“We’re Taking Back the Narrative”. An Interview with Benetick Kabua Maddison, of the Marshallese Educational Initiative

Abstract

This contribution features an interview with Benetick Kabua Maddison, the Executive Director of the Marshallese Educational Initiative (MEI), an NGO that aims to raise awareness of the effects of nuclear testing and climate change on the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). The RMI was the site of 67 nuclear tests conducted by the United States between 1946 and 1958, which resulted in environmental degradation and health problems for the local population. The interview explores the current renegotiation of the Compact of Free Association (COFA), a treaty that governs the political and economic relationship between the RMI and the US. The interview also discusses the challenges and opportunities for the Marshallese community, the conflicting statements regarding the contamination of the RMI, and the prospects of a nuclear weapons ban and global solidarity to address the twin existential threats facing the RMI and the world.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The interview was conducted in June 2023. Our thanks go to Benetick Kabua Maddison for his time.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

FUNDING

Our research has been generously supported by the German Ministry for Education and Research under Grant Number 01UG2210A (VeSPoTec).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Linda Ostermann

Linda Ostermann is a research associate and PhD candidate at the Human Technology Center (HumTec) at RWTH Aachen University. She focuses on the role of knowledge, non-knowledge as well as knowledge strategies in nuclear verification and arms control regimes from a social science perspective. She studied French and Political Science (B. A.) at the University of Münster and at the University of Pau (France) and International Studies/Peace and Conflict Research (M. A.) at the Goethe University Frankfurt and the Technical University of Darmstadt. E-mail: [email protected]

Julian Schäfer

Julian Schäfer is a research associate and PhD candidate at the Human Technology Center (HumTec) at RWTH Aachen University. He focuses on the role of knowledge, non-knowledge and knowledge strategies in nuclear verification and arms control regimes from a social science perspective. He studied Cultural Studies (B.A.) at Maastricht University and at the University of Oslo and Governance of Technology and Innovation (M.A.) at RWTH Aachen University. His focus is on the sociology of knowledge and STS. E-mail: [email protected]