It is 16:15 Nur-Sultan local time (4:15 p.m.); it is 3:20 in the morning in Los Angeles.
The students of NIS Ph&M, one of four international Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, gathered in one of their conference room for an international Skype call. Youth Peace Week is in full swing and I was asked to come in on Tuesday afternoon via Skype to discuss the importance of the CTBT, nuclear education, and youth activism.
Specifics of the call included explaining the creation and inspiration behind Nuclear Free Schools, ways in which students can start their own youth/community awareness projects, and my personal thoughts on the current status of nuclear treaties and conflicts. It was an overall exciting and pleasant experience for both myself and the students at NIS. This is the first of many interactions to be had as we work towards creating a future US-Kazakh collaboration to secure a world free of nuclear weapons and testing.
Cristopher Cruz, signing off.
Image courtesy: NIS Ph&M