At the invitation of the community and government, Greenpeace’s ship the Rainbow Warrior is currently in the Marshall Islands to reaffirm our solidarity with the nation’s ongoing fight for nuclear justice, climate action, and self-determination.
The Marshall Islands are a vast ocean nation — made up of over 1,000 islands and atolls — stretching across nearly two million square kilometers of the Pacific. The Marshallese people have thrived there for centuries and yet, without their consent, these islands became a nuclear testing ground for the United States following World War II.
Between 1946-1958 the United States conducted 67 nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands, with the most catastrophic being the “Castle Bravo” test on March 1, 1954. This bomb was 1,000 times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb, and the radioactive fallout rained down on inhabited areas, including the Rongelap Atoll. The horrific consequences of the radiation on the people living there were immediate, and long-lasting. Adding to the trauma, community members were unwittingly used as ongoing subjects in radiation studies.
In 1985, after decades of unsuccessful requests to the US government for help to evacuate their contaminated homelands, the Rongelap people turned to Greenpeace and we answered with a rainbow.
In a mission dubbed “Operation Exodus” we used the Greenpeace ship, the Rainbow Warrior to evacuate 300 islanders and over 100 tons of building materials to a nearby island, Mejatto. 40 years later, Greenpeace was invited back.
Over the past month, Rainbow Warrior III has sailed across the Marshall Islands, stopping in Majuro, Mejatto, Enewetak, Bikini, Rongelap, and Wotje to learn about and amplify each community’s experience of nuclear fallout, forced displacement, resistance, and hope for a just future.
During this time, independent radiation experts and Greenpeace scientists have also been conducting crucial research across the atolls, providing much-needed data on the remaining nuclear contamination. This independent study will help support the Marshallese people in their ongoing legal battles with the US for recognition, reparations and justice.
Because the Marshallese are not just survivors of past injustices. While they continue to push for reparations and recognition of the nuclear injustices, they are also leaders in climate justice and climate action. Over the past 15 years, they have established a shark sanctuary to protect vital marine life, created an ocean sanctuary to protect critical ecosystems, taken a firm stance against deep sea mining, and they’re on the verge of signing the Global Oceans Treaty.
Now, more than ever, we must collectively push back on the governments and industries that are harming people and the planet. As a Greenpeace supporter, you’re an integral part of the pursuit of justice for the Marshallese people
Please click here to learn more about the people of the Marshall Islands and what’s been happening during this historic reunion. I hope this story of collective action, struggle for justice, and a long-standing relationship full of solidarity and support fills you with determination as we face our political struggles today.
