Post-Prohibition Times: Leaders from Around the World Call for UN to End the Drug War

[TheBlackPirate]

Post-Prohibition Times: Leaders from Around the World Call for UN to End the Drug War
April 20, 2016



PDF View the newspaper.

On the opening day of the 2016 United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on the World Drug Problem, the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) gathered more than 60 performers dressed in costumes from the era of U.S. alcohol prohibition to greet attendees at the entrance to the United Nations and hand them copies of the “Post-Prohibition Times,” a newspaper printout of a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urging him to set the stage “for real reform of global drug control policy.”

UN Security was apparently ordered to confiscate the letter, and attendees were ordered to hand over their copies upon entering the building.

*The "Post-Prohibition Times" went to press on April 18, 2016 and does not include people who signed thereafter including Hillary Clinton, Senator Dick Durbin and former President Jimmy Carter. The unprecedented list of signatories includes a range of people from Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker, to businessmen Warren Buffett, George Soros, Richard Branson, Barry Diller, actors Michael Douglas and Jane Fonda, Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, singers John Legend and Mary J. Blige, activists Reverend Jesse Jackson, Gloria Steinem, Michelle Alexander and Neill Franklin of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), as well as distinguished legislators, cabinet ministers, and former UN officials.

http://www.drugpolicy.org/ungass2016/newspaper

 

[neversickanymore]

I really hope this happens.

Great work and great costumes.. Love that time period

 

[TheBlackPirate]

I should mention, despite endorsement from hundreds of influential signatories this document was censored at UNGASS earlier this month. The document was confiscated from any attendees of the UNGASS discussion upon entering the location in New York the United Nations was discussing the issues.

http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/2016...copies-open-letter-ban-ki-moon-calling-end-gl

 

[neversickanymore]

Wow.. You know its just the same old shit. Oppression, greed and human rights violation. I find it very hard to give any credit to a corrupt organization like this. Its really a bad joke imho.

I like Sir Branson's take.. individual governments need to be brave. What you worried about the UN invading.. lol.

 

[TheBlackPirate]

You misrepresent Branson's perspective NSA. He obviously values the United Nations, as is evident from his involvement with the organization. This is expected considering Sir Richard Branson is rational, intelligent, and successful too.

I agree corrupt countries in blatant violation of the Human Rights goals of the United Nations often sabotage the proceedings of these events. This happened during the censorship of the recent decriminalization recommendation the United Nations attempted to produce.

These disagreements between nations are the reason the United Nations is necessary and important. Lets utilize my home, the United states, as an example. The United States has the most people in prison on earth and most of those prisoners originate from disenfranchised minorities. Putting people different from the ruling white majority in prison under the guise of an unnecessary War on Drugs is an obvious and extreme human rights violation. The United Sates isn't interested in admitting the significance of this problem at hand.

Without international oversight I expect the United Sates intention is continuing these harmful drug policies facilitating the detainment and exclusion of minorities from society. Often United States officials talk down the United Nations. Often other countries praise the United Nations. This is because the United Nations provides an option of peacefully ameliorating human rights violations such as the United Sates War on Drugs. The United Nations provides the less powerful majority a voice. In this the UNGASS was successful. Again and again the voice of those other countries was heard. Mexico, Columbia, Portugal, Switzerland, Canada, Jamaica, the list above goes on... each had an opportunity they could unite and speak out against the War on Drugs created by the United Sates.

Sure powerful corrupt countries hinder progress in the United Nations. This doesn't justify circumventing the United Nations. Without the peaceful option of organizations such as the United Nations often the only other option is stopping the human rights violations of countries through war. Even if this requires patience, I prefer peace.

The UNGASS was successful in giving other countries a voice against the failed War on Drugs. This will be the beginning of peaceful change.

 

[manboychef]

I am going with branson. The more a country speaks up, and decides to stop trade with corrupt countries (ie. the us) they will be able to have a stronger voice. The citizens of each country must speak up as well. There are many countries that are not like the US in which the citizens voices are heard, and actually respected. If portugal, switzerland, and uruguay can do it without the UN's approval, I don't see why other countries can't as well.

I was watching cops...people are running from the cops for weed. In most states running is a felony. They run because they know that chances are it isn't just going to be a fine...it will be job loss, and an inability to get another job due to a drug crime on your record. This is disenchanting for me.

 

[my3rdeye]

Wow.. You know its just the same old shit. Oppression, greed and human rights violation. I find it very hard to give any credit to a corrupt organization like this. Its really a bad joke imho.

I like Sir Branson's take.. individual governments need to be brave. What you worried about the UN invading.. lol.

I keep hearing people say Canada can't do it because we are going to violate all these treaties but there no penalties for breaking the treaties. It seems like there is no consequence to breaking them at all. I also think its wrong that the government of 50 years ago can agree to binding treaties that will never expire. If you to ban something, okay, but why does it have to be banned for all eternity? No other laws are so etched in stone.

 

[neversickanymore]

Also what about all the violations of the hardcore anti drug countries.. many of these countries degrade women to property and are pathetic and disgusting in so many other ways.. why should we care what they think?