The TPNW has brought the fight for nuclear justice to the centre of discussions around nuclear weapons and provided an important forum for communities affected by the use and testing of nuclear weapons to discuss their ongoing needs, but more must be done. This session is an opportunity to hear from two leaders in nuclear justice efforts and identify areas for collaboration and strengthened cooperation.
Mr. Benetick Kabua Maddison
Benetick Kabua Maddison is the Executive Director of the Marshallese Educational Initiative (MEI), a nonprofit based in Springdale, Arkansas, where the highest concentration of Marshallese reside outside of the home islands. Born on Majuro Atoll, Maddison migrated to the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas with his family at the age of six. His work at MEI includes leading efforts to raise awareness of the biological, ecological, and cultural consequences of the nuclear testing legacy on Marshallese homelands as well as the impact of climate change.
Ms. Aigerim Seitenova
Aigerim Seitenova is a human rights professional, researcher, and nuclear justice advocate from Kazakhstan. A third-generation survivor of Soviet nuclear testing and Co-Founder of the Qazaq Nuclear Frontline Coalition, her lived experience informs her work on nuclear justice, epistemic injustice, nuclear colonialism, and militarism. Her research and advocacy bridge legal analysis, community-based participatory approaches, and creative methodologies to examine how knowledge, lived experience, and resistance are shaped in nuclear-affected communities. She has led civil society initiatives, secured funding for non-governmental organisations, and contributed to policy, academic, and public advocacy on nuclear justice and disarmament. She is also the creator of JARA-Radioactive Patriarchy: Women of Qazaqstan, a documentary screened across North America, Europe and Asia. Aigerim was named to the Forbes Kazakhstan 30 Under 30 list and is a Chevening Scholar. She holds an LL.M. in International Human Rights Law from the University of Essex and an EU-funded M.A. in European Studies.