The 43rd General Assembly of the Organization of American States, which took place in Guatemala, left one strong commitment from the governments of the region to deepen the debate about drug policy, admitting the failure of the approach used to far. However, it lacked a conclusive definition on the decriminalization of possession for personal use in the laws of the hemisphere. Buenos Aires, June 7, 2013. With a fruitful discussion that for the first time put in question drug policy [...]
On June 4, Intercambios received a visit from a large group of representatives from different sectors of the province of Entre Rios, headed by Sergio Peralta, director of the Provincial Institute of Territorial Networks in Addiction Prevention. During the meeting, they discussed possible collaboration lines for preventive work in that province.
The group of international organizations Avaaz delivered this Thursday May 30 to President of Guatemala, Otto Perez, a petition signed by about 175,000 people of different countries to propel the search for new strategies. Pablo Cymerman, from Intercambios, was present at the presentation. “We thank Avaaz for this petition because it gives us strength to the continent’s leaders to discuss the issue without that being seen as a taboo,” said Guatemalan president when receiving the signatures at the Presidential Palace. [...]
Graciela Touzé, president of the organization and member of the Program Advisory Council, was in this northern province with Governor Eduardo Fellner, the Minister of National Education and other specialists. They inaugurated a Teachers Training. The Minister of National Education, Alberto Sileoni, and Governor of Jujuy Eduardo Fellner, inaugurated on last May 29 the first mandatory training on addictions and drug abuse for teachers and principals of secondary school as part of the national campaign “Let us talk about the [...]
The Chamber of Deputies of Brazil just passed the bill 7663/10 filed by Rep. Osmar Terra and informed by Deputy Givaldo Carimbão. Among several misconceptions, the project determines the compulsory treatment for drug users. As noted by the Special Rapporteur of the UN Human Rights Council on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, mandatory detention of drug users for the treatment constitutes torture. Twelve UN agencies signed a collective statement against forced drug treatment and this [...]
Sebastian Basalo, THC editor, magazine dedicated to cannabis culture, was investigated since February for having twenty marijuana plants in his home, following an anonymous tip. The prosecutor Carlos Stornelli asked to first have intelligence tasks done and then to search the house, although he had no evidence that the journalist and activist dedicated to selling. “You can see that in this cycle of self-sufficiency, the dealer is completely absent. Therefore, to say that the criminalization of those who grow Cannabis [...]
On May 22 last Intercambios held the seminar “Media coverage of drug-related problems” for the Communication Sciences students, Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Buenos Aires. As part of the training for journalists and journalism students carried out consistently by Intercambios, on Wednesday May 22 the seminar “Media coverage of drug-related problems” took place at the headquarters of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Buenos Aires. The event was coordinated by Eva Amorín, member of [...]
Within the framework of the observer’s space at the 53rd Regular Session of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) of the Organization of American States (OAS) Graciela Touzé, on behalf of Intercambios Civil Association, said that “from civil society we hope that the Member States encourage a broad and open debate” that contributes “to strengthening of national strategies”. For the full text of the speech of Graciela Touzé click here
