In response to the global drug problem, the Brazilian government and the European Union have been collaborating for years through the COPOLAD III Programme, which seeks to promote technical dialogue and evidence-based public policies aligned with human rights, citizen security and human health. In the framework of this programme, with the support of the National Secretariat for Drug Policy and Asset Management of Brazil and the European Union, the Intraregional Forum on Alternative Development to Drug Cultivation and Activities was held on 26, 27 and 28 June.
The meeting will serve to launch the Alternative Development Innovation Guide, and will offer opportunities for learning and exchange on good practices and recent innovations. Sessions will include new approaches to alternative development in Latin America and the Caribbean. This will involve addressing the specific needs of indigenous communities and seeking strategic advances with an ethnic focus. It will also be an opportunity to encourage the application of new tools to innovate in the urban environment, offering income alternatives for vulnerable populations.
The space of good urban practices will also include some proposals from Brazil, such as “Corra pro Abraço” and “Espaço Normal”, as well as the campaign “No pressure, no fun” from Ecuador and the Urban Innovation Laboratory from Uruguay.
There will also be presentations on the nexus between crime and drugs in the Amazon, as well as on the Study on Drugs and Environment, promoted by COPOLAD III. Finally, experiences in indigenous territories will be analysed by Peru, Brazil and the indigenous communities themselves who will be present at the event, which will conclude with proposals for lines of work in this area by the countries of the region.
