MEMOIR BY ADI ROCHE

In 1986, an explosive fire started in the Soviet Union's Chernobyl reactor which had been constructed in the wilds of the Ukraine. That fire spawned the greatest nuclear disaster the world has known--an event with repercussions that continue to this day and will continue for centuries to come. Hundreds of thousands of people were affected and generations of children to follow will be further tortured by premature death, mutation and genetic defects.

When former Aer Lingus employee Adi Roche first took notice of the Chernobyl holocaust, she was working toward nuclear disarmament in Cork City. From that time in 1991 when Roche founded and became executive director of the Chernobyl Children's Project, she has worked toward establishing continuing awareness of this cataclysm and to save or at least improve the lives of these child victims. Now that Ireland is no longer a ward of the world because of its present economic success, it can offer a payback by bringing many of these kids to Ireland. Roche is so articulate and outspoken on the subject that we transformed a dialogue with her into a personal exposition. And these striking pictures shot at Chernobyl accompany it --Brad Balfour

The United Nations has chosen our country and our organization to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. We want Irish America to see the honor that we have been given and to take possession of it. I brought photographer Paul Fusco to Chernobyl, and that was the start of what snowballed into an exhibition of 18 artists' impressions of the disaster. The exhibition is not just photographs-Waterford Crystal made a unique piece for it. But they're not all Irish. I wanted as diverse a group as possible so there's American, Dutch, Belorussian, and some people from England involved with the project as well. The exhibition is trying to put this issue back on the agenda, because so much scientific and medical information attests overwhelmingly to the priority that we must turn to tackling the consequences of Chernobyl. We're launching a book as well-Chernobyl Legacy by Paul Fusco and Magdalena Carls (de.MO Publishing) which is the source of the images for this portfolio.

Things have changed in Ireland in that the Celtic Tiger has made things better for a lot of charities and organizations like ourselves. For once, we're a charity here not looking for anything, but we want people to participate in something that's very special. Because Chernobyl happened 15 years ago, we're here to remind people that the consequences of this disaster will last forever because we're dealing with deadly radiation.

Only 3% of the entire content of radioactivity was released in 1986. The balance is still inside the reactor, sitting like some sort of rumbling monster which can never be tamed. Radioactivity goes from generation to generation. Those who were six to eight years of age in 1986 are now old enough to be having children of their own. We begin to see the genetic damage, because of damage to the immune system, increase in birth deformities, and a 50% drop in the birth rates in Belorusse because women are afraid to have babies.

About 23 years ago our government in Ireland proposed to build a nuclear power station, and people had a natural reticence about it because they were quite fearful of what radioactivity could do. Ibecame involved with the environmental movement around that time, and it changed my whole life. I developed a peace and justice education program for schools and encouraged young people to have a conscience, to think for themselves about all the issues related to human rights, justice, peace, disarmament. Eventually I gave up my job at Aer Lingus and did it full time, until Chernobyl happened 15 years ago.

About 10 years ago I decided that I had worked on the theory of nuclear disarmament for so long that I now needed to work with survivors of the reality. So I went to Chernobyl where I was exposed to such high levels of radiation, bringing camera crews into an area that is called Death Valley. I decided if I became pregnant, it would be irresponsible. It's absolutely out of the question now. The risk would be too great.

I came from a family background where my parents had a very strong social conscience and were both very politically active in Fianna Fail. So I was reared at fund-raising events. And my parents had been actively involved in the movement for people who are in crisis--the St. Vincent de Paul Society. It was a natural thing for me to do, but I never thought I was going to end up dedicating my life to it, yet that's what I've done. My husband is a teacher and he sponsors my work. I work on a full-time voluntary basis. I receive absolutely no salary, and never have.

When I made the decision to run for the Irish presidential election, it was to have been a very environmentally friendly presidency. I'd always had a great relationship with the media, and then all of sudden, because I went for this political position, that changed. But the good news is that it didn't affect my status, the caliber of the work or people's respect for me or the work. It raised the profile of the organization and the issue to a level that I could never have managed to do as an organization.

In Belorusse, they gave me the highest award a civilian can get and I was the first person who was a non-national to receive it. This project has been honored in so many different ways. For example, I'm being given a doctorate of law from the University of Edmonton in Alberta this coming June.

I've made documentaries for the BBC, RTE, and Discovery Channel. I've written a book which was a best seller in Ireland, Children of Chernobyl, and I'm about to write another one. Since I'm a big music fan, the celebrity connection is important. U2 is a band with a conscience, and they have campaigned over the years against a nuclear power station in Cellafield, England which faces the east coast of Ireland. They've been very kind to us. When I wanted to make a documentary, I contacted Bone's wife, Ally. She came out to Chemobyl and it changed her whole life. Not only did she agree to be involved with the documentary, but she got the funding for it, and agreed to narrate it. I would honestly say it's the best documentary ever made on the issue of Chernobyl--Black Wind, White Land: Living with Chernobyl.

This project is uniquely Irish. We collected 18 million pounds for it. And at the end of March, we sent out our 17th convoy, which consisted of 2 million pounds' worth of aid. We have 1,200 kids coming into Ireland; a number of children have even been adopted. In fact, our organization brokered a unique, historic adoption agreement between Ireland and Belomsse of which we are really proud. There are more children in state care now in Belorusse than there were after the Second World War, when they were practically wiped out. So it's important we get as many of these children out of there and adopted as we can. As a result I want to continue meeting people (such as Irish Connections publisher, Paddy McCarthy) who have their roots in Ireland and have done really well over here to build the groundswell. People have been so warm and welcoming that I feel quite humbled by the openness with which we have been received, and I can't emphasize that enough. Whatever happens, I'm grateful for it even if it just ends at the exhibition. But I don't think it will. ---Adi Roche