THE NUCLEAR TRUTH PROJECT
Rights, Respect, and Reciprocity
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Protocols for Seeking Nuclear Truth with Integrity

We recognise protocols as being understandings of how individuals, organisations and communities stay in right relationship with each other, building respectful, reciprocal, and intentional relationships. Protocols help us prepare ourselves and our spaces. They help centre the lived experience of those communities in the processes to redress harm. These protocols aim to protect the vulnerable, shield from further trauma and harm, and ensure nuclear justice is centred in the work to redress both historic and any future harms from nuclear activities.

We advocate that those working towards nuclear truth and nuclear justice within, alongside or in relation to victims/survivors, First Nations and Indigenous Peoples and affected communities should undertake to consider and establish practices that follow these basic protocols:

RIGHTS
  • Protect cultural continuity
  • Ensure attribution and copyright of all knowledge shared
  • Prove free, prior and informed consent for engagement, including the rights to refusal, withdrawal, and anonymity
  • Practice respectful communications and consultations
  • Take responsibility for your work with and alongside impacted communities, its impacts and follow through
  • Work with an understanding of established Indigenous rights frameworks (for example as outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples), and any local protocols and practices of the communities themselves

RESPECT

  • Centre the lived experience of victims/survivors, First Nations/Indigenous Peoples and affected communities with respect
  • Recognise that nuclear activities have inflicted considerable losses for many affected individuals and communities, including intergenerational traumas and harms
  • Do nothing that foreseeably creates further harm or compounds existing harms
  • Commit to deep listening practices
  • Ensure principles of equity
  • Work with spirit and integrity
  • Be mindful of the need for translation or interpretation as well as for literacy requirements for affected community members
  • Protect personal information and data and maintain confidentiality as requested by the individuals or community
  • Develop clear and consensual protocols on the collection, use, reproduction, and dissemination of information as fits the communities and local laws
  • Ensure intellectual and cultural property rights are addressed
  • Take care to learn and follow relevant practices around use of imagery
  • Publish or platform only with the explicit and written consent of the person/people concerned
  • When approaching communities or individuals, demonstrate transparency in your motives, practices and outcomes
  • From within communities, work to prepare ourselves and our spaces to be open and safe
  • Recognise that for many communities, the connection between people, animals and all living creatures, and the lands, air, oceans and waters are inseparable from one another in responsibility and care

RECIPROCITY

  • Build respectful, reciprocal (two way) and positive relationships, while avoiding extractive and colonial relationships
  • Seek out any opportunities for revenue sharing, local consultations, and donations
  • Recognise that information and data (including stories, research, other) collected from individuals and communities involves knowledge transfer and production, and as such is a resource that has impacts for the communities
  • Work to ensure all data is collected with the safeguards described above and ensure that the material is transferred to the community members or representative organisations as well as the individuals who provided the stories and research materials
  • Work with a collaborative intent
  • Recognise that researchers and others are accountable to those communities they are working alongside, for, or with
  • Build capacity wherever possible, providing any opportunities for local work, study, assistance and skill building


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The Nuclear Truth Project Protocols are now in active consultation with Indigenous Peoples, affected community members and allies. 

​A full version of these protocols can be read from our Working Paper submitted to the UN Meeting of States Parties in June 2022 here.

Please feel free to share this link with your organization or networks, and to consider a formal sign-on to adapt or adopt the Protocols as a tool in your work. If you have comments or concerns, please use our Consultation Survey. For further information please contact us.