The second phase of the campaign 15 Ideas was launched
The campaign "15 ideas for a new law on drugs", whose aim is to promote discussion on key issues in the reform of the narcotics law 23.737, completed its second phase, which incorporated the voices of celebrities, journalists, officials, specialists and members of civil society.
Intercambios launched in May 2012 the campaign "15 ideas for a new drug law," which aims to promote a debate in society on a new regulation to replace or insert deep reforms in the current drug law. After a first phase of installing the issue on social networks and media, while efforts were made to take the proposal to congressmen and senators and civil society organizations not specialized in the subject of drug, a new phase took place in February and March of this year, in which different voices spoke in favor of the initiative.
Who participated:
These voices that joined the campaign belong to different sectors, and were divided into four segments: Civil Society, Families, Celebrity and media, and Specialists and State. Among those who participated we can mentioned the former head of the SEDRONAR Rafael Bielsa, who at the time of his testimony was still in that position, judges Martín Vázquez Acuña and Adrián Grünberg, Gabriela Torres, an official of the Ministry of National Education and former national deputy Leonardo Gorbacz, author of the national Mental Health Act.
Alexis Medina, of the Permanent Assembly for Human Rights (APDH) of La Matanza, Marcela Alsina, of the Network of People Living with HIV in Buenos Aires, Alberto Ascolani, of the Association for Cultural Studies of Rosario (AREC), and Veronica Russo, of the Argentina Network for the Rights and Welfare of Drug users (RADAUD), among others.
From civil society gave their opinion in favor of the 15 ideas, the Lutheran pastor Lisandro Orlov, Rabbi of the Bet El community Silvina Chemen, Luciana Pol, Center for Legal and Social Studies (CELS), Alexis Medina of the Permanent Assembly for Human Rights (APDH) of La Matanza, Marcela Alsina, Buenos Aires Network of People Living with HIV, Alberto Ascolani, Rosarina Association for Cultural Studies (AREC), and Veronica Russo, Argentina Network for Rights and Assistance / as users / as Drug (RADAUD), among others.
Actress Valentina Bassi, singer Erica Garcia, well-known athletes like former tennis player Martin Vassallo Arguello and fitness coach Fernando Signorini, and journalists Luisa Valmaggia, Silvia Martinez and Emilio Ruchansky Cassina also expressed themselves. Ordinary people with concerns about the issue also joined, featured in the Families section.
These voices –over thirty- were collected through personal interviews and were reflected in a special section of Intercambios website. You can see them at http://www.intercambios.org.ar/category/15-ideas/15ideas/voces/, and were also spread through social networks Facebook and Twitter.
Background and support
In May and June of last year, Intercambios had implemented the first phase of the campaign "15 ideas for a new drug law." At that time, the document with 15 proposals (which can be read in full http://www.intercambios.org.ar/15-ideas/texto-completo/) was presented at various meetings with legislators, under the ongoing debate in the National Congress about the drug law -23,737- reform. It was also complemented by an action on the social networks that had a major impact.
The campaign received the support of organizations and institutions such as the Center for Legal and Social Studies (CELS), the New Earth Center, the Red Cross Argentina, the Public Defender's Office, Huésped Foundation, Mothers Against Paco and Pro Life of Lomas de Zamora, the Procurator's Office of the Nation and the Anthropological Society of Medicine Argentina, among others. Summing in total 36, of which 31 are from Argentina and the rest from abroad.
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