ABOUT THE NUCLEAR TRUTH PROJECT PROTOCOLS

The Nuclear Truth Project’s Protocols are a living document, intended to be built on by nuclear impacted community members over time. The Protocols continue to be in active consultation with Indigenous Peoples, frontline and affected community members and allied organisations.

These Protocols are open to adoption or adaptation by communities,
individuals, or organisations. Contact the Nuclear Truth Project if you have questions on how to implement the Protocols in your community, work or organisation.

This is a brief history of the development of the Protocols, linking some historical documents and background information for community members.

DEVELOPING THE PROTOCOLS

The Nuclear Truth Project began in 2021 working with a small group of affected community members and organisational leaders from a diverse range of international groups, to discuss challenges when working within, alongside or for communities and individuals impacted by nuclear harms. With an increase in recognition of the centrality of affected communities, members of nuclear impacted communities and advocates for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons were noting significant increases in demands on nuclear survivors – the lived experience expertise.

The  Nuclear Truth Project identified a need to establish Protocols to ensure any consultations and asks of affected communities were being practiced in good faith and with a ‘do no harm’ approach to engagement.

Over a period of eight months involving consensus-based discussions, a working group of frontline affected peoples and long term nuclear justice advocates developed a draft set of Protocols. These were launched in June 2022 at the First Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Following the initial launch, the Protocols then underwent a year-long process of community review by the Nuclear Truth Project, to late 2023.

A number of different methods were used to engage people in this review: 

• an online survey (open for one year) with 11 questions
• Nuclear Truth Project Co-Coordinators and facilitators engaged in one-on-one interviews with affected community members
• regional facilitators conducted community consultations or conversations involving people from affected communities and allied activists in three regions – the USA, Australia and the Pacific.

The regional facilitators were all from affected communities themselves, many of whom were seeking these conversations with Elders and others intergenerationally. This took significant courage and skill, and the Nuclear Truth Project is grateful for the efforts of all the facilitators who worked to make this possible. 

After extensive review and community consultation, and in collaboration with partner advisers, a reviewed version of the Protocols was launched in October 2023.

Throughout 2024 the Nuclear Truth Project has continued to work with affected community members and organisations, filmmakers, academics, and others to engage with, adopt, adapt and translate the Protocols.

For affected community members, the Protocols are offered as an aid when people come to seek knowledge, story, and advice. They are a tool shared with civil society groups, government bodies, researchers and others, an opportunity to consider their practices when working with affected communities.

We are especially grateful for the generosity of affected community members who offered feedback, advice and lived experience expertise to develop and shape these Protocols. 

THE PROTOCOLS AT WORK

The most current version of the Protocols is found on our website here.

New translations of the Protocols into languages engaged by affected communities are becoming available throughout 2024. As they are finalised they are included on our website here. We currently have adapted and translated versions of the Protocols in Japanese, Qazaq and Russian.

The original version of the Protocols was archived here for community reference. To read more about the development of the Protocols and the process of review, read our Talking Protocols report from June 2023.

The Nuclear Truth Project submitted Working Papers on the Protocols to the United Nations Meetings of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in both July 2022 and November 2023.

THE PROTOCOLS IN ACTION

As we continue to seek input on the Protocols, the Nuclear Truth Project opened a new online survey in July 2024. We invite all feedback on how individuals, communities and groups are engaging the Protocols in action. Please share your feedback and insights here.

Please feel free to share this link with your organization or networks on the Protocols.

You can download free posters of the Protocols here. 

Please consider formally signing on to, adapting or adopting the Protocols as a tool in your work. For further information, advice or examples of how you can work with these Protocols, please contact us.

The Nuclear Truth Project thanks our funders, Ploughshares Equity Rises and private donors for their support for the work in developing these Protocols.