SOCIETY

CIVIL SOCIETY: 269 PRACTICES


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Initiative

Drugs & SDGs: Policies for Development and Harm Reduction

Drugs & SDGs: Policies for Development and Harm Reduction
SUBMITTED FROM:

DIOGENIS DRUG POLICY DIALOGUE

"Diogenis Drug Policy Dialogue" has consultative NGO status at ECOSOC of the UN, is member of the EU Civil Society Forum on Drugs, while promotes open dialogue in Greece and SE Europe, on drug issues. 

 

Read more:  www.diogenis.info


Contact

Objective Action

The objective is to raise awareness and educate local authorities’ staff, staff from local NGOs and volunteers, on new well documented and evidence-based approaches for drug policy and harm reduction that have a direct impact upon a number of the SDGs.
These seminars are the beginning of a stronger and more effective cooperation between the participants (local authorities, NGOs, academic community) and the community. 

There was also a DEAR dimention that can be summarized at the following lines: 

- Inform the citizens and local stakeholders for the role of drug policy in the development issue and its strong relation with SDGs.

- Educate stakeholders of local communities new best practices on drug related issues, in connection with the SDGs.

- Support evidence based and people-centered approach on drug related issues, in accordance with the SDGs.

 

Target Audience

There were 2 big target groups of the project.

The first included employees from local authorities, NGOs’ personel and volunteers.

The second one, included common people aged 18 – 50.

Both of the target groups, live in the two biggest Greek cities: Athens and Thessaloniki. Combined they are home of more than 4million people. 

 

Duration

Febrouary - June 2017. 


Description

 

Drug policy is strongly related to many of the 17 SDGs and its 169 targets. It is exactly this connection between the SDGs, the local authorities, the NGOs and the society, that highlights the importance for a special interactive seminar on innovative human rights- and public health- oriented drug policies, best practices and harm reduction.

Already, many municipalities include prevention and care services in their social care strategies and it is a practical nessecity to cooperate with NGOs with experience on this field, trying to reach as many citizens as possible, with a new people-centered approach.

We organized 2 interactive seminars (in Athens and Thessaloniki) held at the first 15 days of May 2017. At the seminars, employees from the local authorities, staff from NGOs and volunteers, were  invited to participate. 

Also, the same period, highlighting the International Harm Reduction Day (May 7th), there was an internet campaing through the social media, aiming people age 18 – 50 years old, as a mean to inform them about the connection of Drug Related Issues and SDGs. 

 


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Impact on Society

The general objective of this project was to raise awareness regarding the strong relationship between SDGs and drug policy reform. Local authorities’ staff, NGO members and volunteers, were informed on all the latest developments and new, well-documented and evidence-based approaches in the field of drug policy and harm reduction and their close connection and essential role in achieving a sustainable development. This was achieved due to the special program of the seminars. There were live connections with the UN Regional Information Center (Brussels) and also, speakers from the Hellenic Platform for Development (www.hellenicplatform.org), from IDPC (www.idpc.net) and from a Drug Users Union. In Athens, we were also honoured with the participation of the Greek National Coordinator on Drugs, Mrs. Aikaterini Papoutsopoulou - Diamantopoulou.

The participants at the seminars were 45 people (34 men – 11 women) in total. They are all working at NGOs or local authorities, dealing with social policy and/or drug policy.

The outreach of the communication campaign through the social media (Facebook and Instagram), aimed for men and women at Athens and Thessaloniki, aged 18 – 55 y.o., around the International day of Harm Reduction, May 7th. We managed to reach around 345.000 people, promoting the basic idea of the SDGs (“Leaving no one behind”) with harm reduction drug policies for drug users. 

The final achievements were:

- To spread and share the existing international knowledge of good practices on harm reduction drug policies to experts and citizens.

- To connect and enhance the cooperation among the local authorities, the NGOs and teachers on drug related issues and their impact on SDGs.

-  To promote the active participation of local authorities, NGOs, educators and citizens in national and international issues.

- To strengthen the capacity of local authorities, NGOs, educators and citizens in promoting and sharing knowledge at national level



Initiative Location

Athens, Thessaloniki and Social Media Campaign. 


Working with Organization

Municipality of Agios Dimitrios (auspices of the program)

Municipality of Athens (auspices of the event in Athens)

Municipality of Thessaloniki (auspices of event in Thessaloniki)

EGTC AMPHICTYONY (LADDER Program Manager)


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Workers Participation

The advocacy officer and the communication officer implemented the program and were supported by the organization's management. 


Benefits for Οrganization

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals are global and local on the same time. This is because they can be applied in the local or in the state’s policy on drugs. On the same time, drug issues are connected in a global way, affecting the lives of millions of people. A successful, health and human rights oriented drug policy in one area, can be easily influence in a positive way, the drug policy in a local area in another country. Bringing to the table of discussion best practices from around the world, the participants to the interactive seminars and the receivers of the social media campaign, had the opportunity to realize the work that is done the last decade in European and International level, connecting development issues with drug policy and harm reduction particularly. 




Connection with Global Goals






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