our native land.

We think that it is immoral and inhuman not to recognize the absence of health and well being of the women and children in ecologically unsuccessful regions, especially in Semipalatinsk, where 40 years nuclear weapons were tested without the control.  And today it requires not contemplations and philosophical meditations, but help without adjournment.  That is why our public fund "an Antinuclear alliance of the women and children" Samal-Samantha-Sadako" was created. It was registered and has worked since December 8th, 2000.

Samal- the Kazakh girl, who died at the age of 14 from cancer of the blood.  The means for her treatment were collected from all over Kazakhstan. But not in time.

Samantha- a girl from America, expressed deep alarm concerning the arms race in a letter to the first President of the USSR Gorbachev M.S.

Sadako- the Japanese girl from Hiroshima who died of A-bomb illness.  But she trusted that she would be rescued by making paper cranes.  The names of these three girls became a symbol of peace.

Our organization within the time frame of a decade since the closing of the Semipalatinsk range will carry out in August the children's festival with the theme "The Legends of Bayanaul". And also organize rest ? rehabilitation for one hundred fifty children from the Semipalatinsk region.

I appeal to you with the request to support our new, young antinuclear organization.  I ask for responses from related women's and children's organizations connected to the names of Sadako and Samantha for the establishment of friendly contacts and joint work.

The destructive power of the nuclear weapon is enormous.  Any application will result in catastrophic consequences. Once again we shall tell together:

 NO MORE HIROSHIMAS!  NO MORE NAGASAKIS!  NO MORE SEMEYS!  YES TO A WORLD WITHOUT NUCLEAR WEAPONS!