reflection

& growth
Honest Dialogue
My status
Youth Empowerment
Drug use

My reality Theory of Change

Sexual Health Drug Policy
Youth Centered Human Rights
Safe Spaces Harm Reduction

International Youth-Led

Annual Report 2009

 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Reflection: Message from New Youth RISE Coordinators……….3
Who We Are-Mission/Vision/Guiding Principles……….4
Youth RISE Highlights……….6
Participation in International Fora……….7
Contributions to Policy Reports, Research, and Other Publications..……13
Youth RISE Up for HIV Prevention..……14
Growth: Message from Former Youth RISE Coordinators.……15
Strategic Partners…….16
Funders.……17
Staff, International Working Group, International Advisory Committee.……18

Youth RISE
conducts
focus group for
young people
on drug policy
issues at Drug
Policy Alliance‟s
2009 International
Drug Policy
Conference in
Albuquerque,
New Mexico USA

This report covers activities during the calendar year ending January 1st of 2010.

Founded in 2006, Youth RISE is the only youth-led international network that fights
against the harms associated with drug use and harmful drug policy. Our work is
supported through our fiscal sponsor Release Leads Ltd. 124-128 City Road
New Logo Uplift
London EC1V 2NJ United Kingdom.
designed by
Sygrid Araman of
Lebanon

2
 REFLECTION

Greetings from Youth RISE Coordinators :

Throughout history we have seen young people at the forefront of social justice movements. From anti-
war organizing to human rights to education to harm reduction, young people are the fingers on the pulse of
modern issues affecting their lives and the lives of those around them. With well over half the world population
under 30 years old, it‟s no wonder why most decisions about them are made by those who reside on the other
side of that coin. Young people are the experts on young people, and possess an outlook and energy that
should not and will not be overlooked. 2009 brought new, dynamic, motivated young people to the Youth RISE
staff, International Working Group and general membership. We are honored to have been entrusted with
slipping on the shoes of the pioneering young people who came before us and built the foundation on which
we can expand and improve our network, raise up the voices of young people affected by drug policy, those
who use drugs, and those who seek to empower them.

With slipping on those shoes comes with the responsibility of taking Youth RISE to new heights. Our logo
has a new facelift, we have made it a priority to now place a focus on our messaging and social marketing as
a network, and we are developing a stronger organizational infrastructure within the network. As young people
are exploited, marginalized, and abused by punitive drug policies we need to update our strategy. We realize
at Youth RISE we live in a time where youth led organizations, such as us need support more than ever to
develop new leadership within our movement, to mobilize communities towards our cause, and to be able to
sustain the momentum created so that we create an environment for long lasting & residual change.

The leadership opportunities in the roles that our membership have played in leveraging resources and
being strong advocates for change in drug policy and promoting harm reduction services for young people
has grown stronger in the past year. From having International Working Group (IWG) members, and staff
participate and be one out of two NGO‟s that got to speak forcefully in the High Level Segment of the
Committee on Narcotic Drugs and United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Illicit Drugs Meeting in
March 2009 – to having a Youth RISE members working on the ground in Manipur, India and in Bucharest,
Romania conducting pilot workshops on Injection Drug Use among Young People and HIV Prevention we
continue to RISE by providing Resources, Information. Support and Education for reducing drug related harm
among young people around the world.

Allen Kwabena Frimpong Chantale Kallas Tori Talavera

International Network Regional Development Training and Technical Projects

Coordinator Coordinator Coordinator
3
 MISSION

Youth RISE (Resources.Information.Support.Education) for reducing drug related harm, is a youth

led organization, and is uniquely positioned to address the issues faced by young people who use
drugs. It is the aim of Youth RISE to empower young people who are affected by drug use and
policy to effectively and proactively work at systemic policy change to ensure that young people
are included in harm reduction strategies and within the drug policy debate.

“Youth RISE stands for a future generation of young

leaders; and thanks Youth RISE to me in all levels to
give opportunities to connect as a family member of
Youth RISE.”
-Sujan Jirel, International Working Group member of Nepal

VISION

To provide a network where young people can meaningful engage in issues addressing how they
are affected by drug use and drug policy, and to participate in systemic and institutional change
that will improve their community’s health and well–being.

Themes addressed by Youth RISE:

 Harm Reduction Knowledge – for young people and service providers that uses a peer based
model building off of young people‟s experiences and understanding of drug use .
 Discriminatory Policies – to reduce barriers, stigma and criminalization that can create safe
spaces for young people.
 Advocacy Messaging and Social Marketing- to shift public opinion about young people and
drug use and create messages that appeal to the best interests of young people.
 Creating effective Harm Reduction Services – relevant, accessible, and conducive to the overall
health of young people.
 Increase of Research and Evidence – on youth and harm reduction service delivery models and
advocacy strategies.
 Increase of Training Opportunities – for youth and service providers that promotes a youth
centered approach in engaging young people into services.

4
Youth RISE’s Guiding Principles

 We value equality of voice and participation and seek to ensure the widest
representation of the diversity of young people and harm reduction globally.
 We understand that it is our responsibility to ensure the representation and inclusion of
children and youth in our respective regions that may experience barriers to
participation.
 We work towards ensuring that the children and youth who use drugs or are affected
by drug use and/or drug policies have a real say and central voice in matters that
affect them.
 We work with the objective of consensus and understand that each member‟s
individual input is valuable and each IWG member has the right to participate in Youth
RISE decision-making.
 We work from a Rights-Based approach and with the spirit of youth engagement.
 We work towards ensuring that programmes and policies and our own advocacy is
evidence driven and impact oriented.
 We commit to providing the capacity to communicate in different languages through
means of translation and web material to our membership.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

Youth RISE
Youth RISE Youth RISE
International
Coordinators membership
Working Group

Consists of our
Serves as Youth RISE‟s Are 250 + worldwide
International
steering committee of that have opportunities
Coordinator that
8 members. They are to gain information and
oversees the network.
located globally in knowledge as well as
The Regional
more than several share and disseminate
Development
regions of the world. information, and
Coordinator manages
This includes: North leadership
our International
America, Latin opportunities for young
Working Group. We also
America & Caribbean, people, nationally,
have a Training and
Europe, Southeast Asia, regionally, and
Technical Projects
and the Middle globally.
Coordinator that does
East/North Africa.
capacity-building work.
5
Youth RISE
Highlights
Former International Network
Coordinator, Caitlin Padgett at
demonstration outside the United
Nations 52nd Session on the
Commission of Narcotic Drugs.
March 2009.

“Leadership by young people is a critical asset,

enhanced by the International Working Group
with diverse regional representation. Membership
which includes young service providers offers a
depth of understanding of practical aspects of
harm reduction and young people. Strong
organizational links to other global networks-
GYCA, IHRA and the regional harm reduction
networks.”
- Diane Widdus,
former Senior Specialist for HIV Prevention and Adolescents at UNICEF

6
Participation in the
International Fora
While going through its transition, Youth RISE was
able to maintain visibility in the International Fora.
Here is a snapshot of Youth RISE‟s accomplishments
for 2009.
Youth RISE during Network and Training Day
for the Commission on Narcotic Drugs Meeting in Vienna.

MARCH
Committee on Narcotic Drugs and United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Illicit Drugs Meeting

Youth RISE participated in the Committee on Narcotic Drugs and UNGASS meeting on drugs in March 2009. We
advocated for the inclusion of harm reduction into drug policy and for the inclusion of both young substance
users and young people affected by drug policies as a key target group of the committee‟s future objectives
and policy development.

Youth RISE participated in several satellites, side events and panels, advocating and lobbying for the rights of
young people and the inclusion of harm reduction into global drug policy. Youth RISE members called on
leaders, policymakers, government delegations, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the International
Narcotic Control Board to provide and advocate for access to services, put an end to criminalization, to ensure
our rights to participation and to challenge discrimination faced by young drug users. Youth RISE also drafted a
letter to delegates with recommendations for new drug policies that include young people and their realities.
This letter was written in partnership with the World AIDS Campaign, the Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS,
Espolea, and Students for Sensible Drug Policy and the Youth Coalition.
Youth RISE also had a training and strategic planning day – where each of the delegates gave regional
reports, brainstorming key examples with advocacy areas .Members met Sebastian Saville, Executive Director
of Release and Judith Ulirsch from UNODC.

In this letter, Youth RISE called for leaders to recall the four general principles in the Convention on the Rights of
the Child, ratified by all but two UN member states :

1. Non-discrimination: Removing age-related barriers such as requiring parental consent or denying

confidentiality to underage youth, removing age restrictions for accessing harm reduction services such as
syringe exchanges and opiate replacements, and providing sexual and reproductive health services to young
people.

2. Best interest of the child: All drug policies adhere to international human rights law. This will ensure that drug
policies are required to take into consideration those most vulnerable and in need of support such as child drug
users, young substance users and street-involved youth.

3. Life, survival and development: Honest, reality-based drug education and prevention services, low threshold
and youth-friendly services, access to education and health services, are all essential components of effective
drug policy that seeks to ensure the highest attainable health for young people using drugs. Make drug
treatment a priority over detention, imprisonment or forced rehabilitation.

4. Participation: Involve young people who are most affected (including young drugs users and young people
living with HIV) in meaningful engagement of drug policy and program development, implementation and
evaluation at all levels. Young drug users and young people living with HIV do not forfeit this right to
participation. It is our right to be included in the decisions that affect our lives.

7
APRIL JUNE

Washington D.C: Most at-Risk Adolescents and

Young People for HIV/AIDS Forum

Kyla Zanardi, International Projects Coordinator

gave a presentation titled “Youth-led
Perspective: Best Practices for Youth Harm
Reduction Programming” on a panel Young
Injection Drug Users (IDUs): Research, Program
Experiences, and Applications. This meeting
sought to bring together UN agencies and civil
society to discuss and collaborate on
addressing the needs of most-at-risk
adolescent (identified groups such as young
drug users, sex workers, men having sex with
Harm Reduction 2009, International
men) and development of best practice
Conference on Drug Related Harms,
guidelines for Most At-Risk Adolescents (MARA).
Bangkok, Thailand
Representatives from the U.S. Agency for
International Development, the World Health
Youth RISE hosted a youth major session
Organization, the United Nations, Centers for
entitled, “What are our rights? Young People,
Disease Control, the Office of the Global AIDS
Drugs and Harm Reduction” at the
Coordinator, and several youth-serving NGOs
International Conference on Drug Related
presented at the most recent meeting of the
Harms in Bangkok, Thailand.
Interagency Youth Working Group. Youth RISE
used the UN Convention of the Rights of a
In addition, the Youth RISE Coordinators,
Child as a framework to layout specific barriers
International Working Group Members and
young people who use drugs have in
session speakers attended and advocated
accessing HIV prevention.
at the conference for the inclusion and
incorporation of young people in harm
Recommendations from Kyla Zanardi‟s
reduction. During the session there was also a
presentation that were used in addressing the
highlight on the primary healthcare needs of
needs of vulnerable young people to set
young people who are incarcerated and their
priorities for USAID were to:
access to condoms and syringes as well.
Involvement was:
 Internal meetings: Youth RISE had a  Invest in youth-led harm reduction
strategic planning. initiatives
 Increase research made accessible to
 Participating in networking session young people
training with strategic partners  Support meaningful youth participation
such as UNODC and UNICEF. of young people most affected –peer-
 Developing a joint IHRA campaigns based programs and supporting young
entitled „ What are our Rights Session‟ IDU‟s to develop interventions is a must!
using a – Human Rights and Harm  Advocacy for policy change and move
reduction Pamphlet and T-shirts away from policies that criminalize
messages “ Too Young For Harm behaviors
Reduction – Too young to die”
 Lastly, we also participated in the
“Treatment Not Torture” Rally!

“It fulfills an entirely new niche in the global arena. It has the unique
opportunity to demystify a whole field of jargon that is dark, murky and
esoteric. It has the power to change the approach to messaging around
harm reduction.”
- Joya Banerjee, Youth RISE International Advisory Committee member 8
AUGUST
Latin American Drug Policy Conference

IWG Aram Barra from Mexico attended the conference where a consultation was conducted in the region to
gain a better sense of drug use among youth in the region as well as a space where people could express their
concerns over utilization or lack of harm reduction services, and the punitive drug policy that contributes to this.
The session was sponsored by International Network of People who use Drugs (INPUD), Youth RISE, Espolea and
Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP). One of the expectations was for advocate for more research on
marijuana and health. One of the strategies were to create a trusting environment among current and former
drug users in order to gain from personal experience and improve team work. For more information see:
http://www.espolea.org/profiles/blogs/drogas-1 (Minuta de Reunion de articulación: Jóvenes y Drogas- ENG)

SEPTEMBER
Recapping the Consultation on Strategic
Information on HIV Prevention among Most at Risk
Adolescents (MARA)
Allen Kwabena Frimpong, International Network
Coordinator attended this meeting at UNAIDS in
Geneva September 2nd-4th 2009. UNAIDS, UNICEF,
UNFPA, UNODC, and government
officials/representatives of the Intra-agency Task
Team on Young People (IATT) discussed these main
points: (1) Know Your Epidemic, (2)What is the
Purpose of Collecting the Data (Strategic
Information) , (3)How will this Data be used in
Advocacy of HIV Prevention Strategy and service
provision for MARA, (4) Making sure that Young
People are not “Passive Recipients, but Active
Participants” in the process of making sure they are
getting access to the services they need.
The participation of the international coordinator at
that meeting resulted in:
 Making sure youth networks and
organizations are included as a resource in
gathering data on global & regional HIV
prevention programs or projects.
 Utilizing youth networks and organization in
doing capacity building work with
organizations working with young people in
advocating for youth centered services.
OCTOBER
Young People Can Protect Themselves from HIV
Consultation with UNAIDS-IATTYP
IWG member Anna Koshikova from the All Ukrainian
Network of People Living with HIV attended the
UNAIDS consultation. It was from the 26th to the
28th of October at the Tudor Hotel in New York City.
There were others from other youth led initiatives or
organizations, such AIDS2031, World AIDS
Campaign, Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network,
among others. This also included, our International
Coordinator, Allen Kwabena Frimpong. The goals of
the meeting were to elicit feedback and reach
consensus on the draft business case for the priority
area of young people including key actions for HIV
prevention and to agree on the process for
finalizing the business case for the UNAIDS
Programme for young people and HIV prevention.
During the meeting in a working group with Allen
Kwabena Frimpong, Gray Sattler, UNODC‟s
HIV/AIDS Regional Advisor in Thailand, Anna
Koshikova, and Rick Olson from UNICEF, Youth RISE
gave several recommendation in how to better
engage young injection drug users, and address
issues of criminalization among them (which serves
as a major barrier to prevention, care, and
treatment of HIV). This was incorporated in the
business case for UNAIDS Programme.
 Anti-stigma work for harm reduction service
delivery must be done for young injection
drug users.
 In building community development
projects and programming drug user
networks must also work with young people
and re-orientate messaging in addressing
the needs of young people as part of larger
community issues as they relate to drug
policy.
 Ensure that young people who are using
drugs have access to basic primary care,
drug treatment, and harm reduction
services.
Participants engaged in a group activity to help plan UNAIDS
business case.
9

HIV Young Leaders Fund Planning Meeting
The planning meeting was hosted by HIV
collaborative fund, a project of the Tides Center.
The HIV Young Leaders Fund is a new community-
driven funding mechanism for youth-led HIV
initiatives. The HIV Young Leaders Fund will invest in
young leaders and their coalitions, while at the
same time raising the visibility of their work and
strengthening the sustainability of their initiatives.
The Fund is an innovative partnership effort
between global and local youth networks and
donors in the AIDS response.
Participants were represented from Global Network
of Sex Work Projects, Global Youth Coalition on
HIV/AIDS, GNP+‟s Interim Reference Group on
Young People Living with HIV, International
Treatment Preparedness Coalition, World AIDS
Campaign, Youth Coalition for Sexual and
Reproductive Rights, Y-PEER, Young Positives, Youth
R.I.S.E, and the country networks IPPF+ Nepal and
Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network where we
discussed a new partnership effort between youth
networks and donors. IWG member Sujan Jirel from
Nepal, as well as staff member Allen Kwabena
Frimpong were in attendance.
Several things crucial to youth network sustainability
and funding occurred as a result of this meeting:
 Identify the importance of funding youth
networks for sustainability.
 Looking at young migrant populations in
Nepal, and possible developing work there
specifically with that population.
 Youth RISE was able to communicate
among steering committee members to
value the diverse group of young people in
backgrounds and experience. We are using
the funding circle to cultivate new
leadership of young people who are most
affected by the epidemic, this is to include
young injection drug users, sex workers,
those that identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and transgendered, as well as young
people who are HIV positive.
For more information on the fund contact:
HIVYoungLeadersFund@gmail.com
Youth RISE button
worn @ DPA
conference!
NOVEMBER
Drug Policy Alliance:
International Drug Policy Conference
Youth R.I.S.E. staff members as well as IWG member
Aram Barra attended the International Drug Policy
Reform Conference, November 11th-14th which was
organized by the Drug Policy Alliance, in New
Mexico. This conference brought many gains for our
network. First, taking part of a large international
audience is always of benefit for our young
network, and second the presence of the three
staff members in the same place is very rare, hence
such opportunities are always beneficial for us.
These two factors were a recipe for the success of
the conference for Youth R.I.S.E.
Outcomes of the Conference was:
 Networking Opportunities with those within
the larger drug policy movement.
 Grant meeting with Open Society Institute
(OSI) w/ Global Drug Policy & Youth
program.
 Preliminary strategic planning in preparation
for core funding grant proposal for OSI.
 In addition, Youth RISE organized a focus
group with the Students for Sensible Drug
Policy (SSDP) aimed at discussing how to
reform the messages targeting young
people in the harm reduction & drug policy
field. Approximately 25 young activists
attended the meeting; it was a fruitful
experience that encouraged us to pursue
the next exciting steps in our advocacy and
social marketing work. This was facilitated by
our Social Media consultants Scott
Jacobsen & Wyokemia Joyner.
Youth RISE on Twitter during the DPA Conference
10
Middle East North Africa Harm Reduction
Association’s (MENAHRA’s) Conference
IWG member Dr. Khalil Sakhri participated on
behalf of Youth RISE to the 1st conference
MENAHRA in Beirut, Lebanon. It was a very
successful conference where some 150 participants
mostly from countries of the Middle East and North
Africa, with the participation of UN agencies WHO,
UNAIDS, UNODC, and the Global Fund, and several
local as well as global non-governmental
organizations.
Throughout the conference, Dr. Khalil Sakhri states
that,
“There was more political than
scientific and enrichment of
knowledge. Large politicians
are starting to adapt the
concept of Harm Reduction,
except that in the end, the
general of the Lebanese police
has let us focus on how law
enforcement in the fight against
drugs, saying that it is the police
who must solve the problem.”
This participation:
 Provided strategic partners with updates
with the work that was occurring in the
MENA region along with Youth RISE member
from Afghanistan, Murtaza Mujeed.
 New networking connections were made as
well as revisiting existing ones. Meetings took
place with International Harm Reduction
Association‟s (IHRA) staff in preparation for
the 2010 conference in Liverpool, Ann
Fordham of the International Drug Policy
Consortium (IDPC) - in discussing Youth
RISE‟s partnership with IDPC. Also at the
conference he met the new director of
Mentor Arabia, Dr. Farida Allaghi, which a
new partnership was formed between him
and organization to support his mentorship
as a young harm reductionist.
Youth R.I.S.E. at the 5th Latin American and
Caribbean Forum for HIV and other STIs
IWG member Aram Barra attended the 5th Latin
American and Caribbean Forum for HIV and other
STIs. It is the regional venue directed to promote
guidelines of national and regional public policies
regarding the universal access to the prevention,
helping and treatment, within the respect of human
rights; to share learned lessons and improve the
performance of all branches: prevention, helping,
intervention, investigation and information; to
promote the equally participation and the
involvement of all communities, and to figure out
the responses to this epidemic in the region through
the fulfillment of the international commitments
made regarding HIV.
The satellite session was entitled: “Drug policy, HIV
and Human Rights”. This panel featured a
representative from the Caribbean Harm Reduction
Coalition, Intercambios, Youth R.I.S.E. and the Pan
American Health Organization.
This participation:
 Strengthened Youth RISE‟s position in the
regional debate and fostered the questions
around how to implement harm reduction in
Latin America
 Grew the linkage and interest that exists
between young people working on the HIV
field and harm reduction initiatives
 Provided a space to further network in
particular with young people from the
Caribbean and allowed for the IWG
member to get to know some of the
network‟s members throughout the region.
11
DECEMBER

HIV, Human Rights and Universal

Access and Marginalized Populations:
December 1st 2009 Hyatt Regency
Hotel Capitol Hill-Washington, DC

Kolawole Oreoluwa, IWG member from Nigeria

Kolawole Oreoluwa is pictured sitting in the middle of a sex worker rights
advocate in the U.S and a representative of the LGBTQ movement in
Africa at the UNAIDS meeting.
spoke as a guest speaker and panelist at the
UNAIDS sponsored high level meeting on World
AIDS Day in Washington, D.C. to talk about HIV,
Human Rights, and Marginalized Populations. The
US Global AIDS Coordinator's office was there as
well as the Human Rights Caucus of U.S Congress
along with UN body country delegates. Three
representatives from most at risk populations were
calling for reform of U.S foreign policy (President's
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief-PEPFAR) as it
relates to HIV prevention care and treatment
amongst affected populations including injection
drug users.

In Kola speech, he talked about his challenges as a young person, and an organizer in Nigeria where he was
arrested and his life was threatened in the name of advocating for harm reduction. He gave forth these
recommendations that were incorporated into a report given to US Congress, which also served as one of the
many advocacy events to push the lifting of the federal ban off of funding needle exchange programs in
PEPFAR:

 The US Government should also support needle and syringe exchange because this will go a long way
to prevent HIV among injecting drug users and it will also allow foreign funded projects under PEPFAR to
start needle and syringe exchange for injecting drug users in their various countries.
 The US government should mandate its HIV prevention policies for drug injectors with other stated US
government health and medical agencies‟ policies in the same area.

RISING FOR 2010 AND BEYOND

2010 is here. Youth RISE is now full speed ahead embarking on many new initiatives.

Reframing our advocacy messaging, building up our social marketing tools, unveiling our new website
with logo uplift and new look as we expand our reach as a network is what you will see that is different in
communicating with our constituency and partners.

Youth RISE is preparing an update and media blitz for the Commission on Narcotic Drugs Meeting in March
2010, and preparing for an advocacy campaign utilizing new media strategies. We are sending out a
clear message to the global community about how young people are affected by drug use and drug
policy that will be coming soon!

In addition, you will see a new International Working Group of 8 members with new representation of
different nations. They will be going leadership development workshops and trainings, and they also will
be doing advocacy work and outreach within their regions.

Lastly our Youth RISE Up! For HIV Prevention Project will have two new pilot sites in Mexico and Ukraine
developing curriculum that will cover topics around sexual health and substance abuse issues among
young people, vital information our young people need but is lacking in most educational material.
12
CONTRIBUTIONS TO
POLICY REPORTS,
RESEARCH, AND OTHER
PUBLICATIONS
Padgett, C. & Zanardi, K. Youth Leadership: Recommendations for Sustainability. World AIDS
Campaign. January 2009
www.aids2031.org/pdfs/youth%20sustainability_web.pdf

HR2: Harm Reduction & Human Rights. Youth RISE statement at the Demand Reduction
Roundtable of the High Level Segment of CND. IHRAblog March 12th 2009.
http://www.ihrablog.net/2009/03/youthrise-statement-at-demand-reduction.html

IHRA Daily Update Newsletter- Bangkok Conference

http://www.unodc.org/documents/eastasiaandpacific//2009/04/ihra-
conference/DailyUpdate_Thursday23rdApril2009.pdf

UNAIDS Inter-Agency Task Team (IATT) on HIV and Young People. Global
Guidance Briefs: HIV Interventions for Young People. UNFPA November
2009.
(Copies Available Upon Request)

One of Youth RISE’s strengths is the ability

to have active members from different
cultural backgrounds who have a lot of
experience in implementing harm
reduction programming.

-Veronica Broasca, IWG member from

Romania

13
RISE UP! FOR
HIV PREVENTION
What is RISE Up HIV Prevention?

Youth RISE Up for HIV Prevention is a project funded by

MTV‟s Staying Alive Foundation that started in 2009 to
develop harm reduction workshops for young people.
The project‟s curriculum guide was developed by Kyla
Zanardi, former Youth RISE International Projects
Coordinator. Youth RISE International Working Group
members in Manipur, India and Bucharest, Romania
where the pilot for the demonstration project took place
coordinated the pilot training projects.
Veronica Broasca & Cristina Fierbinteanu
conduct a pilot training with participants
In Romania. This guide will provide young people with basic
information on HIV/AIDS, harm reduction, effective facilitation of peer education, proven harm
reduction interventions (with relevant age considerations), stigma and discrimination, and injection
drug use. The total amount of people reached through the pilot trainings in Manipur, India and
Bucharest, Romania is 51.

During the Bucharest, Romania training when participants were

asked, “What was one piece of knowledge, skill or experience you
will take away from today and use in your work?” Participants gave
key responses with the following:

 Information on HIV transmission

 The risk of transmission through ejaculation in the eyes
 STIs – symptoms & modes of transmission
 HCV and HIV re-infection & resistance (medication)
Training conducted in Manipur,
The guide is still in the development phases and is scheduled for India.
release in 2010. This guide would not have been complete without
help from many individuals including Vikram Laishman & Veronica Broasca (our coordinators from
each of the pilot locations) and our Expert Group, who helped review the guide and put together
the pilot trainings are Raluca Teodorescu, Luciano Colonna, Claudia Ahumada, Newton
Manoharmayum, Cristina Fierbinteanu, Oana Ana-Maria Enache and Roshan Ningthoujam.

14
 GROWTH
2009 - what a year! As founders and former coordinators of Youth RISE, we could not be more delighted
and proud of what the network has achieved so far. When we set out to establish the network in 2006, we knew
we needed a mechanism for young people around the world to actively participate in their own health, in
reducing drug related harms, in creating change in the policies that affected their lives. At the time, there was
no representation of young people in international harm reduction and drug policy fora, and no means for
young people globally, who were interested in these issues, to communicate and strategize.

This year was a year of change for Youth RISE. As a youth-run network, we are inherently transitional. After
coordinating the network for 3 years, we felt it was time we move on. One of our priorities for this year was hiring
a new international coordinator and creating 2 new positions that reflected the needs of the network and
membership. These became the Regional Development Coordinator and Technical and Training Projects
Coordinator.

Setting up an international network is no small feat. Though young people worldwide may share similar
experiences and barriers to participation, we are by no means a homogenous group. Ensuring that Youth RISE is
inclusive and responsive to the varying realities and needs of young people who use drugs and/or are affected
by drug policies continues to be a priority. The International Working Group members are vital to connecting
with our members in their regions and facilitating their participation. The role of the Regional Development
Coordinator was developed specifically to work in this capacity as well.

As a network, we do not have the capacity to be involved in direct service provision. Instead, we aim to
develop the skills of young people in their regions, so they can be actively involved in developing youth-
specific harm reduction programs and/or working for policy change. The Technical and Training Projects
Coordinator was hired to develop trainings for young people, provide training and support for International
Working Group Members and develop key advocacy publications and resource documents for regional
development. This role is essential in furthering our goal to provide and develop critical information to service
providers and young people interested in developing youth-led harm reduction programming.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported us along the way. In April of 2010,
it will be four years since we announced the idea of an international youth harm reduction network. We have
come a long way since then and there is still much more to achieve. We are so grateful to all of our partners,
mentors and allies, and especially to the new staff, the IWG and Youth RISE members, who are all working to
ensure that young people have access to human rights and evidence-based harm reduction programmes that
are founded upon principles of humane and just drug policies.

Sincerely,

Caitlin Padgett Kyla Zanardi

Founder & Former Founder & Former

International Network International Projects
Coordinator Coordinator

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STRATEGIC PARTNERS
Release
Release is the UK centre of expertise on drugs and drugs law – providing
free and confidential specialist advice to the public and professionals for
over the last forty years. Release also campaigns for changes to drug
policy to bring about a fairer and more compassionate legal framework
to manage drug use in our society. Under new management for the last
five years, Release has become a UK leader in managing complex
projects related to drugs and the law. Release is Youth RISE‟s fiscal agent.

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

UNICEF provides consultation, mentorship and support to various Youth
RISE activities, in accordance with UNICEF‟s Most At-Risk Adolescents
initiatives. also provides support to Youth RISE members to participate in
Global conferences and meetings.

World AIDS Campaign (WAC)

WAC has worked as a strategic partner to both increase participation of
young people involved in the harm reduction movement within the
broader youth HIV/AIDS campaigns, and specifically to address the needs
of young injecting drug users within HIV prevention and Universal Access,
and to strengthen the coordination between youth sexual and
reproductive health organizations and harm reduction initiatives.

Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GYCA)

GYCA is a youth-led, UNAIDS and UNFPA supported global network of
4,000 young leaders and adult allies working on youth and HIV/AIDS in 150
countries world-wide. GYCA is currently one of Youth RISE‟s strategic
partners, providing resources and support in regards to HIV/AIDS and
youth related initiatives. Their support has been essential in the
development and engagement of young people, HIV advocacy and the
inclusion of harm reduction into youth HIV issues.

Talking IT Global (TIG)

TIG seeks to provide opportunities for learning, capacity-building, cross-
cultural awareness, and self-development through the use of Information
and Communication Technologies. Taking IT Global currently works with
Youth RISE as a technical web development partner, currently hosting
Youth RISE‟s list serve, membership webpage, as well as staff e-mail.

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 FINANCIAL PARTNERS
Open Society Institute (OSI)
OSI is one of Youth RISE‟s largest core funders and strategic
partners. They supported our Vienna 2009 Project, which brought
young people to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and UNGASS
on Drugs meetings in March. This project includes advocacy
training and participation, providing young people with the
opportunity to engage in high-level meetings. They also funded our
core network and transition.

United Kingdom Development Fund on International Development (DFID)

The Department for International Development (DFID) is the
department of the United Kingdom Government that manages
Britain's aid to poor countries and works to get rid of extreme
poverty. DFID is one of Youth RISE‟s largest core funders, providing
the core funding for administrative and organizational resources
and support.

International Harm Reduction Association (IHRA)

The International Harm Reduction Association (IHRA) is the leading
organization promoting a harm reduction approach to all
psychoactive substances on a global basis. IHRA supports the
engagement of people and communities affected by drugs and
alcohol around the world and works to promote harm reduction
and human rights issues within national, regional and international
bodies (such as the UN). IHRA has played a significant and pivotal
role in the development and support of Youth RISE. They support
Youth RISE with multiple conference scholarships to the
International Conference on Drug Related Harms, in-kind
administrative and legal consultation and resource support.

MTV’s Staying Alive Foundation (SAF)

The Foundation‟s mission is to encourage, energize, and empower
young people who are involved in HIV/AIDS awareness, education
and prevention campaigns. Youth RISE is a current grant recipient
of the foundation for a project called “Youth RISE Up for HIV
Prevention” focusing on Harm Reduction, Substance Use and
Sexual Health training projects to be implemented in Manipur, India
and Bucharest, Romania.

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STAFF, INTERNATIONAL WORKING
GROUP (IWG), AND INTERNATIONAL
ADVISORY COMMITTEE (IAC)
Youth RISE Staff
Allen Kwabena Frimpong- USA, International Network Coordinator: allen@youthrise.org
Chantale Kallas- Lebanon, Regional Development Coordinator: chantale@youthrise.org
Tori Talavera- USA, Training and Technical Projects Coordinator: tori@youthrise.org

Youth RISE International Working Group Members

Aram Barra- Mexico
Iulia-Veronica Broasca – Romania
Sujan Jiral - Nepal
Anna Koshikova-Ukraine
Vikram Laishram – India
Kolawole Muyideen Oreoluwa - Nigeria
Dr. Khalil Sakhri - Algeria

Youth RISE International Advisory Committee Members

Joya Banerjee, Co-Founder of Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS
Damon Barrett, Senior Human Rights Analyst at International Harm Reduction Association (IHRA)
Dr. Sue Currie – General Manager of Virology and Gastroenterology at Clinical Care Options
Pablo Cynerman, (Psychologist) Advocacy Coordinator of Intercambios
Pierre Robert, UNICEF Specialist for Adolescents and HIV
*Caitlin Padgett, Public Health/Harm Reduction Consultant
*(founder & former International Network Coordinator of Youth RISE)

Special Thanks and Best Wishes to Diane Widdus, former UNICEF Adolescent HIV
Senior Specialist for all of your support and dedication in investing your time, energy,
and resources into Youth RISE!

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