BF’s nye søsterorganisation The Inner Voice of Drug Users (IVDU) i Chennai City i Indien.

BrugerForeningen

December 2008.

Af Jørgen Kjær/formand

I maj 2008 kontaktede Mohan Babu BF for at høre om vi ville vejlede en gruppe stofbrugere lidt omkring deres organisering. IVDU startede som en uformel interessegruppe for stofbrugere i maj 2007. Jeg gav Mohan nogle små fif og oversatte BF’s vedtægter og formålserklæring og i juni 2008 indleverede Mohan IVDU’s officielle registrering til myndighederne i byen og samtidigt blev Mohan og IVDU inviteret med som affiliate i NAMA verdens ældste internationale interesseorganisation for metadonbrugere og som deltager på DPFUsers list – et uformelt internationalt internetbaseret netværk for stofbrugere med over 100 aktive deltagere fordelt ud over næsten samtlige kontinenter undtagen Afrika.

Mohan Babu satte samtidigt fart på IVDU’s hjemmeside som nu fortæller følgende om IVDU. Mohan blev også inviteret til at deltage i IDUD2008 – men da han skulle ansøge om visa til indrejse i Danmark var der stormflod og styrtregn som gav oversvømmelse i Chennai der betød at lokaltransporten var umuligt i en længere periode – kombineret med det afslag som Mohan i første omgang fik til indrejse i EU fra den tyske ambassade i byen – betød at han ikke fik det nødvendige visum i tide til at deltage i den store internationale tredages brugeraktivistkonference som BF arrangerede i.f.m. IDUD2008 (International Drug User’s Day).

ABOUT US

The IVDU: Inner Voice Of Drug Users is an organization consisting of people who are drug users that promotes the health, well being, dignity of individuals and communities impacted by drug use. IVDU advances policies and programs that help people address the adverse effects of drug use including overdose, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, addiction, and incarceration. We realized that the structures of social inequality impact the lives and options of affected communities differently, and work to uphold every individual’s right to health and well-being, as well as in our competence to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities.

HISTORY OF IVDU

History of IVDU : The IVDU was found in 2007 may, It was more of Under ground that we had closed meetings and discussed on empowering active users to a positive life style and meaningful involvement in organizations, interventions and policy making. Initially it was called the Junkies union and changed its name to IVDU : INNER VOICE OF DRUG USERS as many members felt that the word junkie would give a bad impression on our members and the group as a whole in the already discriminating & stigmatizing society, so the members sat together, suggested and reviewed many names for months after it is now called IVDU. It now has a working group consisting of Community advisory board, Advocates and Ex/Active drug users doing volunteer based interventions.

IVDU og Mohan har nu en hjemmeside med en blog hvor Mohan regelmæssigt skriver om de mange problemer stofbrugerne i Chennai City oplever – substitutionsbehandling er meget begrænset i Indien og der findes lange ventelister af stofbrugere som venter på at komme i behandling.