- Action-camp in
Votkinsk
- In the summer of
2001 radical environmental movement «Rainbow
Keepers» with support of Socio -Ecological Union
and Union for Chemical Safety is organizing
series of the actions to protest against
construction of a complex for incineration of
propellant in the city of Votkinsk (Udmurtiya).
- The beginning of
the action- July 15, 2001.
- In the 1st of
August the regional ( Eurasian) PGA conference
will be held in the action-camp. And the «Rainbow
Keepers» conference 4 will be held Approximately
in August 4th.
- The Background
- The complex is
being delivered by the corporation Lockheed
Martin (one of leading Aerospace corporations in
the world, biggest military-industrial
transnational in the world, and most important
contractor of the US army and NASA) on the USA
governmental money. The USA itself have refused
from this project because of high environmental
risk. It was decided to construct complexes in
Russia and Ukraine. Ukrainian project is more
secure, since it is based on diverse principles
of salvaging the fuel.
- Apparently the
corporation and USA government are willing to use
former USSR as a dumping ground or test site.
- The complex is
being planned in a location 4 km from a large
city and thus it is threating the nature, human’
health and life.
- Resistance
- The inhabitants of
Votkinsk and neighbour Chaykovskiy have been
protesting against the project already for a few
years.
- In 1999 there was a
regional referendum, the result of which was that
94 % of the inhabitants has expressed against
construction of the plant.
- However the
referendum results soon have been abolished by
the authorities.
- In this way, the
state not only violates rights of the citizens
for healthy environment, but also their rights
for self-management and to decide their own
destiny.
- After trying all
possible options to solve the problem by ordinary
means, witrh a little success, the local people
called the «Rainbow Keepers» to back up their
protests.
- The actioncamp will
start it’s activity near the plant
approximately on July 15, 2001. Anyone, who
interested can participate the actioncamp.
- Votkinsk
- City with the
population about 100.000 and with military
industry.
- Votkinsk is the
motherland of the famous russian copmposer Petr
Chaykovskiy.
- There is a museum
of the composer in the city. Votkinsk is located
on the River Kama side (Volga’s tributary) ,
surrounded by beautiful woods, lakes and wild
nature. Administratively Votkinsk belongs to
Udmurtia Republic, called so on after the name of
indigious populalion of this plase.
- The neightbour city
Chaykovskiy is located on the other side of the
Kama river administratively belongs to the Perm
oblast’.
- Who Are the “Rainbow
Keepers”?
- The radical
environmental movement «Rainbow Keepers» has
arisen from mass people’s protests against
environmentally dangerous objects in Volga region
at the end of 80 years of past century.
- Since then every
summer the «Rainbow Keepers» organises the
actionacamps and other environmental, antiwar and
antifascist actions in various cities of Russia,
Ukraine, Belarus and Czech Republic.
- The «Rainbow
Keepers» movement is decentralized. There are no
official leaders and everyone participates in
decision making
- The «Rainbow
Keepers» movement is not professional and
noncommercial, all the participants of the
actions are volunteeres and active because of
their own will and for own means. Voluntaty
donations are also fund the actioncamp activity.
- «Rainbow Keepers»
movement is tolerant and pluralistic, therefore
there is no place for the people with fascist or
authoritarian ideology. And a lot of room for any
other people.
- «Rainbow Keepers»
is open- to anyone who wants to join the movement
- she/he need just to take part in it’s actions.
- The long-term
actions.
- The basis of the «Rainbow
Keepers»’ strategy are the long-term actions
of the protest.
- The efforts are
directed not only to the solution of a certain
problem, but also to development of the civil
initiatives and self-management on the local
level.
- Camp of the protest
- The action is going
this way: the tent actioncamp is set near the
plant, and becomes a centre of resistance. Living
in camp the activists organise various actions
every day in city, region and near the plant.
Starting from small demonstrations and propaganda,
activists are involving local population and,
step-by-step moving to harder direct actions, for
example, blockages. Besides the regular work with
mass-media, festivals, round tables etc. is going
on.. Those or other actions are carried out
depends on the situation.
- Normally, the
actioncamp of the protest is working few weeks,
or 1,5 - 2 month until the positive solutions
will be found.
- The actioncamp
principles.
- There is a ban for
alcohol and drugs usage in the actioncamp.
- Besides of that,
none can have a gun or any other illegal things
in the actioncamp.
- All decisions in
the actioncamp are being taken by general meeting
of all participants.
- It concerns both
economic and ideology questions. Working language
is Russian, second language is English, but,
there will be Ukrainian, Spanish, French, Finnish
translation available.
- All donations for
the actioncamp will be put to one box and general
meeting will deside how and where to spend them.
- The food stuffs
also are in common use. Cooking is centralised,
but taking to the count the needs of vegetarians
and people with other food requires.
- How to take part in
Protest Camp
- You can contact the
representatives of «Rainbow Keepers» in Europe:
- Helsinki, Finland
Mira Heija
heimira@hotmail.com
tel. 358-50-5978069
or Tuuli Hakulinen
moituuli@hotmail.com
- Bruxelles, Belgium
Nathalie Melis
nath_melis@hotmail.com
- tel. 0032/ 476
788327
-
- The visa
- If you’ve got a
problem with the visa we can help you to get an
official invitation to Russia (as though for a
seminar) from ecological centre «Dront» (yulika@dront.ru ). Such an invitation
costs about $7, therefore you better find out
first whether it is easier to get turist visa.
Mention, that Udmurtian Republic, as one of the
places of your visit has to be marked on the visa.
- If you need
invitation - firstly contact our representative
on Belgium.
- Assembly point in
Russia
- There is a
possibility to get together in Russia before the
trip to the actioncamp.
- The point is in
Kasimov (240km from Moskow), where the «Rainbow
Keepers» community and house is located.
- You can come to
Kasimov beforehand, to be placed and to wait for
the organized group leave to Votkinsk.
- You can come to
Kasomov from Moscow by bus. Bus leaves from the
Central Bus Station (Scholkovskaya Metro Station)
10-00, 15-30, 22-00. The ticket costs about 5
bucks.
- If you go by your
own bus or van- we can meet you on the border and
help you to get to Kasimov, and than up to
Votkinsk.
- There is a highway
Moscow - Egoryevsk - Kasimov.
- The address in
Kasimov:
- Ulitsa Nachalnaja 4
(Nachalnaja street, 4)
Kasimov
Tel. +7 (09131) 4-15-14
rk@lavrik.ryazan.ru
- How to reach
independently
- By railway.
- From Moscow by
train up to Izhevsk (capital of Udmurtiya)
directly or through Agryz (Central railway
station on trans- Siberian line between Kazan and
Ekaterinburg)
- From Izhevsk by a
local train or bus up to Votkinsk.
- It is also possible
to go by local trains all the way:
- Moscow-Cherusti-Bekovka-Murom-Arzamas-Sergach-Kanash-Kazan-Shemordan-Mozhga-Agryz-Izhevsk-Votkinsk
(it is cheaper, but longer and need at least some
Russian language)
- By highway (M7)
Moskow-Vladimir-N.Novgorod-Cheboxary-Kazan-Elabuga-Mozhga-Izhevsk-Votkinsk.
- From Finland it is
better to go through St. Petersburg (contact to
our co-ordinator in Helsinki).
- In Votkinsk you can
contact the «Rainbow Keepers» by phone 6-60-49
or ask the people where to find actioncamp (the
camp of protest in Russian).
- What is necessary
to take with you
- Your passport with
the visa, a tent, a sleeping bag, utensils and
some volume for water. It is desirable to have
some stock of a cash, driving licence, dictionary,
press card.
- In Russia it is
better to take the American dollars, other
currency is better to be exchanged beforehand in
Moscow.
- It is not necessary
to drag with itself spring water and the means of
hygiene - now can be bought it and in Russia.
- If you need in
specific medical drugs better to take them with
you. The drugs in Russia can have other marking.
- How else you can
help
- As soon as the «Rainbow
Keepers» actions are not funded by funds, you
can help by fund raising at concerts, festivals,
parties etc.
- You can also help
us by collecting equipment (we have a deficit of
tents and stuffs for the actions). If you have
aged computer, modem, printer -it would also be
useful.
- You can write the
articles to your local and national press, send
us copies of the publications.
- You can back up the
action of the protest by faxes or solidarity
actions at the Russian diplomatic representations
or Lockheed Martin offices places. It is
specially actual in case of reprisals.
- Send your e-mail
address beforehand, that we could inform you
about all events of the action.
- Contact to us
- P.O.Box 52,
- Kasimov, 391330,
Russia
- Tel. +7 (09131) 4-15-14
- E-mail: rk@lavrik.ryazan.ru
- Web: www.chat.ru/~rk2000
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