Nuclear-Free Future Award laureates honored

S.P. Udayakumar of India, Márcia Gomes and Norbert Suchanek of Brazil and Germany respectively, and Edwick Madzimure of Zimbabwe, received their Nuclear-Free Future Awards at a moving ceremony in New York on March 4. The event was founded by Claus Biegert (pictured) in 1998.

Udayakumar was unable to travel and has incurred great risks to his freedom and safety throughout his protests against the Russian-built Kudankulam nuclear power plant in his home state of Tamil Nadu. However, his U.S.-based sons traveled to New York to accept the award on his behalf and speak about their father’s work. Udayakumar also recorded a moving video of his acceptance remarks that engendered prolonged applause from the audience watching inside the Great Hall at Cooper Union. Udayakumar won the award in the category of Resistance.

Gomes and Suchanek created the International Uranium Film Festival in Rio de Janeiro that now travels the world educating audiences through feature films, documentaries and animation, about the dangers of the entire nuclear chain. The pair, based in Brazil, won the Award in the category of Education.

Madzimure has ensured African women’s voices are heard in the disarmament debate, ensuring that the anti-humanitarian and immoral aspects of any use of nuclear weapons remain at the forefront of the nuclear abolition discussion. This proved to be a key element in the success of bringing the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons into law. She won in the category of Solution.

The Resistance, Education and Solution Awards each come with a $5,000 prize.

The Diné activist, author and filmmaker, Klee Benally, was honored posthumously with an honorary Lifetime Achievement Award, accepted by his mother Berta and lauded by fellow Indigenous activists Petuuche Gilbert and Leona Morgan. Kathleen Sullivan of Hibakusha Stories and Nuclear Truth Project presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to author, teacher and activist, Joanna Macy, who was also unable to travel but sent a written acceptance.

Musical performances were generously provided by a quartet featuring Laurie Anderson, Greg Cohen, Max Gordon and Peter Gordon.

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