Nothing about us
without us
Hi :)
We’re Movimentos, a group of young activists from different favelas and peripheries of Brazil who want to change the current landscape of drug policies in the country. For many years, we have been suffering the violent impacts of the so-called “war on drugs”, a war we did not choose to fight. And we have been living through the stigmatization and racism which were certainly intensified by this war, though not invented by it.
The violent effects of this war upon us have persisted for far too long, but we have repeatedly watched debates about us that seldom include us. For this reason, we believe it is not possible to build alternatives to current drug policies if we do not have a seat in this conversation. We must be the protagonists in any discussion regarding the impacts of this war in our lives and in any attempt to conceive solutions and reparations. These are the fundamental conditions for us to overcome decades of failed drug policies.
Our principles
What we believe in
We must talk about the impacts of the war on drugs in our daily lives.
We want to debate our own problems and bring the discussion on drug policy to our routine.
We need to think of alternatives to the war on drugs from the perspective of favelas.
Change is already coming, and not always in a positive sense. That is why we need transformation and information that include us.
The youth must be the protagonist of change.
We are dying. We are the ones who are losing friends, family, and opportunities because of this failed policy. We need to lead this debate, which is currently restricted to privileged areas of knowledge.
We need to strengthen harm reduction and mental health strategies in the favelas.
The war on drugs also impacts the physical and mental health of the people who live in these territories, so they must be a priority.
Our methodology
How we work
We create tools...
We train young people...
We organize grassroots activities in the favelas...
We build networks...
We occupy spaces of debate and decision...
Want to know more about this?
We have created a booklet with everything you need to know about this topic. Download it here!
By: Karina Donária, Jéssica Souto © 2020