We are excited to announce that we have partnered with the International Network of People Who Use Drugs (INPUD) and DrugReporter to coordinate showings of their newly released docuseries ‘Taking Back What’s Ours: An Oral History of the Movement of People Who Use Drugs’. Each episode is dedicated to different regions and countries, and how the movement developed there. It’s
Students for Sensible Drug Policy stands in solidarity with the people of Nigeria protesting against the human rights abuses and police brutality committed by the Nigerian police force, particularly the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, also known as SARS. We condemn the actions of the Nigerian government, especially the infringing on the people’s right to protest by using violence and brutality, and
This report is written by our African Development Consultant, Moronfolu Adeniyi ’14, based on his experiences on the ground in Ogun State. More than a week ago now, police officers in their usual habits harrassed (shot) a young man in Ughelli part of Delta State. It was thought to be police from the common unit, Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) because
This article was written by SSDP Kenya Chapter Leader Marveine Atieno ’19. I am Marveline Atieno, a student at the University of Nairobi studying Political science and international relations. I am an upcoming activist and I decided to start the chapter because the previous team all graduated. I joined SSDP to stand for the rights of students who are currently
This article was written by King’s College London Chapter Leader Emily Jones ’19 Hi, I’m Emily and I am a second-year student at King’s College London where I am studying a Pharmacology BSc. Aside from my degree, Music is a big passion for me and I have attended many music events and festivals over the past few years, often being
This is the second part of our Global Country Highlight on Lebanon. If you have not seen the first part, please click here. Civil Society In my view, the NGOs working in Lebanon set a fantastic example for activists everywhere, covering key areas of policy change, network building, medical treatment, and harm reduction. Civil society’s interrelated web of activity demonstrates
Earlier this year, I was taken aback by civil society’s impressive commitment to drug policy reform and advocacy in Lebanon. As SSDP’s first Country Highlight, I’m excited to shine a spotlight on this beautiful and complicated country, to explore its drug laws, recent and important developments, and most importantly, share some of the fantastic work of civil society. In the
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
The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is currently in the process of developing its next Strategy for 2021 and beyond – and members of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) and Youth RISE are making sure the voice of young people who use drugs is heard, and considerations for our needs is included. UNAIDS unites the efforts of
The featured image on this article was sourced from Legalize Belarus and their accounts of the early days of the protests. See their article here. Today marks the 32nd consecutive day of protests marked by an unprecedented level of police brutality in the country of Belarus. The demonstration period erupted on August 9, 2020, to protest widely alleged election fraud
By Beatrix Vas ’19, SSDP Global Development Intern & SSDP Budapest Chapter Leader In 1999, the United Nations General Assembly declared the 12th of August International Youth Day, intended to draw attention to and celebrate young people’s actions and achievements towards creating a better world for all. The theme of International Youth Day 2020 is “Youth Engagement for Global Action,”
This piece was originally published by YouthRISE Executive Director Ailish Brennan as a Press Release for SSDP Ireland for both Support. Don’t Punish. and Pride Weekend Celebrations in Ireland. Pride has become a time defined by love and acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community (LGBTQ+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning and the + is for everyone else who identifies
Author: Iulia Vatau ‘20, Chapter Leader Tell me a bit about yourself: what do you study, what are your interests and why have you decided to start a chapter? My name’s Iulia and I am a second-year student at University College London, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in History and Politics of the Americas. My courses introduced me and gradually sparked
Author: Saheed Ibrahim ’18, SSDP Nigeria This article was originally published by The Hope Newspaper, to read the original article click here. President of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), Nigeria chapter, Mr Olufemi Bashorun has advised state and federal governments to exploit the medicinal cannabis market to boost the nation’s crumbling economy. This call came on the heels of
Author: Dele Fayemi ‘18, SSDP Nigeria This article was originally published by DPH News, to view the original article click here. According to the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) which was adopted in 1979, discrimination is defined thus: Any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of the sex which has the
SSDP’s UK committee stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and those currently protesting against police brutality in the US, the UK and across the globe. George Floyd was an unarmed black man who was killed after a police officer from Minneapolis, USA, kneeled on his neck for almost nine minutes, while telling the police officers surrounding him
Got a spare 15 minutes? The Global Drug Survey wants to know about your drug and alcohol use during COVID-19. The Global Drug Survey (GDS) runs the world’s biggest annual drug survey. Consistent with their mantra of having “honest conversations about alcohol and other drugs”, the GDS asks people around the world about their recreational drug habits through a confidential
Dear SSDP colleagues: At the direction of the SSDP Board of Directors, it is our great pleasure to convey to all of the members of SSDP’s network in Africa the attached Resolution unanimously adopted by the Board of Directors commending you for your outstanding growth and achievements. The African Network has in a few years created an inspiring model for all
Author: Jacob Chagnon ’17 One of the most valuable aspects of attending the annual Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) is the opportunity to collaborate with other civil-society groups. This work extends beyond attending the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)-sponsored programming–the plenary, the side events–and beyond our network of youth-focused civil society, Paradigma. While many Non Governmental Organisations
We just had our most accessible and diverse conference to date, and we hope you all really enjoyed it! We want to make sure we can make SSDP as accessible as possible for our members across the globe all year round. If you want to see some of the incredible achievements by the Global Program this year, take a look
If you would like to support the activities of the Global Program, consider donating to the International Activities Fund. We’re coming up on that brilliant time of year, when SSDPers across the world join together to celebrate IDPC’s Support. Don’t Punish international day of action. This is a fantastic opportunity to engage in a network wide campaign, where events
These blog posts are made in collaboration between CSSDP, SSDP and Youth RISE as part of our joint effort to provide youth with information about the Commission of Narcotic Drugs. We are the Paradigma Coalition. Authors: Alex Betsos (CSSDP) It’s day 3 of the 63rd session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. Today was the day for cannabis to be
These blog posts are made in collaboration between CSSDP, SSDP and Youth RISE as part of our joint effort to provide youth with information about the Commission of Narcotic Drugs. We are the Paradigma Coalition. Author: Ailish Brennan (Youth RISE) The Second Day of the 63rd Session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs started bright and early with
These blog posts are made in collaboration between CSSDP, SSDP and Youth RISE as part of our joint effort to provide youth with information about the Commission of Narcotic Drugs. We are the Paradigma Coalition. Authors: Alex Betsos (CSSDP) and Róisín Downes (SSDP) Today is the 1st day of the 63rd session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND).