Glossary (with links to organisations)

"Bäuerliche Notgemeinschaft" (Rural Emergency Union) -- A protest group of local farmers. www.baeuerliche-notgemeinschaft.de (in German)

BI "Bürgerinitiative für Umweltschutz" (Citizens Initiative for Environmental Protection). www.castor.de (mostly in German, some English)

BfS "Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz" (National Office for Radiation Protection).The agency responsible for investigating and permitting the transport and storage of atomic wastes. www.bfs.de (in German)

BGS "Bundesgrenzschutz" (Federal Border Protection Force), responsible for policing the nation´s borders and railways.

BLG "Brennelementlager-Gesellschaft" (Fuel Rod Storage Company). The commercial operator of the nuclear dump at Gorleben.

BMU "Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit" (National Ministry for the Environment, Protection of Nature, and Nuclear Reactor Safety) www.bmu.de

CASTOR The container used to transport nuclear waste.

EA "Ermittlungs-Auschuss" - A team providing legal and paralegal support for the demonstrators.

"Endlager" (Final Storage Dump) The mythical site where atomic wastes can be safely stored for eternity. In spite of a worldwide search, such a place has not yet been found.

"Endlagerbergwerk" (Final Storage Excavation) A huge excavation deep into the salt deposits underlying Gorleben, originally planned for final atomic waste storage. Work was halted when groundwater intrusion was discovered. Since then, recent research at the University of Groningen (Holland) has shown that atomic waste stored in salt can explode. Yet atomic proponents insikst that the site is safe.

EJZ "Elbe-Jeetzel Zeitung" - The local newspaper. www.ejz.de (in German).

GIPT Gorleben International Peace Team -- A group of independent observers from many countries. www.gipt.de (in English)

Gorleben A village in Wendland. Because this village is the site of the nuclear waste dump, "Gorleben" is also used to mean the dump itself .

IDAS Group of local Motorcyclists against nuclear power: They provide important communications support for the protestors because they are able to travel cross-country when roads are blocked. www.idas-wendland.de (in German)

Indymedia World-wide independent news network, known for its accurate, unbiased reports. The German affiliate will be sending out hourly updates of transport events. http://germany.indymedia.org (mostly in German, some English).

"Komitee" (Committee for Basic Rights and Democracy) An observation team that reports on CASTOR transports and other issues from a legal perspective. www.grundrechtekomitee.de (in German)

"Konfliktmanager" Police PR officers trained to reduce conflict (often derided by both police and demonstrators because of their ineffectivity during actual encounters.)

'KURVE' Centre for training and networking in non-violent Action.

www.comlink.apc.org/kurvewustrow

La Hague The French nuclear reproccessing site in Normandy.

Meuchefitz An educational centre, commune and cafe located in a village of the same name. Serves as a year-round central meeting place point for anti-nuclear activists; is especially active during transport periods. www.meuchefitz.de (in German)

"Nötigung" A legal term meaning the use of force (or threatening force) in order to compel someone to do something "Nötigung" is illegal. Because the "crime" is so indefinite (for example, shaking a fist is "Nötigung.", it´s often used by police to charge or hold a suspect when no other crime can be proven.

"Niedersachsen" The State of Lower Saxony. of which Wendland is a part.

"Gewaltfrei" (Non-violent) -- a form of protest where active resistance replaces violence as the method of action. Practically all Wendland protestors are non-violent. However, many distinguish between violence against people and violence against property.

"Schneckenplage" (Plague of Snails), A new form of action where protesters carry on their normal lives but do this in a way as to make police work slower, ie. driving slowly when followed by police, repeatedly walking across a pedestrian crossing, getting "lost" on roundabouts etc.

"Platzverweis" A police action banning an individual from a certain area for a limited time. Often used quite arbitrarily and without legitimate justification.

"Pastoren" (Pastors) - A group of local church leaders working to diffuse tension in conflict situations. Well-known for their summary reports issued after an action, which often embarass the authorities.

PKA "Pilotkonditionierungsanlage" (Pilot Conditioning Facility) This plant was built at Gorleben to open Castors and repack their contents for "final" storage underground, also at Gorleben. This plan was never approved. However, in an emergency, the remotely operated equipment might still be used to repair leaking Castors.

"Rampenplan" A Dutch organisation providing food at demonstrations

"Reseau Sortir du Nucleaire" Principal French anti-nuclear organisation. Monitors waste transports and organises protests. www.sortirdunucleaire.org (in French)

"Robin Wood" An environmental protest group specializing in spectacular actions that attract media coverage.

"Tag X" Day X = The day the transport arrives

"Volxküche" (People´s Kitchen) A local group providing meals for demonstrators.

Wendland The area in Niedersachsen, bordering the former east Germany, in which the Gorleben facilty is situated.

Wendland-Net An online alternative news medium. www.wendland-net.de

"Widersetzen" (Sit Yourself Down Again) Non-violent protest group.

X-1000-Mal-Quer (A Thousand Times Athwart) Non-violent protest group based on Ghandian principles. www.x1000malquer.de (in German)

"Zwischenlager" (Temporary Storage Site) Shed at Gorleben used to hold the filled Castors until a permanent storage site is can be found (if ever).This shed has no special radiation protection.

We are indebted to the Gorleben International Peace Team for many of these definitions.