The second part of our series reveals how young people advocating drug policy reform cope with the new challenges and opportunities brought by the COVID-crisis.
Activism
Drug policies are often designed and implemented without and/or against those people who are the most affected by them: people who use drugs. The principle of “nothing about us without us” should be applied to drug policy making and service delivery. Local communities of drug users should be meaningfully involved in drug coordination mechanisms, as well as in health and social care services. We cannot change public attitudes to drugs without making the voice of people who use drugs heard. Drugreporter is a partner and ally of the International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD) and its regional chapters. Our Russian and English language video blog, DUnews is run by two drug user activists, Igor and Alex, who film about burning issues affecting drug user communities in the Eastern European and Central Asian region.
Young People in Drug Policy Advocacy Part 1: Stop “Protecting” Young People From Drugs and Start Listening to Them
It’s common for governments to use ‘protecting the youth’ as a justification for punitive drug policies. The policies governments are propagating, however, are not evidence-based and show little knowledge of how young people use drugs. Read an intriguing report about youth activists who fight for drug policy reform written by our intern, Hannah Taylor!
TAKING BACK WHAT’S OURS! – Episode 10. The United Kingdom and the International Network of People who Use Drugs
In the final episode of our documentary series on the history of the rights movement of people who use drugs, we introduce activists from the UK and from the International Network of People Who Use Drugs.
TAKING BACK WHAT’S OURS! – Episode 9. Russia, Georgia and Ukraine
In today’s episode of the oral history of the movement of people who use drugs, we travel to three Eastern European countries, where activists fight very restrictive drug policies.
COMMUNITY OF BELARUS ON FIRE
Today, the whole world is watching the situation in the Republic of Belarus as potentially historic events take place. Peaceful revolution and unification of the people – this has not been the case in the country for a very long time.
TAKING BACK WHAT’S OURS! – Episode 8. Afghanistan, Tanzania and Mexico
In this episode of the oral history of the movement of people who use drugs, we introduce three countries with new and emerging user movements: Afghanistan, Tanzania, and Mexico.
TAKING BACK WHAT’S OURS! – Episode 7. Asia
Despite criminalisation, torturous forced labour camps, capital punishment, and state sanctioned murder of people who use drugs, the movement of people who use drugs in Asia remains strong and resilient. Watch the new episode of our series telling the oral history of the movement of people who use drugs in Asian countries!
TAKING BACK WHAT’S OURS! – Episode 6. Australia and New Zealand
In this episode of the oral history of the movement of people who use drugs, we learn about the successes and challenges in Australia, from four veterans of the user movement.
TAKING BACK WHAT’S OURS! – Episode 5. United States of America.
Activists from the United States look back on the history of the movement of people who use drugs in the fifth episode of the documentary series produced by INPUD and Drugreporter.
TAKING BACK WHAT’S OURS! – Episode 4. South Africa
Drugreporter and INPUD present the fourth episode of an oral history of the movement of people who use drugs. This time we discover the vibrant user movement in South Africa.
