International Anti-nuclear Summer Camp 2018
- Nuclear Heritage Network's 2018 Network Gathering on August 6-12, 2018 near Narbonne (F) for networking, exchanging of experiences and knowledge regarding nuclear policies, skill sharing, preparing common campaigns, actions and projects and developing the network means, tools and structures of the Nuclear Heritage Network
- the last Network Gathering took place 2017 in Döbeln, Germany
Invitation to the International Anti-Nuclear Summer Camp 2018
close to Narbonne, France, August 6th-12th, 2018
We want to invite you to a week of international knowledge exchange, experience sharing and a warm feeling of resistance in France. Our international Anti-nuclear Summer Camp will take place close to Narbonne from 6th of August to 12th of August this year.
We, the organizing group, are independent anti-nuclear activists from different countries across the world. We want to organise a gathering with a lot of space for international networking, share of knowledge and experiences and extend of knowledge about anti-nuclear topics. Also, we want to give the opportunity of summer camp feeling and fun.
To give the summer camp a structure there are two main topics as a stream during the week:
One part will be the uranium conversion facility of the company Orano (formerly Areva) in Narbonne-Malvési. We want to focus on this topic because we think it is important to support the local groups and to share knowledge about developments in uranium conversion processes like the disposal of radioactive waste.
The other part will be the transport of Uranium in all stages and radioactive waste and the safety issues of it.
Within the program there shall be enough open space parts: for sharing experiences, knowledge, prepare projects or campaigns. Also, we want to save some free space for rich informal contacts, artistic / cultural exchanges, siestas and little feasts. Hopefully there will be a music band playing on one evening at our campsite. In the evening we want to give the opportunity to show films from your current anti-nuclear work - bring your films to the camp. During our camp there will be at least one action day against the nuclear industries in Narbonne or close to Narbonne. Our camp will take place during the anniversaries of the atomic bombing on Hiroshima, Japan on 6th August 1945, and of Nagasaki, Japan of 9th August. Thus, we want to take the chance to remember the high death toll of the atomic bomb, and to stress the dangers of nuclear war.
Still we need support for anti-nuclear workshops, lectures and discussions. Everyone is welcome to offer workshops or presentations on topics they are working with. We hope many participants will tell about the anti-nuclear struggles or about the nuclear policy in their regions. Also, it is needed that you can contribute help at our collective action day(s).
For our camping needs we will construct some infrastructure on the olive grove - like compost toilets, solar showers, kitchen infrastructure etc. We want to organise whisper-translations (non-professional) in the workshops and presentations in Spanish, French and English or more – with your help.
The campsite will be a lovely field less than 10 km from Narbonne at the Mediterranean Sea. However, disadvantages are the drought and heat in the region – the small trees only provide little shade, and thus the risk of wildfire is significant. That's why we all must act responsible and minimize the danger of wildfire. One thing you can do to help us in preparing the camp for this location is to bring solar umbrellas and fire extinguishers if you have the possibility.
Fee: There will be a daily fee for food, water and other expenses for the attendees of the summer camp. The amount will be announced in one of the next following invitation letters. If you are low on money, you can ask us for rebate. If you're traveling from European countries, we invite you to NOT take the plane for traveling to near Narbonne. Thank you!
We invite you to share your knowledge with us, show and describe your activists work in your own ways. Bring your own tents, sleeping bags, your music - instruments or your cabaret art to this summer camp. If you can provide bigger group tents or awnings to Narbonne, we would be very pleased to contact us. See below for our contact email.
For those who look for a more comfortable accommodation, they have to contact the tourist information in Narbonne and later we should be able to offer you a complementary list in those direction.
Please promote the International Anti-Nuclear Summer Camp 2018 to your groups!
This invitation is just a first announcement. There will be more specific information on the camp, program, directions, location and more in spring.
If you are interested in the gathering or in supporting it, please get in touch with us via the contact email adress:
Please send registration emails with the number of attendees to:
For more information please contact :
- André Larivière : +33 6 67 15 86 23 (english inquiries)
- Hervé Loquais : +33 6 32 41 26 92 (french inquiries, simple english)
About Orano (formerly Areva) in Narbonne-Malvési
The uranium conversion facility Narbonne-Malvési is supposed to process 21,000 metric tonnes every year to uranium tetrafluoride (UF4) in the next years. Also, Orano wants to make money with the vaporizing of liquid radioactive waste into the atmosphere in a "clean" process. And Orano wants to sell this new process to other companies. Orano for the next 40 years or more has the permission to emit radioactive gases from more than 350,000 m3 liquid radioactive waste into the atmosphere. The health risks for flora, fauna and mankind are serious and dangerous.
Camp statistics
- Participants from the following nations joined the camp:
- Belgium
- Canada
- France
- Germany
- India
- Ireland
- Japan
- Navajo Nation
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Peru
- Portugal
- Russia
- Spain
- Turkey
- United States of America
- Vietnam
- 100-120 persons participated in this 2018 gathering (95 of them registered in advance)
- >25 lectures/workshops, 2 small actions, 1 excursion to Malvesi atomic plant area, 4 music performances and 2 film screening evenings took place as part of the program
Organizations involved
Though the participation is individual, we will ask participants whether they are representing an organization that officially can be mentioned here to shape a picture of involved groups, associations and NGOs.
- DiaNuke.org
- JANUN
- Nuclear Heritage Network
- Nukleersiz.org
- Association locale "sortir du nucléaire" audois (SDN11)
- Réseau français "sortir du nucléaire" (SDN)
- Association "Arrêt du nucléaire 34 (ADN34) from Montpellier
- ...
Supporters
The following organizations have financially supported the gathering:
- JANUN - JugendAktion Natur- und Umweltschutz Niedersachsen e.V. (supported printing costs of flyers & preparation meeting)
- Réseau français "Sortir du nucléaire"
- Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics
- Crowfunding on cotizup.com
Media coverage
- internationales Antiatomcamp in Narbonne im Sommer 2018 (Urantransport) (February 17, 2018)
- Internationales Anti-Atom-Sommercamp (Janun) (April 2018)
- Les antinucléaires du monde entier ont rendez-vous cet été en Narbonnais (L'indépendant) (April 25, 2018)
- Près de Narbonne, un camp d'été pour les antinucléaires (Sans Transition) (August 6, 2018)
- Aude : à Narbonne, des militants du monde entier disent non au nucléaire (French TV report on France 3) (August 11,2018)
- International Summer Camp Protests Nuclear Industry in France and Around the World (Nuclearwatchinfo) (August 16, 2018)
- International Summer Camp Protests Nuclear Industry In France And Around The World (Don't Nuke The Climate) (August 20, 2018)