Catelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
Dianova International focuses on Drug Abuse Status of Women United Nations and is headquartered in Catelldefels, Barcelona, Spain.
We are an NGO dedicated to the development of people, communities and organizations We operate in 20 countries and 4 continents
Individualism as a Barrier to Drug Reform Understanding that individualism is as much a tool as an objective statement of fact, is vital when deciding on what drug policy to adopt. Determinism and the Health and Human Rights Approach It is now widely understood within the scientific community and civil society organisations that drug addiction is a complex, chronic and multifaceted health issue which can be exacerbated by socioeconomic conditions. These disorders can be understood and treated and are not the result of immoral or criminal behaviour. Even in the most severe cases of substance abuse, patients can recover if given adequate access to evidence based treatment programmes and social reintegration and rehabilitation services. It is also acknowledged that approaching the issue from a criminal justice perspective is not just ineffective at both preventing and mitigating the effects of substance abuse disorders but also counterproductive, creating a vicious cycle of dependency and incarceration. The correlation between neurological, genetic and socioeconomic factors and the risk of substance abuse are all variables beyond the control of the individual and, therefore, cannot be effectively treated by punitive measures. This may seem logical, perhaps even obvious to some, however, it has profound implications. The more science discovers about the functioning of our brains, the influence of our genes and the impact of environmental factors upon human development and behaviour, the more it undermines the concept of free will and the individual self. This, in turn, undermines the whole concept of the criminal justice system and the logical and ethical grounds for criminalising certain types of behaviour beyond the realms of deterrence and societal protection. Individualism Individualism has become embedded in Western consciousness over hundreds of years through religion, humanism and liberal ideology. References to the purity or sanctification of the individual can be found in religious texts, human rights covenants, national constitutions and is the foundation of democratic capitalist societies. Liberalism, at its core, sanctifies the freedom and innate value of the individual – the voter, the consumer, the citizen, free will etc. – and with it a responsibility to ourselves and society. Therefore, it is difficult for people to accept that this concept is purely an idea and does not exist in objective reality. We are of course individual bodies with a unique set of experiences; however, understanding deterministic human behaviour and that individualism is as much a tool as an objective statement of fact, is vital when deciding on what drug policy to adopt. To ignore determinism is to ignore scientific evidence; and lays the burden of responsibility firmly at the door of the most vulnerable people. This is not to condemn the concept of individual responsibility; but instead, that it may serve more value as a metaphorical truth rather than an objective one. Or, put differently; an overarching principle rather than a key determinant of policy. If it is acknowledged that one or a combination of neurological, genetic and socioeconomic factors make people more vulnerable to addiction, all beyond the control of the individual, then it must be also acknowledged that the treatment of addiction needs to focus on these three areas. It then logically follows that variability in the same factors make people less vulnerable to addiction. Therefore, it is both logical to assume, and supported by evidence, that decriminalising the possession and use of drugs will have little effect on the rate of consumption whilst enabling vulnerable people to seek help more freely. Common Ground Individualism is embedded in our culture and is the best way to conceptualise the rights afforded to citizens. However, it is our concept of individualism; its relation to society and how we should act that that needs to be re-evaluated. Acknowledgement that humans are deterministic animals ultimately has to mean that policies, particularly drug policies, need to reflect this to some degree whilst also maintaining the rights of the individual. This may seem trivial or obvious to some, however, it is important to note that this position completely undermines the logic behind assigning blame to persons with addiction issues and the resulting criminalisation of those actions. If punishment is to be discussed, then it needs to be done so from a societal perspective; in terms of prevention and group co-operation, rather than at the individual level; in terms of treatment and rehabilitation. The beautiful thing about scientific understanding, in this case, is that it both reinforces our status as individuals by acknowledging the importance of our unique set of circumstances. Yet, concurrently, increases our understanding of the human condition, our similarities and shared vulnerabilities. A re-conceptualisation of individualism and a fuller understanding of determinism are key to facilitating drug policy reform that benefits both the individual and society; and also lays a clear and logical path to a policy of decriminalisation. Sources https://www.aidsdatahub.org/sites/default/files/publication/IDPC_World_Drug_Report_2019_Perspectives_on_Protecting_Public_Health_2019.pdf https://idpc.net/blog/2019/04/the-tough-on-crime-approach-to-drug-policy-in-europe-has-anything-changed https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/bitstream/handle/11343/39229/67255_00003215_01_caitlin_hughes_thesis.pdf?sequence=1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5428163/ https://pure.uva.nl/ws/files/34469276/disentangling_individualism_toward_a_heuristic_tool_for_cultural_analyses_of_evaluations_of_self_and_3993.pdf https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/dec/05/portugals-radical-drugs-policy-is-working-why-hasnt-the-world-copied-it https://transformdrugs.org/drug-decriminalisation-in-portugal-setting-the-record-straight/ Arctander, K. personal interview, https://rio.no/, 22/07/2020 Brace, J. and Byford, J. (2010) Investigating Psychology, Oxford University Press, Oxford Haidt, J. (2012) The Righteous Mind, Random House, New York Harari, Y. N. (2018) 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, Penguin, London Harris, S. (2010) The Moral Landscape, Free Press, New York Michael Hepworth Michael has been a part of Dianova´s Institutional Relations department since February 2020 and is qualified to university degree level in History and Psychology and has a Masters in International Relations, Security and Development. Michael´s main area of interest and research is liberal and socialist ideology and the tension between individualism and group identity.
Headquartered in Switzerland, Dianova International is an NGO dedicated to support a network of organizations operating in 19 countries and 4 continents to help those most vulnerable; in addition Dianova International promotes social progress within international organizations and forums addressing social policies.
Public Interest Registry does not make any representation that donations made in OnGood will be used as represented on any particular OnGood profile page. Donations are not necessarily treated as charitable for tax purposes. You should make any investigation you feel is necessary before you make a donation. Any donation you choose to make is made voluntarily and at your sole discretion and risk.
This page allows for editing of the content for your organization's OnGood profiles. All fields which may be updated are indicated with an edit/upload button. Click on the edit/upload button to update the content for each piece of information.
In the top toolbar, select the profile page you would like to update from the drop down box at the top left.
Listed: OnGood profiles will be shown in the directory. This field in the top toolbar lets you display or remove the profile page from your OnGood listing. To remove a profile, select 'Not Listed' from the drop down bar and to show a profile, select 'Listed' from the drop down selection.
Preview: This button allows you to see the page as will be shown to donors and others on the publicly facing OnGood directory.
Domain Title: This field is populated with the organization name that was provided during account creation. If the name your organization uses publicly is different, it can be updated here.
Logo: Upload your logo or avatar image here to be associated with your OnGood profiles.
Mission Categories: Select the categories which best align with your organization' mission. These will populate from the directory listing edit page.
Today's News: Add real time updates on the activities of your organization here. This can be updated as often as you wish.
Social Media Links: Copy and paste the links to your organisation' social media properties here such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. to help donors and interested parties connect with your organization.
Contacts: Update the contact information here for what will show in the OnGood profile page. This should be a general contact for your organization or the website/campaign for that page.
Headquarter: Headquarter Location will pre-populate with city, state, and country that was provided during account creation and this will get updated when primary contact info get updated.
Videos and Photos: Up to 5 images or videos may be included here to tell the story of your organization.
About: Type a short description about your profile page.
Search Keywords: Include keywords here that will help donors and search engines to find your organization in the OnGood directory. Usually keywords are fairly targeted to the words that you use throughout your website and or marketing materials. Additional words that your organization identifies with but may not be included in your OnGood pages should be included here.