****************

If you face any difficulties with this registration system, drop Lev, the conference organiser an email at levent.akbulut@ssdp.org.uk.

****************

On the weekend of Friday the 20th to Sunday the 22nd of April, Students for Sensible Drug Policy UK will be hosting its third annual conference at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.

This year’s conference is about building on the re-invigoration of grassroots involvement in the drug policy reform movement and ensuring all who wish to be effective activists are equipped with the skills they need to make change possible. 

We are also teaming up with a number of other networks to make this conference our biggest yet!

Building Leadership in the Drug Policy Reform Movement is open to all who want to be better activists and not just students and young people.

SSDP UK conferences are a special experience for all who attend, come join us for a jam packed weekend of fun and learning!

Building Leadership in the Drug Policy Reform Movement Schedule

This schedule is still a work in progress and may be subject to changes out of our control.  If you wish to attend the event, you must register online. Non-registered delegates will not be permitted to enter the university premises or attend the evening socials (unless you hold a valid SOAS ID Card).

Tea and Coffee will be provided throughout the event, although delegates will be expected to provide their own food at lunch.

Friday the 20th of April

16:00 Registration
18:00 Welcome Reception
19:00 After the War on Drugs: Ending the Impasse -A Panel Discussion with Steve Rolles, Senior Policy Analyst at the Transform Drug Policy Foundation and Johann Hari, Journalist.
20:30 End of Session.

Evening Social at SOAS Bar*.

Saturday the 21st of April

10.00 Group Session: The Youth and Student Drug Policy Reform Movement.

10.45 Parallel Sessions:

• Chris Hallam, A History of Drug Prohibition.
• Başak Taş, What Student Unions Need to Know about Legal Highs.
• John Collins, The Economics of Prohibition.

11.15 Access Break

11.30 Parallel Sessions:

• The Global Drug Survey.
• Robin Carhart-Harris, How Psychedelics Work in the Brain.

12.15 Parallel Sessions:

• Workshop: Becoming a better activist and avoiding burnout.
• Workshop: Using your drug policy activism to get a job.

13.00 Lunch Break

14.30 Parallel Sessions:

• Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, Annie McMahon, Former MI5 Agent and Jason Reed, LEAP UK.
• YourBrainonDrugs.net: Using smartphones to study recreational drugs use, Dr Caspar Addyman.

15.00 National Campaign Workshop: Elected Police and Crime Commissioners - Holding them to Account and Winning the Argument for Better Policing. Hosted by Tom Lloyd, former chief constable of Cambridgeshire.

15.50 Access Break

16.00 Panel Discussion: Sex, Drugs and a Rocky War. A look into gendered effects of the War on Drugs. Eka Iakobisvili, Emily Crick and Jane Slater.

17.00 Workshop: Leadership and Inspiring Change. Hosted by Viv Ahmun.


20:00-Late Conference Party@SOAS Bar*.

*Due to University regulations, last entry will be at 8.45pm. Only SOAS students with a valid ID card will be allowed entry after 9pm.


Sunday the 22nd of April

10.00 Workshop: Everything you always wanted to know about chapter organising (But was afraid to ask)

11.00 Access Break

11.15 Panel Discussion: Drug User Organising in a Nutshell. Eliot Albers, Erin O'Mara and Neil Hunt.

12.15 Parallel Sessions:

• SSDP UK Executive Board Elections.
• UK CSC Meeting.
• NUN Meeting.

13.00 Lunch Break

14.30 Panel Discussion: Medical Cannabis in the UK. Clark French from Action4MS and Cure Ukay from the UK Cannabis Social Clubs.

15.15 Parallel Sessions:

• Electric Queens: LGBT Drug Use.
• Psychedelically Speaking: Cognitive Liberty and Activism, Oli Genn-Bash.

16.00 Closing Plenary: Where next for our movement?
17.00 Close of Conference.


Other Events to be Scheduled.

• Meditation and Mindfulness Workshop (*2)
• BME Caucus
• Womens’ Caucus
• LGBTQ Caucus
• Disabled Caucus

Registration Fee:
-Students/Unwaged: Donations.
-Employed: £10. 

Participating Networks:
-Students for Sensible Drug Policy UK

-UK Cannabis Social Clubs

-National Users' Network

-University of Kent at Canterbury Psychedelics Society