MEET OUR RECLAIM FELLOWS
Indira Weaver
Indira Weaver was born near the Soviet Union’s main nuclear “testing” site in the former Semipalatinsk region of Qazaqstan, she is currently living in London. Indira shares why she is passionate about nuclear justice and what the Reclaim Fellowship has meant for him.
“My commitment to nuclear justice and disarmament is deeply personal.
My family is from the Semipalatinsk region of Qazaqstan, an area profoundly affected by four decades of nuclear weapons “testing” at the former Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site, known as "the Polygon". My parents and grandparents were directly exposed to the fallout from the atmospheric tests before they were banned in 1963, as our village is situated in close proximity to the borders of the Polygon. I was twelve years old and still living in my village of Sosnovka, when the final underground nuclear explosion took place on 19 October 1989.
Growing up in the former Soviet Union, we knew very little about what was happening. We were not told why the “tests” were taking place, whether they were dangerous, or what their purpose was. What we did witness, however, were the devastating health impacts that seemed far too common across our community: cancers, cardiovascular diseases, chronic anaemia, birth defects, miscarriages, infertility, mental health conditions, and premature deaths.
It was only three years ago that I began actively exploring my own connection to this legacy. As I learned more about the humanitarian consequences of nuclear testing, I realised that my story was part of a much larger experience shared by affected communities around the world.
Mountaineering has become an important way for me to honour my own affected community, express solidarity with other nuclear affected communities and raise awareness internationally. During the expeditions to Aconcagua – highest peak in South America, and Denali – highest peak in North America, I carried paintings by renowned Kazakh Mouth Artist and advocate for peace and nuclear disarmament, Karipbek Kuyukov. Born without arms as a direct consequence of nuclear testing, Karipbek has become a powerful symbol of resilience, inspiration, and hope.
My greatest hope for the First Review Conference of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is that nuclear-affected communities and survivors remain at the centre of all discussions, and that our experiences help drive progress towards a world free of nuclear weapons. I look forward to meeting my fellow participants of the Reclaim Community Fellowship Programme, as well as connecting with other advocates from around the world.
The Reclaim Community Fellowship has been a truly transformative experience for me. It has provided a supportive and safe space to learn, share, reflect, and connect with others committed to working towards nuclear justice and disarmament. Through the Fellowship, I have deepened my understanding of the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons and started to better understand the importance of listening to and learning from nuclear-affected communities."
Photo: Indira at the memorial for the victims of the Semipalatinsk Test Site in Qazaqstan.
The Reclaim Community Fellowship is a program of the Nuclear Truth Project running throughout 2026.
The Reclaim Community Fellowship program is a reciprocal-based learning and leadership initiative for emerging community leaders from regions impacted by nuclear weapons and related processes. The program addresses needs identified by affected communities engaged in the global disarmament and nuclear justice policy space.
Through education, networking and advocacy skill-building, the program has worked intensively over the year with a cohort of six emerging affected community leaders from regions impacted by nuclear weapons testing and associated nuclear harms.