The UNODC's Technical report "From coercion to cohesion" is the topic of the seminar in Jundiaí

 

Mesa de abertura do seminário

Brasília, May 14, 2015 - On May 13 the city of Jundiaí in São Paulo initiated the programming for Jundaí's Anti-Asylum Movement Month. The opening featured the seminar "From coercion to cohesion: Treating drug dependence through health care, not punishment,"  the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in 2010.

The objective of the seminar was to introduce the debate on drug policies and their impact on the well-being into the municipal activities commemorating the advancement of the Anti-Asylum Movement in Brazil. It is worth noting that in Jundiaí the municipal mental health care system is going through a process of reorganization and expansion of services, as recommended for the organization Network for Psychosocial Care (RAPS) by the Ministry of Health.

The opening ceremony was attended by Health Secretariat Luís Carlos Casarin, who indicated that the current administration is implementing new methods and outlooks on all dimensions of the health care network in Jundiaí.

Also participating at the opening session were the President of Jundiaí's Municipal Council of Drug Policy Edivaldo Fernandes da Silva, the Director of Primary Health Care Luciana Surjus, the Vice Director of the Faculty of Medicine of Jundiai (FMJ) Edmir Américo Lourenço, Chief Executive of the School of Government and Administration Marcelo Lo Mônaco, professor of psychiatry at FMJ Paula Vilela Nunes, and Joana Lima, representative of CAPS service users.

 

Nara Santos, Programme Officer of the Health and Development Unit of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) participated in the "Paradigm Shift: from Abstinence to Harm Reduction" session. Nara brought an international perspective on the debate on drug policies to the discussion.

"It is important that these discussions and reflections on drug policy take place on the national level, as it is also being discussed frequently enough on the international stage," added Nara Santos. She also pointed out that the UNGASS 2016 (United Nations General Assembly Special Session on the World Drug Problem) will be taking place next year, and that these local discussions are very important and can really contribute to the debate as they provide arguments to the discussion that will be going on among the Member States of the United Nations.

 

The panel was also comprised of the Drug Policies Articulation and Coordination Director for the National Secretariat on Drugs Policies (SENAD) Leon Garcia, who recalled the process of psychiatric reform in Brazil, which was started by organized civil society and subsequently put into legislation, and established new guidelines for mental health care in Brazil, comparing it with what is currently being discussed on antidrug policies. Also on the panel were Director on Health Attention of the Health Secretariat Luciana Surjus and the Jundiaí's Technical Coordinator for CAPS AD CEAD Flávia Rangel do Nascimento.

 

Learn More About Jundiaí's Anti-Asylum Movement Month

Jundiaí's Anti-Asylum Movement Month programming will resume this Tuesday (19) at 3 p.m. with the exposition "Do Casulo ao Voo Livre," at the Pinacoteca Diógenes Duarte Paes. There will be a screening at 4 p.m. of the film "Si può fare," and after the exhibition, a discussion with Stellamaris Pinheiro.

On Wednesday (20) and Thursday (21), the 1st CAPS IJ of São Paulo Regional Meeting: "We are SUS: Coordinating rights with RAPS for the youth" will be held at the Faculty of Medicine of Jundiaí.

The 2nd Jundiaí Forum on Mental Health is still scheduled for Thursday (28) at the Faculty of Medicine of Jundiaí and the Mental Health and Racism Seminar on Friday (29) at Clube 28 de Setembro. Concluding the events, there will be a walk and cultural activities in defense of the anti-asylum movement on Friday (29) at 2 p.m. in the Praça Governador Pedro de Toledo, a Praça da Matriz, downtown.

*  With information of the Prefeitura de Jundiaí

"We thank our UN Online Volunteer, Aaron Kircher, for his contribution to the translation of this article".  Aaron Kircher, is an online volunteer mobilized through  www.onlinevolunteering.org".  

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