UNESCO Social and Human Sciences
 
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Meeting of young people for a 21st century free of drugs

The successful outline of an international campaign
UNESCO - 9-10 February 1998

in Peddro
Networking of information in the field of
preventive education against drug abuse
Quarterly publication jointly produced by UNESCO and the European Commission
February 1999, No. 3-4

See also: the MOST Project on "Economic and Social Transformations connected with the International Drug Problem"

On 9 and 10 February 1998, an international meeting of young people for a 21st century free of drugs was organised by UNESCO, UNDCP and the NGO "Environnement Sans Frontière" at UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

Meeting room of the Executive Council: the symbolic seat of UNESCO decisions.

For the first time ever, young people from many countries, occupy the seats of official delegates and discuss principles, information and experience on the prevention of drug abuse.
These joint work sessions involved young people concerned with prevention together with NGOs from over twenty countries around the world, and provided considerable impetus for bringing about real participation of young people in their future and in the prevention of drug abuse.

These sessions were based upon the approach of the UNESCO preventive education Section and organised in close co-operation with the network of the associated Schools project (ASP), the MOST* programme and the "Rounding the cape" project. The issues of drugs and prevention were tackled from a number of standpoints (economic, social and educational) both from a theoretical point of view and on the basis of concrete experience.
 

Talk by Laurent Laniel, researcher in social science, at one of the morning's scientific papers on "Drug trafficking and abuse: interactions with economic, social and environmental change" offered by the MOST Programme.

On this occasion the Youth Charter for a 21st century free of drugs was introduced for the first time in the presence of Mr. F. mayor, Director-general of UNESCO (1987-1999), and Mr. P. Arlacchi, executive Director of UNIDCP. Having received the personal support of Mr. Kofi Annan at he 20th General Assembly of the United Nations, the Charter now forms the basis for education and awareness campaigns in a number of countries.

The Associated Schools Project of UNESCO, the Peddro network, the young participants in the sessions, the NGOs, the primary and secondary schools and the "Environnement Sans Frontière" association at the initiative of the Charter, began its dissemination. Since then there is no doubt that the young people and the countries themselves have made it their own (with local translations, circulation schemes, discussions and so on). This participative awareness campaign involves adults as well as the young people in a movement of solidarity aimed at preventing drug abuse.
 

The song "Free of drugs" composed for the meeting by the rap group CMP.

This approach, increasingly closer to day-to-day reality, has turned into an international campaign that has become an unhoped-for success, so far obtaining 750 000 signatures from young people in more than 50 countries.

* Management of Social Transformations Programme (on Internet: http://www.unesco.org/most)

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