April 21, 2011
Click here to see Maria's message.
In preparation for the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster on 26 April, Russian tennis star and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Goodwill Ambassador Maria Sharapova has called on the world to remember the ongoing suffering of those forced to leave the contaminated regions, as well as the heroism of the emergency workers who responded to the accident.
The 1986 Chernobyl disaster is the worst nuclear power plant accident in history. Radioactive contamination was released into the atmosphere over much of Western Russia and Europe, and more than 130,000 people were relocated from the immediate surroundings of the stricken plant.
"Today, while the anniversary is filled with sadness, we also acknowledge that this is a time for hope, as we move forward in building a better future for all those whose lives have been changed by this tragedy," said Sharapova in a global video message released today.
"At the same time my thoughts today are with the people of Japan who are facing a nuclear disaster," she added.
Since her appointment as UNDP Goodwill Ambassador in February 2007, Sharapova has focused on advocating for the achievement of global anti-poverty goals, with an emphasis on promoting the recovery of Chernobyl-affected areas.
Sharapova was born in 1987 in Siberia, after her family fled Gomel, in what is now Belarus, one of the affected regions, in the wake of the Chernobyl accident.
Last year she visited Gomel to see for herself the work of a number of UNDP youth-focused projects that the Maria Sharapova Foundation has helped fund.
She also met with the 2010 winners of a five-year Maria Sharapova Foundation Scholarship for Youth from the Chernobyl-Affected Areas of Belarus that assists talented students gain access to high-quality education in the country's leading universities. The scholarship programme was launched in 2009 as a joint initiative between the Foundation and UNDP.
Sharapova has also made a personal contribution of USD250,000 to expand a UNDP-supported programme that provides sports and physical activities for youth in the three countries affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
Resources : http://www.mariasharapova.com/
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