Support. Don’t Punish. is a global advocacy campaign to raise awareness of the harms being caused by the war on drugs. The campaign aims to promote drug policies that respect human rights and protect public health, to change laws and policies that impede access to harm reduction interventions and other evidence-based services, and to end the criminalisation of people who use drugs. To view the campaign’s primary messages, visit their website.
Last year’s Support. Don’t Punish event in Washington, DC
Last year, SSDP organized a march in Washington, DC that called on the US State Department to cease funding and aid for drug enforcement agencies in countries that implement the death penalty for drug offenses. SSDP members also participated in actions in New York City and Denver, CO. In addition, at a rally in Dublin organized by local SSDP chapters, the Irish Minister for Drug Strategies publically declared his support for the decriminalization of all drugs for the first time. On top of all of that, many students contributed to the campaign online through social media and the photo project.
This year has obviously been a big year for global drug policy reform. The UNGASS last month, while not the transformative victory many of us were hoping for, demonstrated that support for the international drug control regime is at an all time low. Young people, in particular, were excluded and denied a chance to amplify their voices during the session. The global day of action is another opportunity for us to call out the UN for their exclusion and demonstrate unity around ending the drug war.
Why June 26th?
June 26th is the United Nations’ International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking – a day when many governments celebrate their contributions to the global ‘war on drugs’. In the past, some governments have even commemorated this day by holding public executions or beatings of drug offenders. By taking part in the Global Day of Action, you can help “reclaim” this message on this important day.
How Do I Get Involved?
Participate in a Local Action
This will be updated as locations are confirmed.If you live near a major city or large population area and want to see if there is already an event being planned near you, contact [email protected]. We will let you know when the action is planned for, what is going on, and who to contact about getting involved. Here is a list of confirmed actions that are being organized by SSDP members and allies:
| Location | Contact | FB Event/Website |
| Washington, DC | Jake Agliata – [email protected] | Link |
| Boston, Massachusetts | Austin Davis – [email protected] | Link |
| New York City, New York | Heather Haase – [email protected] | Link |
| Mexico City, Mexico | Héctor Joel Anaya Segura – [email protected] | Link |
| Dublin, Ireland | Graham de Barra – [email protected] | Link |
| Belgrade, Serbia | Sara Velimirovic – [email protected] | TBA |
| Melbourne, Australia | Penny Hill – [email protected] | Link |
| San José, Costa Rica | Liria Morales Ramírez – [email protected] | TBA |
| Berkeley, California | Christopher Lopez – [email protected] | Link |
| New Paltz, New York | Rachel Wissner – [email protected] | Link |
If you don’t see your city/country on this list, check out the official 2016 Day of Action page. You can also contact Jake Agliata at [email protected].
Tweet your photo to join thousands around the world!
Don’t have time to go to an event or organize one yourself? No worries! One of the key components to Support. Don’t Punish. is the interactive photo project that you can easily contribute to. Just download the campaign poster, take your photo and then send it to [email protected] to be uploaded on the website, Facebook and on Flickr. Send a copy to [email protected] as well so we can show it off on our website too!Also, be sure to join the campaign’s official Thunderclap.
Remember to use #SupportDontPunish with all social media posts, along with #StartMakingSense and #StoptheHarm where appropriate.
Organize an Event
If you do not live near a location where a Support. Don’t Punish. event is already being planned, then organize one yourself! Check out this Guide to the Global Day of Action to see how you can get started.The aim for the Global Day of Action is to produce high-profile and visually symbolic local actions. It is your choice to decide what these actions are. The only requirement is that these actions are connected to the global campaign by using the Support. Don’t Punish logo. This could be on t-shirts, banners, posters, reports or other materials. This allows us to tie together the local actions and to demonstrate that they are all part of a coordinated global effort. Also, be sure to use the SSDP logo on any materials you make!
If you decide to organize an action, let us know about it by e-mailing [email protected].