Written by André Gomes, Youth RISE’s International Working Group member and Communications Coordinator & Editor of TalkingDrugs and Release.
Returning from the 23rd iteration of Harm Reduction International’s global conference felt like waking up from a dream. In the dozens of hours travelling back from H23, which took place in Melbourne and was paused since the start of the global pandemic, I had a chance to reflect on the sheer amount of stories and emotions I lived and shared with passionate advocates from all over the world.
A true melting pot of harm reductionists, state partners and rogue activists, HR23 felt like a unique space in the international conference circuit – one where people didn’t have to defend the basis of harm reduction or the need to centre drug-related solutions on people and communities, unlike other addiction-focused conferences. While colleagues presented fascinating research from across the globe, the truly impactful moments were the relationships made in between talks and presentations, where we connected with other passionate advocates working towards a common goal: defending the rights of people who use drugs.
Some highlights of the conference included:
Acknowledgements of Country
Land acknowledgements, a recognition of the colonial history of Australia and the systematic elimination of the local indigenous population, were commonplace at the conference. Its opening began with a Welcome to Country, where the organisers participated in a smoking ceremony. During the four-day programme, speakers were encouraged to acknowledge that the land they were visiting and staying on was stolen and had never been ceded.
As a visitor to Australia, this new practice was unexpected and intriguing. Country Acknowledgements have been in place since 2008, when Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd gave a formal apology to Australia’s indigenous people. This practice was followed by Australian delegates, who would begin their presentations with a land acknowledgement; many international delegates followed suit, adding some insights from their contexts to the acknowledgement.
(c) Conor Ashleigh/Harm Reduction International
Intrigued by this unfamiliar practice, I couldn’t help but wonder to what extent it was done in a political spirit and to which extent we could expect these words to become action. Can we go beyond merely recognising the harms inflicted by land theft and genocide? Can we offer and implement concrete solutions for reparations? Harm reductionists are used to hearing policymakers pay lip service to “evidence-based solutions”, “people-centred care”, or “community policing” while still defunding harm reduction interventions and services. Warm words don’t address the harsh underlying reality.
Some land acknowledgements may come off as performative: as the Atlantic cynically puts it, “[a] land acknowledgement is what you give when you have no intention of giving land.” As a drug policy reform activist, I am familiar with the oppression of marginalised populations and the insufficient responses to chronic and systemic problems. Hence my weariness in the face of “acknowledgements” of any kind, as well-intended as they may be.
Ukrainian delegation winning International Rolleston Award (16 April)
The International Rolleston Award, first presented in 1992 at the 3rd Harm Reduction Conference in Melbourne, is given to an individual or a group of organisations that has made an outstanding contribution to harm reduction at an international level. This year, the award was attributed to all the Ukrainian activists and organisations working to maintain harm reduction services to support people who use drugs during the Russian invasion.
(c) Conor Ashleigh/Harm Reduction International
The Ukrainian representatives, led by Ganna Dovbakh, Director of Eurasian Harm Reduction Association, came on stage to receive the award and reminded us of the roots of harm reduction: solidarity.
“We are back to understanding harm reduction as a comprehensive approach, which includes the evacuation of people from bombing shelters, providing shelters… and sleeping bags for kids and families” she told the conference, before singing the Ukrainian anthem for the whole hall.
The enhanced risk that people who use drugs face from war, displacement and disrupted treatment was a reminder that a full spectrum harm reduction might look very different depending on the context, but, ultimately, it is underpinned by care and support for others.
Safe injection site visit
What felt like another real intervention of great success was Melbourne’s safe injection site. Opened as a pilot in 2019 to much public uproar, the medically supervised injecting room (MSIR) is a space for medical care and legal support for people who use drugs. We had the opportunity to visit it for a few hours before opening hours.
Functionally, it is a one-stop-shop for care: you can inject, hang out, get some food, receive medical and dental care, and also housing assistance if needed. But in reality, it felt like a community space personalised and tailored for the needs of those often marginalised by wider Australian society. With around 200 people attending the space per day during the week (rising to 300 on the weekend), it seems to have quickly become a loved space by those using it. Speaking with Nico Clark, the medical director of the MSIR, he said that the majority of people that come through the doors, either to use drugs or just see how it works, understand the value that the site brings to the community.Not long after the conference finished, the MSIR became a permanent space through local legislation. Its success showed not only the efficacy of this intervention but that policymakers understood the importance of the space for the entire community.
Youth presence
Youth RISE team at the Harm Reduction International Conference
The youth representation at the conference was really impressive to see, especially because of the breadth of experience from all volunteers and harm reductionists there. The Australian youth organisations, both independently and publicly funded, demonstrated the breadth of their interventions. Youth counselling services, drug testing, and school-level educational support are a few of the amazing initiatives developed and led by these young harm reduction activists.
Their history of advocacy and support at the local and national level is a great reminder of the value of including young people in services who can relate with other people accessing services, as well as bringing passion and innovation to their work.
On the first day of the conference, we held a Paradigma meeting with gathered members at the conference. This is a consortium of young international drug policy reform and harm reduction activists to discuss how to collaborate across the globe and build collective actions after inspiring conferences like the Harm Reduction Conference.
Youth representation during the Harm Reduction International Conference
YouthRISE’s participation was valuable in bringing global insights from drug-related youth projects. In a panel Chaired by Youth RISE’s Executive Director Ruby Lawlor, titled ‘From Schools to Street: Youth-Centred Approaches to Harm Reduction’’, André Gomes presented on successful community initiatives in northern England to remove police from schools and build abolitionist alternatives; and Kasparas offered a paradigmatic rethink on drug policy, suggesting that there’s much to learn from the youth climate change movement.
Carolina Ahumada, Youth RISE’s Deputy Director, chaired a session about Drug Checking on Tuesday with the participation of organisations from Brazil, Canada and Australia, as well as contributing to a session about Harm Reduction in nightlife, presenting the intersectional work done by the program she coordinates, PAF! Proyecto de Atención en Fiestas.
Ruby Lawlor also ran a workshop on ‘Online Harm Reduction Service Provision: Sharing Best Practices Developed and Implemented by Young People who Use Drugs’ on behalf of Isaac Olushola Ogunkula, who created the training package for this workshop in 2022, using the EHRA Manual for Peer to Peer Online Harm Reduction and Counselling. This training was originally carried out internationally in a “train the trainer” manner and then implemented regionally in 4 regions of the world, one of which was during Confedrogas in 2022, the blog of which can be found here.
Ruby Lawlor, Youth RISE’s Executive Director, presenting during the Harm Reduction International Conference, sharing best practices developed and implemented by Young People Who Use Drugs
A deadly reminder of our work’s value
The conference’s experience was later marked by the death of the Tangaraju in Singapore, executed by the state for allegedly trafficking a kilo of cannabis. His death reverberated across the harm reduction community and beyond – from Amnesty International to heads of state, many condemned this barbaric punishment for such an offence. Tangaraju’s death was a reminder of the constant oppression and disregard of human rights that people who use drugs of all ages and nations face.
Tangaraju’s tragic fate served as a reminder of the conference’s theme of strength in solidarity. His barbaric execution resonated across our global community and emboldened us in different contexts to the importance of international pressure and coalition building. If we don’t stand up for our own, no one will.