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STORY: CTBTO / INTERNATIONAL DAY ADVANCER
TRT: 2:56
SOURCE: CTBTO
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / RUSSIAN / NATS
DATELINE: 13 JUNE 2016, VIENNA, AUSTRIA / 17 MAY 2016, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
13 JUNE 2016, UNITED NATIONS, VIENNA, AUSTRIA
1. Still photo, painting of house in rural radioactive area (Semipalatinsk)
2. Still photo, painting of people in a house taking cover after a nuclear test
DATE AND LOCATION UNKNOWN - FOOTAGE COURTSY OF “THE ATOM PROJECT’
3. Various shots, nuclear tests
13 JUNE 2016, UNITED NATIONS IN VIENNA, AUSTRIA
4. Pan right, Karipbek Kuyukov talking to two men at art exhibition
5. Med shot, Karipbek Kuyukov talking to two men at art exhibition
6. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Karipbek Kuyukov, artist and honorary Ambassador of the ATOM Project: “My mother and father would often climb a hill to watch the mushroom cloud. It was spectacular, with a beautiful flash, and they liked watching it. And afterwards they would be proud to have witnessed it.’’
7. Various shots, Karipbek Kuyukov sending images on a smart phone using his mouth
8. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Karipbek Kuyukov, artist and honorary Ambassador of the ATOM Project: “there were two children born in my family before me who did not survive their first year. When I was born, my mother was in a state of shock and could not bear to go near me for three days. The doctors suggested giving me a lethal shot, so that neither she nor I should suffer. But my father refused, and took me home from the hospital. I am eternally grateful to my father for what he did, for saving my life.’’
9. Still photo, Painting of a baby without arms in a cradle
10. Tilt up, Karipbek Kuyukov in a conference room assisted by a lady
11. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Karipbek Kuyukov, artist and honorary Ambassador of the ATOM Project:
“I was born without arms, but I think every person adapts to his or her circumstances. I did everything with my feet. When I was little, I used to take crayons with my toes and started to draw simple things, pictures. And I as grew, I liked it more and more.”
DATE AND LOCATION UNKNOWN - FOOTAGE COURTSY OF “THE ATOM PROJECT’
12. Various shots, Karipbek Kuyukov using his toes to paint
13 JUNE 2016, UNITED NATIONS IN VIENNA, AUSTRIA
13. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Karipbek Kuyukov, artist and honorary Ambassador to THE ATOM PROJECT:
“I painted them to get people to look them in the eye and to think: Why? Why do these people have to suffer such a tragedy?’’
17 MAY 2016, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
14. Wide shot, Conference on Disarmament
15. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Lassina Zerbo, Executive Secretary, Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO):
“Should eight countries be keeping the rest of the world hostage for so long? Something needs to be done.”
16. Wide shot, Lassina Zerbo speaking at the Conference on Disarmament
17. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Lassina Zerbo, Executive Secretary, Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO):
“In the commemoration the 20th years anniversary of the Treaty are binging leaders together in Vienna to reflect on our achievement and then to think about the urgency and the necessity for having this Treaty in force”.
18. Pan left, Lassina Zerbo speaking at the Conference on Disarmament
Karipbek Kuyukov is a renowned artist with a very special mission. As an honorary ambassador of the Atom Project and activist to end nuclear testing, the artist uses painting to relay his message to the world.
Kuyukov was born in Yegindybulak, Kazakhstan, a village 100km from the former Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. He was born without arms as a result of his parents’ exposure to some of the 450 plus nuclear weapon tests conducted at the site by the Soviet Union.
His parents had two children before him who did not survive their first year. Kuyukov said when he was born, his mother was so shocked she could not bear being near him for the first three days. He said doctors even suggested giving him a lethal shot, “so that neither” would suffer, but his father saved his life.
Kuyukov said he began using his feet to draw at a young age and over time grew a passion for it. He said, “I was born without arms, but I think every person adapts to his or her circumstances.” He said he wanted to invite people to think through his work, and ask why the victims of nuclear tests had to suffer such a tragedy.
Between, 1945 and 1996, over 2,000 nuclear tests were carried out worldwide. On August 29th, the world will mark the International Day against Nuclear Tests. The date also commemorates the permanent closure of the Semipalatinsk test site in 1991 in modern-day Kazakhstan.
The closure of the Semipalatinsk test site, paved the way for the United States to halt testing and for negotiation on a global, verifiable Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). Following decades of public campaigning, the CTBT was opened for signature in 1996. With the exception of North Korea, no countries have conducted nuclear tests in the 21st century. However, for the treaty to enter into force, it must be ratified by the remaining eight states which possess nuclear technology.
Lassina Zerbo, chief of the organization concerned with the treaty (CTBTO) said “something needs to be done.” He asked, “Should eight countries be keeping the rest of the world hostage for so long?”
Zerbo said the CTBTO was bringing leaders together in commemoration of the treaty’s 20th anniversary to reflect on achievements made and “then to think about the urgency and the necessity for having this treaty in force”.
The countries which need to ratify the treaty for it to enter into force are China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and the United States.
