Category: VANDU
InSite safe for now
Appeal Court upholds Pitfield Ruling, January 15, 2010
The federal government appealed the 2008 Pitfield ruling which essentially ruled that drug users rights to health is fundamentally more important that laws against drugs. Now the B.C. Appeal Court has upheld that original ruling. Although the Feds are likely to appeal again to the Federal Supreme Court this latest Appeal Court ruling is surely a victory for the right of drug users to relevant health services.
Read the full 110 page ruling here
No to Ticketing in the DTES
VANDU members speak out against the Vancouver Police Department ticketing the poor in the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood.
Police are ticketing people for jay-walking, leaving the sidewalk, smoking in a doorwar, and other petty offences. Fines quickly add up to the hundreds of dollars and police levy such fines knowing full well the individuals issued tickets will be unable to afford such fines. Since there is no diversion option, such as community service, people end up doing months of jail time due to unpaid jay-walking tickets.
New Book About DTES Organizing
RAISE SHIT! Social Action Saving Lives
This book tells a story about community activism in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side (DTES) that culminated in a social justice movement to open the first official safe injection site.
This story is unique: it is told from the point of view of drug users – those most affected by drug policy, political decisions and policing. It provides a montage of poetry, photos, early Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU) meetings, journal entries from the Back Alley, the “unofficial” safe injection site, and excerpts from significant health and media reports.
The harms of prohibition, and resistance, hope, kindness, awakening and collective action are chronicled in these pages.
PACIFIC SUMMIT ON DRUG USER HEALTH
6/12/2009-6/14/2009
VANDU hosted the Pacific Summit on Drug User Health at the Delta Hotel on Hastings Street. Bringing together some 100 user activists from all over B.C. and the Yukon for three days of discussion and workshops. Summit concluded with the formation of the BC/Yukon Association of Drug War Survivors.
A comprehensive report entitled Health Status of People Who Use Illicit Drugs in British Columbia at the Summit was presented at the Summit by VANDU. Download Powerpoint
Bud Osborn reading his poetry
Drug Users Health Summit, June 12, 2009
Empowerment
Vandu’s Employment Service
Vandu has created a social enterprise employment service for its members.
VANDU Empowerment’s purpose is to do the work that other companies lack the expertise to do and, if left undone would add to the misery and hardship of marginalized people.
VANDU Empowerment employs VANDU members to perform many of their services and its services range from preparing rooms for pest control to consulting services.
VANDU Empowerment donates 75% of its pre-tax profits to VANDU to help VANDU carry out its mission to improve the lives of people who use illicit drugs through user-based peer support and education.
FROM A WHISPER TO A SONG APPEARANCE
9/11/2008
Robb Johannes, Executive Director of VANDU, will be in studio on “From A Whisper to a Song” at 1:00 PM PST on Thursday, September 11, 2008 to discuss current issues in harm reduction and the Downtown Eastside. Tune in at 102.7 FM in Vancouver, or worldwide at www.coopradio.org.
JUSTICE ROCKS!
8/30/2008
VANDU will be have an information table at “Justice Rocks,” a free one-day benefit concert put on by the Pivot Legal Society, on Saturday, August 30 from 12:00 noon to 8:00 p.m. at Stratchona Park (Venables and Raymur, Vancouver).
MELODIES IN MIND ON CJSF
8/26/2008
Members of VANDU will be appearing on “Melodies in Mind” at 8:30 PM PST on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 to discuss VANDU, its operations, and current issues in harm reduction and the Downtown Eastside. Tune in at 90.1 FM in Vancouver, or worldwide at www.cjsf.ca.
Recent Comments