Ukrainian drug policy without Jokers
Leading Organization: Ukrainian Network of People who Use Drugs
Support for initiative groups of people who use drugs from such cities: Dnieper, Poltava, Kharkov, Sumy, Zhytomyr, Lugansk, Mariupol, Chernivtsi, Lutsk, Kirovograd, Cherkasy, Kryvyi Rih, Slavyansk, Kiev, Bila Tserkva, Zaporizhia, Odessa, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv.
The campaign was conducted in 3 stages:
1. Production of a film with real life stories of people who use drugs in Ukraine and UN recommendations about drug policy. We created the film in collaboration with our colleagues from DU News. We shared the film in the system of the Department of Internal Affairs and the National Police (national and regional), we planned to organize screening of the film but can`t do it because of COVID-19. So we shared the film in Facebook with tags of Department of Internal Affairs and the National Police. Also we listed to these institutions and propose to use the film for educate and inform of policemen.
2. Flash mobs directed at the National Police, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Education and Science to demand the freedom of Ukrainian citizens. The flash mobs will showcase the portrait of Natasha Zelenina – we reminded the activist of the community Natalia Zelenina was detained in 2017 at a checkpoint of the pseudo-republic of DNR where the woman went to visit her mother. During the search, Buprenorphine was confiscated from her, she was accused of drug smuggling and sentenced to 11 years in prison. The appeal is now being considered by the local DNR State Security Service. We ask to add Natasha to the list of prisoners for exchange – she is a citizen of Ukraine and one of us!
3. Demonstrations to demand a new approach to people who use drugs near buildings of departments of health and police in 25 regions of Ukraine.
We organized a “photo exhibition” with photos of scene from usual lives of activists of Community in the Parliament of Ukraine. This stage was finish with a national action near the Parliament of Ukraine with the theatrical performance: “Ukrainian drug policy without Jokers”, in Kyiv. Community leaders from 25 regions joined and participated in the national action. The activity focused on a theatrical performance aimed to train police offices on harm reduction strategies (syringe exchange, referral). Community leaders presented and submitted proposals concerning the upcoming 2021-2030 National Drug Strategy.
We conducted activities in 25 regions and gave our demands for drug policy to ministries and health committees – the community demanded that the government and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine fulfill their obligations to the UN to decriminalize people who use drugs and change the norms of narcotic substances.
We were able to attract and support members of initiative groups of small cities not in 5 regions that are planned as part of the minigrant, but 12 by adding Zaporozhye, Bila Tserkva, Kharkiv Oblast, Odessa where, in fact, as part of the campaign, the community was able to rent the office for the community.
As part of the campaign, a deputy of the Supreme Council began to initiate verification of the implementation of the drug strategy of Ukraine in 2020, namely, an action plan in the decriminalization format. At the request of PUD.UA and the Deputy, the relevant ministries and departments will give an analysis of the implementation of the strategy at the decriminalization point during a meeting of the subcommittee of the Supreme Council with the participation of the community, which will allow further active development of the plan and strategy for drug policy in Ukraine until 2030 with the involvement of the community.
Media Coverage
