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Nuclear Weapons Inheritance Project (NWIP) medical students visit to Iran, April 2-7, 2007

Following the participation of Leila Moein, a 5th year medical student, and Dr. Shahriar Khateri, the representatives of SCWVS from Iran in 17th international congress of IPPNW in Helsinki-Finland (September 2006), and the visit of the SLMK delegation to Iran in Jan 2007, a group of IPPNW / NWIP medical students visited Iran in April 2007 in order to share information about IPPNW activities with Iranian medical students and to discuss the IPPNW affiliate in Iran.

Karin Svensson and Wenjing Tao, two Swedish medical students, arrived at Tehran on 3rd of April and immediately traveled to Andimeshk in Sowthwestern Iran, staying at home of Dr. Soheil Saki (CSWVS member). Tow days later, after visiting several Battlefield zones – 0f 1980s Iran-Iraq War- , the war museum and other places in Andimeshk, Shoosh and Dezful, they returned to Tehran on Thursday 5 April while Camilla Mattsson, another Swedish Medical student and Jakob Gierten from Germany have already arrived at Tehran.

A formal meeting took place on 5 April at Shahed medical university where Dr. Khateri, the head of SCWVS international relations branch, Leila Moein, the chief of SCWVS student’s branch with 15 Iranian medical students, as well as the IPPNW medical students attended.

After a brief introduction of participants and a SCWVS presentation on the overview on the effect of chemical weapons on human health and the environment, as well as a the health situation of Iranian chemical weapons victims followed by Q and A; the IPPNW students had short presentations about the IPPNW projects and the Students activities in brief.

The meetings went on with exchanging opinions about the danger of nuclear and chemical weapons for world peace and the necessity of introducing the real image of Iran to the world regardless of the negative propaganda of foreign media against Iran.

Leila suggested, because of the similarity between health consequences of chemical weapons and nuclear weapons, the CW health effects and the Prohibition of these weapons should be included in the topics of the 2008 IPPNW congress in Delhi, all members agreed.

At the end two Video clips about the faculties of the Basic and Clinical Science divisions of Shahed medical university were shown. On Friday 6 April, according to the schedule, it was planed to hold the workshops at the Tochal Mountain in northern Tehran in order to encourage friendly relationships in while enjoying the nature!

The first workshop started with IPPNW students’ explanation about nuclear weapons countries, the NPT, assessment of the existing problems of international laws on disarmament of nuclear weapons countries who have signed this treaty. After lunch the next workshop continued by asking “what can we do to bring equality to the world?" and after a long discussion it was concluded that, if government reach a correct understanding of humankind laws, bringing equality to the world may come true!

On Saturday 7 April, after visiting the peace museum at SCWVS office – where photos of Nuclear and Chemical weapons are displayed together with other peace education materials - , the two groups and some other SCWVS members Listened to a lecture by professor Edalat’s – from Imperial college of London - about the current political tensions over the Iran’s Nuclear program and violation to NPT and international laws by other countries.

The meeting continued with an interesting debate about Prof. Edalat’s lecture. Subsequently, the two students groups hold their last workshop on dialogue techniques and then both groups came to the following conclusions:

1. To go ahead with the formation of PSR-Iran, a sub organization of the SCWVS as the Iranian affiliate of IPPNW
2. To hold further workshops about IPPNW and SCWVS and the medical aspects of chemical and nuclear weapons with more Iranian medical students.
3. To continue the exchanges and visits between Iranian medical students and the IPPNW medical students.
4. To arrange a workshops in the next IPPNW congress in Delhi addressing the CW health effects and the suffering of CW victims in Iran.
5. To have website/Blog for medical students about SCWVS and the effect of nuclear and chemical weapons on both health and environment.
6. To organize photo exhibitions about these issues and the IPPNW/SCWVS exchanges in different universities in Iran.
7. To compile publications about the long term health effects of chemical and nuclear weapons, besides introducing these two organizations (IPPNW and SCWVS)
8. To perform target x program along with delivering lecture about chemical weapons and nuclear weapons in Tehran.

At the end of a busy day with a tight schedule, the IPPNW students presented bunched of beautiful flowers to Iranian students of SCWVS as their hosts keep saying that: “during this short visit, we found Iran much different than the image that the western media have made and we are surprised by Iranian hospitality."

During their visit, the IPPNW students also visited some interesting places in Tehran such as the Great Bazaar, Emamzade Saleh holy shrine, Tajrish traditional bazaar, Darake – a popular resort at northern Tehran - and the some Parks.

On Saturday night, at the farewell dinner time, the IPPNW students received some presents by their Iranian friends and all had a lovely evening.