WORKSHOP TO STRENGTHEN REGIONAL EAST – EAST - NETWORKING AND SHARING DRUG DEMAND REDUCTION EXPERIENCES

Sarajevo, September 24th – 26th 2009

The main goal of the workshop is to gather DCV  East European partners to share Networking and Drug Demand Reduction experiences with the purpose of strengthening their networking links and interconnections.

The starting step of this networking effort was made in Dec. 2008 in Freiburg within the frame of the cooperation between Caritas Germany and its local partners in Russia, Armenia, Czech Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Rumania and Bulgaria. Representatives of these partners in this countries met to seek a common position to frame an East East Europe Network. In the final workshop’s statement they stated: “(...) we the workshop’s participants, underlying the necessity to highlight the leading commitment of the civil society and the local communities, request our partners and governments to focus priorities in the following issues: (b) National and international policies which can motivate, empower and consolidate networking among stakeholders at all level, ensuring the respect of local diversities and the need of strong alliances and interconnections”.

The second step was made during the Berlin International Conference organised by Caritas Germany . In this context the East East Europe Drug Demand reduction Network presented the common position established in the Freiburg Workshop and agreed to have a first international workshop in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) in September 2009.

This network in future should be locally owned and maintained. DCV sees its role in supporting the starting process and accompanying the further development and consolidation process.
DCV is very thankful to Bread OF St. Antony (KSA) hosting the meeting in Sarajevo and to all people from NARKO-NE and Caritas BK BiH involved in the preparation of the meeting; Especially Sr. Magdalena Schildknecht, who had a lot of work with it. Additionally the positive cooperation between Caritas BK BiH and KSA should be underlined in this context.

The Workshop was opened by welcoming words of Mgr. Bosiljko, Rajic, Fra Stipan Radic, Prof. Dr. Ismet Dizdarevic, Gernot Krauß and Raquel Barros.