Kaisha Atakhanova led a campaign that successfully thwarted the commercial import of nuclear waste into Kazahstan. She received one of six 2005 Goldman Environmental Prizes for this effort. A biologist by training, Atakhanova studied the genetic effects of nuclear radiation before founding and directing the Karaganda Ecological Center (the EcoCenter), which promotes grassroots democracy building and environmental protection in government and civil society. Even without importing additional…

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Read more stories by Kevin O’Flynn.