Eight years after the deadly explosion, the Belarusian Charitable Fund, For the Children of Chernobyl, announces a five-day conference, April 18 through 22, to be held at the Yubileynaya Hotel in Minsk. Plenary sessions and workshops will address topics such as:

• Medical and Social Aspects of the Chernobyl Disaster

• Chernobyl, Nuclear Energy and the Future of the World

• Chernobyl and Humanitarian Cooperation--Its Results and Lessons

• Charity and Peacemaking Activities of the Church in the Contemporary World (at diocesan offices of the Belarusian Orthodox Church)

• International Solidarity and the Role of NGO's in Eliminating the Threat of Nuclear Catastrophe

For the Children of Chernobyl was founded in the summer of 1989 and legally registered in November 1990. Chairman of the Board of the Fund since its foundation is Gennady Grushevoy, Ph.D., professor of philosophy at Belarusian State University since 1973 and, since 1990, a member of the Belarus parliament. In his latter capacity, Dr. Grushevoy sits on two permanent parliamentary commissions, dealing with issues of constitutional law and Chernobyl.

For the Children of Chernobyl is one of the largest self-supported social organizations in Belarus. It has teams in over 20 cities or regions of the country and over 40 long-term programs of charitable, medical and humanitarian outreach. Among other accomplishments, it has:

• arranged for nearly 400 sick children to receive medical treatment abroad

• provided direct material aid to thou-sands of evacuee families, Chernobyl invalids, and rescue workers

• constructed a facility for producing ecologically pure food on a collective farm in the Brest district

• created specialized nursery school programs for handicapped children

• facilitated direct relations between foreign partners of the Fund and hospitals, schools, orphanages and other public organizations in 32 areas of Belarus. (Foreign partners in the U.S. include World Vision International, CitiHope International, and a number of Protestant and Orthodox parishes.)

The conference registration fee is $160. Registrants will be accommodated at hotels or host families, according to their choice. The cost of the former ranges from US$ 25 to US$ 60 per night.

Those interested in attending the conference are asked to complete a registration form and fax it in by March 25. (CCSI has registration forms.) Visa support will be provided through the appropriate Belarus diplomatic office abroad.

Belarusian Charitable Fund
For the Children of Chernobyl
14, Starovilenskaya Str.
Minsk 220029
Republic of Belarus
Tel. 011-7-0172-341-215 or 342-153
Fax 011-7-0172-343-458

To contact Dr. Grushevoy at home:
47 Prospekt Pushkina, apt. 89
Minsk 220082 Tel. 550-113

Participants who wish to stay in Belarus longer than the conference may do so. Conference organizers can arrange homestays for longer periods of time and may also be able to provide short-term work/volunteer opportunities in locations around Belarus. Coordinator of North American relations with the Fund is Dr. Yuri Pancrats. He speaks fluent English and can be contacted at the Fund offices, or at home:

43-2 Masherov Ave., apt. 75
Minsk 220029 Tel. 238-573

For further information in the U.S. about the Belarusian Charitable Fund For the Children of Chernobyl or about the conference, contact:

Nancy Neal Oldenettel
Federal Way, WA
Tel. (206) 946-9241

To contact the Belarus Embassy in Washington, DC, call (202) 986-1604

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