This website is for a conference that was completed in March, 2006. You will find on the left a conference program, annotated biographies of the speakers, and an extensive list of print, internet, and other resources on Chernobyl. Thank you to everyone who attended, participated, and organized a very successful event.
Please go here to access the archive of audio recordings of the conference.
April 26, 2006 will mark the twentieth anniversary of the explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station in Ukraine. April 26, 1986 marks the starting point—not the limit—of the Chernobyl catastrophe, which continues to unfold even today. Chernobyl is not in the past; its repercussions are still being felt by some five million people living in areas of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia that were contaminated by the accident. The affected populations have to cope with the ongoing political, social, environmental, and health consequences of the Chernobyl accident. Moreover, they have to cope with the often conflicting recommendations of scientists and experts, who have yet to come to a consensus about the precise repercussions of the accident, as evidenced by varied responses to the UN report “Chernobyl’s Legacy.”
Just as the Chernobyl catastrophe is not wholly a past event, but reaches into the present day, so should it not be limited geographically as a “Ukrainian” or even “Soviet” phenomenon. Chernobyl is a catastrophe of global scope, not only in the dispersal of radionuclides, but also in the response of local and state agencies and of the international community.
Examining various actors in the response to Chernobyl—from local, grassroots movements to transnational institutions, such as the United Nations—this conference will examine the legacy of Chernobyl today, including the ongoing psychological and social effects of the disaster in the affected areas and how the response of governmental and nongovernmental organizations has changed over time to address the evolving nature of the disaster. The conference will also examine the legacy of Chernobyl here, including the lessons of disaster preparedness and disaster relief training as well as the efforts launched by local and regional NGOs to aid and train populations in the affected lands.