University of Wisconsin conference to focus on 'Chornobyl Here and Now' (03/05/06)

University of Wisconsin conference to focus on 'Chornobyl Here and Now'

MADISON, Wis. - The legacy of the explosion at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Station in Ukraine 20 years ago this April will be the subject of a conference at the University of Wisconsin - Madison titled "Chornobyl Here and Now: Global Engagement, Local Encounters." The conference, to be held on March 23-25 at the Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St., is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required.

Among the speakers are: David Marples, professor of history, University of Alberta, Edmonton, and the author of "The Social Impact of the Chornobyl Disaster"; Louisa Vinton, United Nations Development Program, New York; Oksana Garnets, United Nations Development Program, Ukraine; Evelyn J. Bromet, professor of psychiatry and preventive medicine at the State University of New York at Stony Brook; Yuri Risovanny, former senior engineer, Pripyat Industrial Association.

April 26, 1986, marked not the limit but the starting point of the Chornobyl catastrophe. Its repercussions continue to be seen among the 5 million people living across regions of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia that were contaminated by the accident. The affected populations have had to cope with the ongoing political, social, environmental and health consequences of the accident. Moreover, they have had to cope with the often conflicting recommendations of scientists and experts who have yet to come to a consensus on Chornobyl's aftermath.

The conference will examine the ongoing psychological and social effects of the disaster and how governmental and non-governmental organizations have changed over time to address the evolving nature of the disaster. The conference will also examine the legacy of Chornobyl here, including disaster relief training and practice as well as the efforts of local and regional NGOs to aid and train populations in the affected lands.

The conference is being sponsored by FOCCUS, the Friends of Chornobyl Centers, U.S.; the Center for Russia, East Europe and Central Asia, a member-program of the UW-Madison's International Institute; and the Stasiuk Program for the Study of Contemporary Ukraine at the University of Alberta.

For more information, contact Lara Kain at the Center for Russia, East Europe and Central Asia, 210 Ingraham Hall, 1155 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 53706-1397; telephone, 608-265-6298; fax, 608-890-0267; e-mail, [email protected]. Additional information, including a registration form, is available on the conference website at http://www.wisc.edu/creeca/chernobyl2006.

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