Apoye. No Castigue – Lima, Perú

Leading organisation: Crayola Densa

The idea is to produce the first edition of a fanzine “Salsa y Drogas”, which aims to generate discussions around the intersections between salsa and different social and economic problems associated with prohibition. The magazine will have a total of twenty pages in seven chapters, each showcasing a classic song of the genre and its relation to current issues regarding drug policy reform.

In the context of the global day of action, it seeks to increase knowledge about the origins and iconic characters of salsa and the stigmas associated with its drug use. At the same time, raising awareness in the communities that consume or practice this art form about the important role that psychoactive substances and their poor regulation have played in the founding and subsequent development of this genre. It will also seek to introduce people who listen to salsa and use drugs to ideas such as individual sovereignty, risk and harm reduction and how to have their rights as users respected by the authorities.

The magazine will be distributed at a local landmark in the city to people from the salsa and drug-using communities, seeking to bring the campaign message and the importance of combating stigma to these sometimes overlooked groups of people.

Invitations to the event will be prioritised to opinion formers, both in the “salsero” community and with communities of people who use drugs, with an emphasis on creating safe spaces conducive to dialogue. Presentations will be sent to media outlets interested in our work.

In addition to the physical presentation and distribution, we also plan to disseminate the digital version of the fanzine, which will be freely accessible. We will coordinate with social media profiles that have a wide reach so that the publication reaches as many people as possible.

The distribution and dissemination activity of the fanzine in the framework of the Global Day of Action will be recorded through audiovisual media. The record of this experience will also be disseminated through social media. A subsequent report will be produced, recounting the face-to-face and digital distribution experience.