SSDP’s Congress Committee is excited to announce we have finalized the results of the Board of Directors election! Please join us in extending a warm welcome to our new Elected Directors, Amanda Ivatorov, Jackson Rund, Matthew Aragón, and Naomi Shifman! 

RESOLUTIONS

Both of our resolutions submitted this year have passed! To learn more about the resolution submitted this Congress, please view this blog post!

Resolution 1: Institutionalizing Community-Led Monitoring (clm) for Project Accountability and Impact

Whereas, Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) is committed to the principle of “nothing about us without us,” recognizing that the most effective interventions in drug policy and harm reduction are those designed and led by the communities they serve;

Whereas, community-led monitoring (clm) is a recognized evidence-informed mechanism that empowers service users and advocates to identify local barriers to care and justice, ensuring that programs are responsive to the actual needs of the community;

Whereas, the current lack of a standardized, community-driven evaluation framework hinders our ability to document the unique expertise of SSDP ambassadors and the qualitative impact of their advocacy on social justice and human rights;

Whereas, implementing a CLM framework would allow SSDP to collect “community-owned” data, providing a powerful evidence base for national and international decision-makers while strengthening internal accountability;

Let it be resolved that… SSDP will develop and implement a mandatory “community-led project rubric” for all funded or sanctioned initiatives. This rubric shall be designed as an ongoing, participatory process that includes:

Community-defined indicators: establishing baseline goals that reflect the priorities and safety of the local community and the active members involved.

Ongoing feedback loops: periodic mid-project assessments led by participants to identify gaps in service delivery or advocacy and to allow for immediate strategic adjustments.

Impact and empowerment reporting: a final evaluation that measures not only quantitative outputs but also the qualitative shift in community power and policy influence, archived to inform future SSDP strategies.

Resolution 2: Adoption of a Comprehensive Protocol to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence and Sexual Harassment

Whereas, the safety and physical and emotional integrity of SSDP Ambassadors and staff are foundational to the success of our advocacy and the sustainability of the drug policy reform movement;

Whereas, the absence of a uniform, transparent, and enforceable protocol for reporting and addressing incidents of harassment and violence can lead to a culture of silence and the exclusion of marginalized voices;

Whereas, we recognize that drug policy reform is inextricably linked to gender justice, and our internal policies must reflect the high standards of human rights we demand from global decision-makers;

Let it be resolved that… the SSDP Staff and the Board of Directors, in consultation with experts in trauma-informed care, develop and adopt an official “SSDP Protocol for Gender Safety and Accountability.” This protocol shall be mandatory for all chapters and sanctioned events, and must include:

Clear definitions: Explicit definitions of prohibited conduct, including sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination.

Safe reporting mechanisms: Multiple, confidential channels for reporting that protect the survivor and prevent retaliation.

Survivor-centered response: A framework for accountability that prioritizes the agency of the survivor.

Preventative training: Mandatory onboarding for all SSDP leaders on consent and bystander intervention.

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR

We’re so appreciative of all of our network members who participated in this year’s Congress! If you were not able to participate as a board candidate, resolution submitter, or voter this year, I encourage you to please join us next year.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the Board of Directors at board@ssdp.org and we’d be more than happy to help in whatever capacity we can.

Sensibly,