The War on Drugs and the denial of indigenous rights
Opening remarks: David Choquehuanca Céspedes, Vice-President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia
As a colonial construct, the global drug control regime has undermined the rights of indigenous peoples (including the right to self determination, and to practice and revitalize their cultural traditions and customs), obliging all states to abolish traditional uses of coca, cannabis and opium by means of crop eradication and drug law enforcement. This webinar, which took place on the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples 2021, will shed light on the conflict between the drug control regime and Indigenous rights, and challenge prevailing narratives that these tensions are possible to reconcile while the UN retains the goal of a society free of drugs.
This webinar, which will take place on the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples 2021, will shed light on the conflict between the drug control regime and Indigenous rights, and challenge prevailing narratives that these tensions are possible to reconcile while the UN retains the goal of a society free of drugs.
Panellists:
- Freddy Condo Riveros, Member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (Bolivia)
- Natalia Rebollo Corral, Human rights lawyer, International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research, and Service (ICEERS)
- Greek Zweni, Spokesperson for Umzimvubu Farmers Support Network (UFSA) and traditional health practitioner (Mpondoland, South Africa)
- Tuari Potiki, Director of Maori Development, University of Otago, (Aotearoa/New Zealand)
Moderated by: Marie Nougier, Head of Research and Communications, IDPC
Organised by the Transnational Institute (TNI), Dejusticia (Colombia), and the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC), in collaboration with Harm Reduction International (HRI), Release (UK), the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA, US) and Voices of Community Action & Leadership (Kenya).
Suggested reading:
- The war on drugs is built on racism. It’s time to decolonise drug policies | Ann Fordham, IDPC
- Connecting the dots... Human rights, illicit cultivation and alternative development | Martin Jelsma, TNI
- Migrants and traditional use | Pien Metaal, Constanza Sánchez, Natalia Rebollo, TNI/ICEERS
- Coca leaf: Myths and Reality | TNI
- Ayahuasca: From the Amazon to the Global Village | Constanza Sánchez, Carlos Bouso, TNI/ICEERS
