GUIDE TO THE GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION ON 26TH JUNE 2013
CONTENTS
1. Introduction 2. Campaign Background and Aims 3. The Global Day of Action: 26th June 2013 4. Key Advocacy Messages 5. Step-by-Step Guide for June 26th a. Logistics b. Social Media c. Media Engagement 6. Other Ways to Take Part 7. Campaign Team Contact Details
Document developed by on 29th May 2013 SUPPORT DON’T PUNISH: Guide for the Global Day of Action
1. INTRODUCTION
SUPPORT DON’T PUNISH is a global advocacy campaign to raise awareness of the harms being caused by the criminalisation of people who use drugs. The campaign aims to change laws and policies which impede access to harm reduction interventions, and promote respect for the human rights of people who use drugs.
This document is your step-by-step guide to help you take part in the first SUPPORT DON´T PUNISH Global Day of Action on 26th June 2013. This guide has been designed to help you plan and deliver a great advocacy event in your country, including the necessary awareness- raising in the lead up to the day. Your commitment and participation can help to increase the pressure on authorities to change their drug policies, and to raise public awareness around the failure of the ‘war on drugs’.
The heightened risks faced by people who inject drugs can no longer be ignored. It is time to leave behind harmful politics, ideology and prejudice. It is time to prioritise the health and welfare of people who use drugs, and their families and communities.
2. CAMPAIGN BACKGROUND AND AIMS
The SUPPORT DON’T PUNISH is a joint initiative of the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC), Harm Reduction International (HRI), and the International Network of People Who Use Drugs (INPUD). It is one part of the ambitious Community Action on Harm Reduction (CAHR) project – which is funded by the Dutch Government and aims to expand harm reduction services to more than 180,000 people who inject drugs in China, India, Indonesia, Kenya and Malaysia.
The SUPPORT DON’T PUNISH campaign aims to:
1. Change laws and policies which impede access to harm reduction interventions for people who use drugs.
2. Raise awareness about the need to stop criminalising people who use drugs.
3. Raise awareness about the need for greater funding and attention for essential health services and other ‘support’ for people who use drugs.
4. Promote respect for the human rights of people who use drugs.
5. Engender public support for drug policy reform.
2
SUPPORT DON’T PUNISH: Guide for the Global Day of Action
3. THE GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION: 26TH JUNE 2013
One of the main activities for the SUPPORT DON’T PUNISH campaign is a Global Day of Action on June 26th. This is the United Nations’ “International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking” (www.un.org/en/events/drugabuseday), a day that has historically been used by governments to celebrate their contribution to the global ‘war on drugs’ – in some cases even holding public executions of drug offenders as a sign of commitment to this ‘war’.1 By taking part in the Global Day of Action on June 26th, you can help to “reclaim” this day – highlighting the failure of the ‘war on drugs’, and emphasising the need for harm reduction and health approaches for people who use drugs.
Ironically, June 26th is also the United Nations’ “International Day in Support of Victims of Torture” (www.un.org/en/events/torturevictimsday), and a recent United Nations report has documented the abuse and torture faced by people who use drugs.2
The ‘action’ is simple: On June 26th, groups of more than 100 supporters will gather in cities around the world for a coordinated media photo opportunity. They will all be wearing white SUPPORT DON’T PUNISH t-shirts (right) and special masks (contact [email protected] for more information). Participants will pose for photos near key landmarks in each city for around 45 minutes. Media will be pre-invited to the event, and will photograph or film the participants. The images will then be carried across international wire agencies and reproduced by subscribing media outlets regionally and globally.
This will produce a high profile and visually symbolic – yet low-risk and low-cost – ‘action’ that can be replicated by partners in numerous cities around the world. Individual participants can adapt this idea to their own local needs and customs – for example, adding drama skits or some other activities to the event if desired. But, for the international coordination of the campaign, it is essential that the ‘action’ revolves around the t-shirts.
1 Example: www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hQ7wD1n1J8BijCIKMmXKCGeWeh2w 2 www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session22/A.HRC.22.53_English.pdf
3
SUPPORT DON’T PUNISH: Guide for the Global Day of Action
4. KEY ADVOCACY MESSAGES
Activists in more than 15 countries around the world are taking part in a Global Day of Action to promote more humane drug policies that support people who use drugs, rather than punishing and abusing them.
The ‘war on drugs’ has proven to be unwinnable and unjustifiably expensive, and it is fuelling HIV, tuberculosis and hepatitis C epidemics and causing widespread human rights abuses (including in compulsory “treatment” schemes in many countries).
It is time for decision makers to repair this damage. The debate around drug policy has shifted significantly in the past five years. There is a growing appetite amongst the public to ask their governments to look at more realistic alternatives to the costly and ineffective ‘war on drugs’. The huge diversity of events happening across the world demonstrates that this call for a new approach to drug policy is truly global.
An increasing number of public figures have highlighted the failure of the ‘war on drugs’ – such as Sir Richard Branson, Kofi Annan and their colleagues on the Global Commission on Drug Policy (www.globalcommissionondrugs.org/bios), and a host of US civil rights leaders, musicians and celebrities (http://globalgrind.com/endthewarondrugs).
In many places – such as Uruguay, Colombia, Portugal, the Czech Republic, New Zealand, and Washington and Colorado in the USA – policy makers are adopting more humane drug policy options.
Drug dependence is not a crime – it is a social, mental and physical issue that cannot be resolved through punishment. The criminalisation of people who use drugs leads to prison overcrowding and it ruins lives. Prison is a hot-bed for HIV, tuberculosis and hepatitis C in many countries. A criminal record can damage a person’s chance of employment and housing.
Criminal sanctions for drug use are therefore inappropriate – focus should instead be given to public health interventions (such as providing sterile needles or opioid substitution therapy) that have been proven to reduce harms among people who inject drugs.
The heightened risks faced by people who inject drugs can no longer be ignored. It is time to leave behind harmful politics, ideology and prejudice. It is time to prioritise the health and welfare of people who use drugs, and their families and communities.
4
SUPPORT DON’T PUNISH: Guide for the Global Day of Action
5. STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE FOR JUNE 26TH
Although the ‘action’ on June 26th may vary slightly to fit the local needs, we recommend following the steps below to make the day a success.
A. LOGISTICS TICK WHEN COMPLETED Visit www.supportdontpunish.org, add your support for the campaign, and familiarise yourself with materials such as the Campaign Statement (www.supportdontpunish.org/campaign-statement). Identify the local lead person for the Global Day of Action, who will be responsible for managing the event. Make sure that this person has a good understanding of the campaign.
Organise a call or meeting with key local partners – especially any networks of people who use drugs in the country – to discuss the Global Day of Action. By the end of this call you should have agreed:
The location for the event (ideally a high-profile, easily recognisable
part of the city – somewhere that is good for photos).
The meeting place (if different), and the time for the event. Your ideas for June 26th – including who is the focal point, who are
the key partners, and any share of tasks or responsibilities.
The costs of the event (such as t-shirts), and who will pay these.
Complete a risk assessment for the event, to ensure that the necessary safeguards and protections are in place to make the day a success. The assessment is available at www.supportdontpunish.org/resources.
Estimate how many people will attend, and make arrangements for printing the t-shirts. The shirts should be white, with the campaign logo prominent on the front of the shirt. Contact [email protected] or visit www.supportdontpunish.org/resources for high-resolution logos.
If you wish to use the masks, contact [email protected]. You may also want to print campaign flyers or other materials to distribute on the day – see www.supportdontpunish.org/resources.
On the 26th June, arrive early to the meeting place with the t-shirts, masks, leaflets, etc.
After the 26th June, please keep the campaign team updated with your news, photos and feedback – please email these to [email protected].
5
SUPPORT DON’T PUNISH: Guide for the Global Day of Action
B. SOCIAL MEDIA TICK WHEN COMPLETED If you wish to list your organisation as a supporter – send the logo and website to [email protected].
Set-up a Facebook event for the Global Day of Action – something that can be promoted and for people to sign up to. Once you have the event ‘URL’, please send it to [email protected] for inclusion on the main website. Include maps and directions too, if needed.
Start promoting via social media several weeks before the event and right up until June 26th, in order to build the momentum. This includes:
Write blogs about the campaign and your plans – linking it to local stories, events and news where possible.
Promote the campaign and your event through Facebook – posting news, pictures and updates, and ‘sharing’ / ‘liking’ the campaign page: www.facebook.com/supportdontpunish
Promote your event through Twitter, using the ‘hash-tag’ #supportdontpunish (this will then appear on the campaign website)
Take part in the ‘Interactive Photo Project’ by downloading the poster and submitting photos to [email protected]. These photos (www.supportdontpunish.org/photoproject) can then be used for your own Facebook pages and social media promotion etc (you could even use them as your social media profile pictures too).
Promote the campaign through any newsletters and website that you / your organisation / your partners have.
Make arrangements for colleagues to photograph or film the event for posting on social media and your website(s).
Contact influential bloggers, individuals and organisations that you know. Ask them to help promote the campaign – both through sharing your content on social media, or asking them to feature the campaign in their own work. Offer them an interview with someone from your campaign, or ask if you can have a guest blog entry. Crucially, invite them to the Global Day of Action as well.
On the morning of the 26th June, make some final posts to promote the event – and then try and post pictures and updates to Facebook / Twitter during the event as well.
After the 26th June, keep your social media accounts updated with photos and feedback from the Global Day of Action, including links to any media coverage.
6
SUPPORT DON’T PUNISH: Guide for the Global Day of Action
C. MEDIA ENGAGEMENT TICK WHEN COMPLETED
Compile a list of local journalists and media contacts – including their names, the company they work for, their email address, and their contact numbers. Include journalists and reporters who focus on health, medical and social issues, as well as general news desk and picture desks.
Download, adapt (and translate, if necessary) the media release for the build-up to the event: www.supportdontpunish.org/resources. Distribute it to your media contacts in early June. Include the details of a local spokesperson to deal with any queries, and make sure that this person understands the campaign well.
Follow up the media release by arranging to meet some of the key journalists for coffee a week or two before the event. Take some campaign information with you, as well as information on your organisation.
Download, adapt (and translate, if necessary) the media release for June 26th: www.supportdontpunish.org/resources. Release it under embargo 2-3 days before the event. Follow up with phone calls to confirm that photographer(s) and journalists will be present. Include the details of the local spokesperson – this person should be present at the event itself and should be ready to respond to journalists’ questions when needed.
After the 26th June, please keep the campaign team updated with links to any media coverage you have seen – please send these to [email protected] and [email protected].
7
SUPPORT DON’T PUNISH: Guide for the Global Day of Action
6. OTHER WAYS TO TAKE PART
In addition to (or instead of) the Global Day of Action in your local city on June 26th, there are many other ways in which you can show your support for the campaign:
Visit the campaign website – www.supportdontpunish.org – and click the links to support the campaign through email, Facebook and/or Twitter.
‘Like’ and share the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/supportdontpunish.
Download the Facebook ‘cover picture’, and use it for your own Facebook profile.
Send your organisation’s logo and website to [email protected] if you would like to be listed as a ‘supporting organisation’.
Take part in the Interactive Photo Project: download the campaign poster and submit your photo to [email protected]
Use the campaign name, logo and messages on your own websites, reports and presentations – and send them to [email protected].
On June 26th, change your Facebook and Twitter profile pictures to the campaign logo for the day – thus taking part in the Global Day of Action.
7. CAMPAIGN TEAM CONTACT DETAILS www.supportdontpunish.org/resources contains all of the documents, resources and information that you need – including this Guide, the logos, media releases, etc. Unfortunately, all documents are in English only at this stage.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the campaign team based in London:
Jamie Bridge (IDPC) Marie Nougier (IDPC) Ines Gimenez (IDPC) [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Skype: bridgejamie Skype: marie.nougier Skype: ines.giminez1
If you have any specific questions about the media engagement part of the campaign, please contact Michael Kessler at:
[email protected] Mobile: +34 655 792 699 Skype: mickgpi Twitter: twitter.com/mickessler
3 See www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.135092913341512.1073741826.135052193345584&type=1
8