COMING UP!>>Ep.50: A Review of West Africa Drug Policy Network (WADPN) Media Training

Episode #50:

A Review of West Africa Drug Policy Network (WADPN) Media Training

We want to use  the 50th edition of the show to primarily review and assess the training journalists underwent on 5 August here in Accra. 

Organised by the Ghana Chapter of the West Africa Drug Policy Network, the objective of the training was to educate the media to appreciate the complexities inherent in reporting drug policy issues. 

Buried in the training is a desire to shift mindsets around how drug policy is reported from a law-enforcement perspective, where the drug-user is vilified and criminalised to the point where they are treated with a level of dignity.

That said, no paradigm-shifting will occur without an assessment of how journalists found the programme. It is for this reason we will speak to two journalists to share their views, and offer recommendations on the way forward for the Media to better-appreciate drug policy.

Call us on the following numbers when we open the phone lines at 14h30 GMT

+233(0)289.000.931 // +233(0)289.931.000

Join us if you can at 1pm on 11 August, 2015.

Guiding questions

• ·       What was rationale for training media on drug policy?
• ·       What did the journalists learn – if anything?
• ·       How do journalists assess the training programme? What recommendations do they have for improvement?
• ·       Why is the media important in conversations around drug policy?
• ·       What is the way forward for the workshop?

Guests in the studio:

Ø  Hilda Mbong, Lawyer; Rapporteur; independent observer

Ø  Juana Akuamoa Boateng, Assistant Producer, AIF Research & Communications Unit

Ø  Maame Agyeiwaa, Chronicle newspaper, Ghana

Guests on the line:

Ø  Genevieve Dadzie, Programme Officer, AAEA Secretariat, Electoral Commission, Ghana @13h15 to speak to us about the 3^rd Continental Election Management Bodies Forum/General Assembly Meeting of the Association of African Election Authorities, held 22-24 July, 2015

Ø  Yaw Kwakye, Manager, Climate Change Unit, Forestry Commission @13h30 to brief us about mini-retreat for journalists organized by Forestry Commission in Koforidua, Eastern Region of Ghana from 5-6 August, 2015 on Communication messaging around Emissions-Reduction Programme/REDD+

Ø  Jonas Nyabor, Radio Univers 105.7FM/Ghanahealthnest.com @14h00

COMING UP!>>Ep.46: West Africa Drug Policy Network (WADPN): Countdown to 26 June – International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking

Episode #46:

Time with West Africa Drug Policy Network (WADPN): Countdown to 26 June – International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

Since 1987, the UN has used 26 June to reflect on a society free of drug abuse. West Africa has the peculiar distinction of being home to what the UN Office on Drugs & Crime considers one of the six evils of crime, which includes drug trafficking.

In this second show showcasing the advocacy of the West Africa Drug Policy Network, we will be speaking to three members of the Network who will help us count down to 26 June, and remind us of the importance of the “Support, don’t punish campaign”, which seeks to put a human face on those who take drugs.

  

Call us on the following numbers when we open the phone lines at 14h30 GMT

+233(0)289.000.931 // +233(0)289.931.000

Join us if you can at 1pm on 23 June, 2015.

Guiding questions

·         What has been the state of play of WADPN’s advocacy since last show in February?

·         What is the “Support, don’t punish campaign”, and why is it important for WADPN’s advocacy?

·         What are some of the Network’s upcoming activities?

·         Is the Ghanaian public ready to accept a society free of drug abuse?

·         How instrumental has the West Africa Commission on Drugs been to WADPN’s advocacy?

Guests in the studio:

Ø  Marie-Ane Goretti, International Drug Policy Consortium(IDPC)

Ø  Christian Lokko, REMAR Ghana

Ø  Helen Meredith, WABHARM

Assistance:

Ø  Juana Akuamoah-Boateng, Assistant Producer, “Africa in Focus” Show

Guests on the line:

Ø  Macmillan Prentice, Ghana Standards Authority who will, @ 13h30, offer us an update of ECOSTAND (West African Quality Standard)

STORIFY Feature: What you missed from the the 17 March, 2015 edition of "Africa in Focus" Show on Radio XYZ93.1 FM

PODCAST:>>Episode 36: West Africa Drug Policy Network, & Analysis of Bill to transform Ghana’s Narcotics Board (NACOB) into a Commission

EPISODE #36
Research & Co-ordination: E.K.Bensah Jr
Executive Producer: E.K.Bensah Jr
Technical  Producer: D.J. Stagger

"Dear friends,

We used the thirty-sixth edition of the Africa in Focus show to give very important time to two technical experts, and a reformed drug addict, of the newly-established West Africa Drug Policy Network, which is backed by the Senegal-based West Africa Commission on Drugs.

The cardinal objective of the Network is to call for greater support of those afflicted by drug abuse, and help them rehabilitate back into society. 

The old narratives of "war on drugs" is one, the Network believes, is outdated and needs to quickly be replaced by one that supports--not punishes--drug users to have dignity for their lives. Prison only complicates their re-entry back into society, especially when antiquated and repressive narratives are used to punish them like criminals.

Of utmost importance for the Network, Marie-Goretti Ane, lawyer and technical expert of the Network explained, was for Ghanaian policymakers to carefully look through the new Bill that is ready to transform the erstwhile Narcotics Board into a Narcotics Commission. Some of the punishments for drug-users are downright punitive and excessive and find no place in an era where even countries like the US are beginning to re-consider old narratives of punishing the small fish.

We also spoke to Macmillan Prentice of Ghana Standards Authority who gave us a profound insight into the upcoming "ECOSTAND", which is a new (classification) standard for the sub-region.

As per usual, we had Kobby Blay of #EbolaWatch offer us an update of developments around Ebola.


Kindly find a link to download the podcast below:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ubdf9fwzuts0j14/AFRICA%20IN%20FOCUS%20%2017-03-15.mp3?dl=0

Kind regards,
Emmanuel

COMING UP!>>Ep.36: West Africa Drug Policy Network, & Analysis of Bill to transform Ghana’s Narcotics Board (NACOB) into a Commission

36th Edition:  

West Africa Drug Policy Network, & Analysis of Bill to transform Ghana’s Narcotics Board (NACOB) into a Commission

It will be recalled that Ep.31 of the Show looked at the necessity of civil society intervention in drug  policy in West Africa. Subsequently, the Ghana Chapter of the newly-established Network (WaDruPoNe), which is backed by the Kofi Annan Foundation’s West Africa Commission on Drugs, held a meeting 25 February to chart the way forward on the Network’s advocacy.

In this second programme on civil society advocacy around drug policy in West Africa, we want to use the 36^th edition of “Africa in Focus” to begin a very critical and important conversation on two things.

First: the implications of a transformation of the erstwhile Narcotics Control Board into a Narcotics Control Commission, and what that augurs for treatment of those hooked onto drugs. Advocates from the newly-established WaDruPoNe believe the Bill to sustain the old and repressive focus of “war on drugs”, which targets the small fish by imposing long and harsh sentences on them, in lieu of treating them as addicts in need of assistance by clinicians, psychologists, and public health professionals.

Second: the Network’s call on members of the public and CSOs to support the call to SUPPORT NOT PUNISH drug users, with an equally-urgent call for a holistic review of the Bill before ratification by Parliament.

To this end, we will be speaking to two technical experts from the Ghana Chapter of the Network on the show to help speak to these issues, as well as a reformed drug user who can help speak to the necessity of drug policy reform.

Join us if you can at 1pm on 17 March, 2015.

Guiding questions

• Why is an analysis of the new Narcotics Control Commission Bill (transform Narcotics Board into a Commission) important?
• Does the bill address harm reduction strategies?
• Is the NCC Bill what one may call a progressive one?
• Despite the 2014 “Not Just in Transit” report by the West Africa Commission on Drugs, why have governments been slow in treating drug use as a public health issue?
• How universal will the current bill address the needs of every Ghanaian drug user regardless of their socio-economic status?

Guests in the studio:

Ø  Maria-Goretti Ane, Barrister/Solicitor & Regional Consultant, International Drug Policy Consortium

Ø  Mohammed A Adamu ,  Founder/CEO WABHARM Foundation(GH)

Ø  Christian “Lion” Lokko, Public Relations Officer, REMAR

On the line:

·        Macmillan Prentice, Standards Officer, Ghana Standards Authority @13h15

·        Kobby Blay, EbolaWatch @13h30

NEW!>>SUPPORT DON'T PUNISH DRUG USERS IN GHANA-CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED

Accept greetings from the members of the Ghana Chapter of the West Africa Drug Policy Network.

 

We are pleased to share with you the attached statement for your perusal and endorsement. To endorse, kindly send your name, organization (if affiliated to an organization) and country to Maria-Goretti Ane. If you are endorsing in your personal capacity, please simply state ‘Independent’.

 

As a network, our goal is to ensure that drug policies are developed and implemented in a manner that promotes the rights, and dignity of drug users. This must therefore support them to be able to overcome the situation. We seek to ensure that laws enacted do not condemn victims of drug use.

 

Our foremost priority is to ensure that the draft bill by the Narcotics Commission is one that supports drug users rather than punish them. The current bill provides clauses that will rather enforce harsh sanctions on drug users. A situation we do not want to happen.

 

Network members have taken a thorough analysis of the bill and highlighted some critical areas that require immediate revision.

 

With your support, we want to push for these revisions to be made before the bill is passed into law.

 

We therefore call on you to read through the attached statement and endorse it on or before March 20, 2015 by 4pm GMT.

 

We kindly request that you should share this widely across your staff, colleagues, family members and friends to ensure that we have many signatories and more support in this process.

 

We look forward to your kind cooperation

 

Regards

Maria-Goretti Ane

International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) , Africa Consultant.

**Visit the document here. Follow us on twitter here: www.twitter.com/wadrupone_gh