By Collective Urgence Toxida (CUT)
It has been 5 years CUT and various partners such as AILES, PILS, LEAD, CARES, PARAPLI ROUZ, KINOUETE, Idrice Goomany Centre, LAKAZ A, SIDATAK, CAEC started the Support don’t Punish campaign in Mauritius. Sadly, not much has changed, because within the ranks of the government people are still clinging to the idea that the War on Drugs is the only means to tackle problematic drug use. However, we haven’t given up and we won’t give up. This year the Support don’t Punish campaign gained the support of religious leaders, and together with the council of religions a common paper will be drafted and given to the prime minister.
CUT has strategically spread Support don’t Punish activities over several months, as currently the country is facing too many problems, and we didn’t want our message ignored by the media and public at large. A mass media campaign focusing on drug policies will begin in July, so be sure to watch out for short videos online and alerts in the written press.
For the day of action 2017, we held a silent and peaceful protest on the 29th of June right in front of parliament to remind our political leaders that repression alone, will cause more harm than good. We need a clear distinction between consumers and traffickers, thus the money wasted on imprisonment could be directed towards health measures such as prevention, treatment and harm reduction which have proven to work.
You can find pictures of the various events held on our facebook page.
