Students for Sensible Drug Policy has opened its International Office in Vienna, Austria. This historical move is an important step in the restructuring of SSDP’s Global Programs and will help SSDP’s operations become more reflective of the network’s global nature.

Our new office is located at Impact Hub Vienna, an inspirational and diverse community of global changemakers. From there, Director of SSDP International Róisín Downes ‘15 and Global Policy and Development Consultant Orsi Feher ‘16 will continue to support our network’s activities and expand our reach outside of the United States. 

“The opening of SSDP International means we put decision making power in the hands of our members. We will better serve the regional needs of our chapters and strengthen the position of young people in the drug policy reform movement” -Roisin Downes ‘15  

Today, SSDP is present in 34 countries across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, with allies from Latin America to Oceania reaching hundreds of communities and thousands of members all over the globe. We are so proud of our SSDP team, Board and Global Core Team who have been working tirelessly to make our organization reflect our diverse international membership, and to make SSDP a network with a truly global identity and mission.  

The upcoming Strategy Summit will also tackle important questions regarding how SSDP can create more opportunities for all of its members and support global efforts to end the War on Drugs. Strategy Summit (please fill out our survey!) is designed to be more accessible to non-U.S. members than ever before – developing and providing more regionally and locally relevant resources, but also making our global leaders better positioned to engage in decision making within our organization. 

The International Office in Vienna not only solidifies our organization’s international character and presence, but it also places our team at the doorstep of the Vienna International Center, home to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the meetings of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND). High-level advocacy opportunities are some of the most impactful experiences SSDP has to offer its membership, and with a permanent presence in Vienna, we can strengthen our work to bring the voices of young people to places where global drug policies are being forged.

To help support our international office and all the chapters in the international network, please donate to the International Activities Fund.