LEGACY OF THE COLD WAR PROGRAMME

Less danger through weapons.

Disarmament projects always take place in extremely complex contexts and can only be successfully implemented if all related problems are resolved. Typical challenges in disarmament projects are the lack of finances, anxiety about health and the environment on the part of the general public, as well as economical and social structural changes. Within these complex contexts, the Legacy of Cold War Programme facilitates processes, which lead to an 'environment' allowing for a successful implementation of disarmament projects and to an increased environmental consciousness in the armies.


Projects

Conweap promotes military base clean-up and conversion as well as the environmentally sound destruction of weapon inventories. One such example is the oil-polluted missile launching base in Western Russia that was cleaned up.

Chemtrust (=Chemical weapons, Trustbuilding for their destruction) facilitates a chemical weapons destruction process safe for public health and the environment. E. g. Green Cross runs several local public outreach offices providing independent and objective information to the population living around chemical weapons stockpiles.

Radleg studies the effects of the military use of radioactive substances on the environment and on human health and advocates clean-up priorities.

Conweap, Chemtrust and Radleg, are co-ordinated by Dr. Stephan Robinson, Green Cross Switzerland, and are financially supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the American Department of Defence, the British, Swedish and since 2002 Danish Governments, as well as a series of foundations.