We
are people from around the world who use drugs. We are people who
have been marginalized and discriminated against; we have been
killed, harmed unnecessarily, put in jail, depicted as evil, and
stereotyped as dangerous and disposable. It is now time for us to
raise our voices as citizens, establish our rights and reclaim the
right to be our own spokespersons striving for self-representation
and self-empowerment:
To
enable and empower
people who use drugs, whether legal or deemed illegal, to survive,
thrive and exert our voices worldwide as human beings to have
meaningful input into all decisions that affect our own lives.
To
promote a better understanding
of the experiences of people who use drugs, and particularly of the
destructive impact of current drug policies on both drug users and
our non-using fellow-citizens. This is as an important element in the
local, national, regional and international development of
drug-related social policies.
To
use our own skills and knowledge
to train and educate others, particularly our peers and any other
fellow-citizens concerned with drugs in our communities.
To
advocate for universal access to all tools
available to reduce harm that people who use drugs face in their
day-to-day lives, including: i) drug treatment; ii) appropriate
medical care for substance use and its associated diseases and
medical conditions; iii) regulated access to the pharmaceutical
quality drugs whenever needed; iv) availability of safer consumption
equipment, including syringes and pipes as well as; v) facilities for
their safe disposal; vi) peer outreach and honest up-to-date
information about drugs and all of their uses; and vii) safe
consumption facilities that are necessary for many of us.
To
establish our right
to
evidence-based and objective information about drugs, and how to
protect ourselves against the potential negative impacts of drug use
through universal access to equitable and comprehensive health and
social services, safe, affordable, supportive housing and employment
opportunities.
To
provide support
to
established local, national, regional, and international networks of
people living with HIV/AIDS and/or Hepatitis, and to other harm
reduction groups and groups that provide medical and social services
for drug users; and to make sure that active drug users are included
at every level of decision-making, and specifically that we are able
to serve on the boards of directors of such organizations and be
fairly reimbursed for our expenses, time and skills.
To
challenge
national legislations and international conventions which currently
disable most of us from living safe, secure and healthy lives.
Well
aware of the potential challenges of building such a network, we
strive to:
Value
and respect diversity and recognize each other's different
backgrounds, knowledge, skills and capabilities.
Cultivate
a
safe
and supportive environment within the activist network regardless of
which drugs we use or how we use them.
Spread
information
about our work in order to support and encourage development of user
organizations in communities/countries where there are no such
organizations.
Promote
tolerance,
cooperation and collaboration, fostering a culture of inclusion and
active participation.
Promote
democratic
principles
within the activist network and create a structure that promotes
maximum participation in decision-making.
Promote
maximum
inclusion
of user activists in the network and its activities with special
focus on those who are disproportionately vulnerable to oppression on
the basis of local drug policy, socio-economic status, gender
identity, sexual orientation, cultural background and the like.
Ensure
that people who use drugs are not incarcerated or subjected to
extra-judicial beatings or murder by the police; and that those who
are incarcerated have an equal right to healthy and respectful
conditions and treatment, including drug treatment and access to
health-promoting supplies such as syringes and condoms and medical
treatment, at least equal to that they would receive outside.
Challenge
execution
and other inhuman treatment of people who use drugs worldwide.
Ultimately,
the most profound need to establish such a network arises from the
fact that no group of oppressed people ever attained liberation
without the action and mobilization of those directly affected by
this oppression. Through collective action, we will fight to change
existing local, national, regional and international drug laws and
formulate an evidence-based drug policy that respects people's human
rights and dignity instead of one fuelled on moralism, stereotypes
and lies.
The
International Activists who use drugs
30
April 2006, Vancouver Canada