Baltic Sea Infotour JUKSS workshop notes

Here are stored (most of) the notes from the JUKSS workshop in more or less original form, in case the Tour project's front pages are changed.

Infotour Around The Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is the most radioactive sea in the world - thus we think it makes sense to inform about nuclear power and its risks. This Workshop is about the idea to arrange a (maybe caravan-) infotour around the Baltic Sea in summer 2010. That way we want to come in contact with local initiatives, do action, take part in information event and organize some of those events ourselves, have network meetings with local activists, spread information about nuclear issues and maybe other topics, too.

The workshop we will hold on 1st January, 2009, from 14:00 to 16:00 am shall inform you about the idea and wants to motivate more people to take part in the organizing process of this infotour. We will talk about our ideas and what has to be done to realize this project. We would be happy to get new contacts for this issue and to meet new interested people doing it together with us.

More information about this workshop you can get from [mailto:FalkATgreenkids.de Falk] and via the phone number +44 7624 1948 77 (yes, it is really a British mobile phone!). There are much more international anti-nuclear workshops and meetings planned at the JUKSS - so have a look to: http://nuclear-heritage.net for more information.

Planning Process
We thought we should have preparation meetings every some months (to see each other in reality from time to time and not to depend completely on virtuell communication like email). First ideas:
 * meeting at the JUKSS to make clear what we want with this tour & what it shall be - 1st January 2009
 * search for other people who want to participate in organizing this infotour
 * meeting in March for example in Sweden
 * meeting in the summer at the Finnish summer camp

Funding

 * EU applications?
 * action 1.2 Transnational Youth Initiative (possible to get up to 10,000 EUR)
 * action 1.1 one or several (in the different countries) Youth Exchanges (possible to get up to some tenthousands of EUR)
 * support from NGOs etc?
 * autonomous fundraising (f.ex. support gigs)?

We might need lots of money!
 * biggest cost might be gas (see logistics: veg oil car possibility)
 * note from original workshop in Loviisa 10.2008: First decide what you want to do, then find out how to fund it:)

EVS?
 * Maybe as two persons from different countries, that are both involved in the project, who are "exchanged" (=2 paid campaign workers for 1 year)
 * so people who would work on preparation of the project anyway could get some money for this time...
 * we could ask a German project for support of the tour by providing the evs possibility

Logistics
How would the tour take place?
 * With cars? other forms of transport? combinations?
 * outsourcing of transport? (f.ex. to activist bus collectives)
 * diesel cars can be modified to run on veg oil: could save huge gas costs! (and be green!)
 * info on internet, f.ex. http://www.journeytoforever.com
 * can be ordered from bulgaria-contact

Time?
 * how many days per place?
 * rest days also needed to take into account
 * time per place might depend on local situation
 * when will the whole tour be?
 * original idea: summer 2010
 * for information spreading autumn might be better (f.ex. for universities & schools)
 * how long will the whole tour be?
 * enjoyment, not just work! Good life on the road...

What people will participate?
 * We need people who can drive...
 * people could participate only part of the tour
 * or the tour could be divided among different groups/organizations?

What places to go to/stop at?
 * university towns?
 * local communities affected by nuclear industry
 * nuclear industry locations

Who's interested in hosting the tour?
 * Russian ecological NGO can arrange hosting in st petersburg & kaliningrad
 * look for contacts/connections!
 * murmansk PiM interested in cooperation
 * maybe joint event in northern finland? (who hosts?)

What resources have we? what are we able to do? what do we want to do?

Content
Maybe different focus in different places? (Needs coordination!)
 * scandinavia: uranium mining, NPP proliferation, waste storage plans, "future nuclear colonies"
 * saami, europe's only indigenous people
 * 'lithuania: very dependent on NPP ignalina, green NGOs campaign for nuclear-free Li.
 * denmark: nuclear-free, lots of renewable energy
 * greifswald (de): example of closed plant (also Barsebäck in Swe)
 * murmansk (ru): there is a campaign (in norway?) to appeal to russian authorities to shut down power plant in murmansk region)

Aims / topics?
 * support for affected communities
 * networking, contact
 * awareness raising & information
 * along (future) routes of nuclear material
 * about nuclear issues around the baltic sea
 * distribute map of nuclear industry activity around the baltic sea
 * the baltic sea is radioactive (MILKAS?)
 * Uranium Tails: UF6 transported over the baltic sea
 * alternatives
 * downscaling & localizing, not just "green" version of status quo
 * Knowhow & DIY info: f.ex. small-scale renewable energy
 * specialized business? (f.ex. renewable energy)
 * suggestion: Public Campaign for a Nuclear Free Baltic
 * Not only information, but give some "future" (Message: nuclear-free baltic is possible).
 * Also good countermove against the threat of scandinavia becoming a "nuclear colony"

What profile?
 * we're not "professional", or experts, just people (and that's ok!)
 * activities should be determined by local groups/people!
 * we could provide different options: seminars/workshop "packages", action, info material

To Do

 * start planning funding
 * gather already existing material & info (flyers, documents, etc)
 * prepare own content (f.ex. workshops)
 * separate working group starts working on the map project
 * this will also help in planning route, location, & what groups to contact
 * contact & invite local (or regional) groups to cooperate with (invitation sketch)
 * invite other people for preparation & tour
 * Falk should contact former BYCO network organizations and ask if they are interested in this project: http://www.byco.info/