Film has the capacity to educate, inform, entertain and potentially impact upon the way social issues are perceived. Using the medium of film can help to unravel the complexities associated with drug use for those wanting an enhanced experience of receiving and understanding information.
In 2004 the Centre for Harm Reduction (CHR), Burnet Institute, first launched a film festival on drug related themes at the 15th International Conference on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm in Melbourne, Australia. This film stream at the conference highlighted documentaries, fictional works, training videos and health promotion advertisements on drug related issues. Over 40 works from ten different countries were shown. The event was well received and as a result in 2005 CHR in association with the International Harm Reduction Association (IHRA) presented a different film programme for the conference held in Belfast, Northern Ireland, this time showcasing over 40 films from 18 nations.
Both film sessions at the conference have proved enormously successful and preparations are underway to highlight another stimulating and diverse range of drug related documentaries from various nations at the 17th International Conference on Reducing Drug Related Harm in Vancouver, Canada, 2006. Since the inauguration of this event, CHR have collected over 130 documentaries on various drug related themes and is widening its broad appeal among conference delegates, listed at http://www.chr.asn.au/resources/filmfest/vancouver06
For further information contact filmfest@burnet.edu.au.
Democracy, Cities and Drugs Project
‘Cities should be one of the major frontline responses to drug use and misuse. They have the potential to organise a co-ordinated response between the various agencies and stakeholders involved in the area of drug use.’
The “Democracy, Cities and Drugs” project is an alliance of European cities and organizations involved in 7 different European civil society networks which aims to promote local and participative responses to the issue of drugs use.
During the first phase of the project, the initial partner cities and local projects seek to exchange practices relating to the issue of drug use, drug services and democratisation as well as work out common transferable good practice guidelines which allow municipal and associated decision makers to be key leaders for local partnerships.
The second phase of the project is focused on using the good practice guidelines as the bases for developing strategies and actions aiming at influencing and changing new partner cities and local projects, for example: training sessions, study trips, visits for diagnosing and assistance, editing of guidelines on partnership methodology, pedagogical and thematic website, etc.
This platform of exchanges will be presented at the Implementation Conference in Gent on June 2nd, 2006.
Please visit the Democracy, Cities and Drugs for more information www.democitydrug.org.
