All are Invited to attended an Anti Nuclear Meeting on 16 September 2017

Invitation: Anti-nuclear activism in Russia, the U.S. and around the world

When: 16h00-18h30, Sat 16 Sep

Where: St Paul’s Church, 161 Monty Naicker Road, Durban Central (opposite the Workshop)

Recently Earthlife Africa Johannesburg  and SAFCEI challenged the government’s nuclear deals with Russia, the U.S. and South Korea. In April 2017 judgement was delivered in the High Court and these deals were set aside and declared unlawful and unconstitutional. This was a major victory for the anti-nuclear campaign in South Africa. We invite you to come and hear from 2 anti-nuclear activists from Russia and the U.S. They will share their experience fighting nuclear power and talk about the situation in their countries and across the world. Various countries have been phasing out nuclear energy and they will share why people are resisting nuclear power and how they manage to successfully stop the construction of nuclear reactors.

Programme:

16h00: Welcome and introductions

16h05: Nuclear Energy in South Africa – Makoma Lekalakala

16h20: Anti-nuclear activism in Russia – Vladimir Slivyak

16h40: Anti-nuclear activism in the U.S – Chris Williams

17h00: Panel discussion: Experiences fighting nukes around the world – Makoma Lekalakala, Chris Williams and Vladimir Slivyak

17h30: Questions, discussion and way forward

18h00: Snacks and drinks

Speakers:

Makoma Lekalakala is senior project officer of Earthlife Africa in Johannesburg. She has worked for years as a tireless campaigner for environmental justice, with a focus on energy. Her work has included watchdogging of the Medupi coal-fired power plant, and successful courtroom advocacy against Eskom and the government's hasty nuclear energy programme: http://earthlife.org.za/campaigns/nuclear-energy/

Vladimir Slivyak is with the Russian environmental organization Ecodefense, and has been an environmental and energy activist since 1989. He was principal organizer for various campaigns in Russia and abroad which succeeded in halting construction of nuclear reactors and international transportation of nuclear waste. He has has been teaching environmental policy in one of Russia's leading universities - the Higher School of Economics - since 2015. He has provided policy advice to members of parliaments and governments in Russia, Germany and other countries. Vladimir Slivyak has been involved in the campaign against new nuclear reactors in South Africa since 2015.

Chris Williams, of Hancock, Vermont, USA, is a long time sustainable energy policy activist. He is currently Vermont Organizer for the Citizens Awareness Network (www.nukebusters.org). For 18 years he was the Executive Director for Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana (www.citact.org), a not for profit consumer and environmental advocacy organization.  He currently serves as board chair of the Nuclear Information and Research Service (www.NIRS.org).