Connecting struggles: Notes from the Support. Don't Punish ‘This is not a webinar’ workshop series

With hundreds of local partners worldwide, Support. Don’t Punish is enriched by the knowledge and experiences of thousands of campaigners in over 100 countries.

For that reason, spaces for discussion and collective strategising are a fundamental part of building power and solidarity within our campaign.

Our challenges and priorities may be different from place to place, but there’s also a common thread in the logics of punishment and criminalisation of the ‘war on drugs’ that we seek to subvert. As such, exchanging tactics across borders to advance sustainable alternatives that centre our communities’ health and well-being is incredibly valuable.

Foreseeing long-lasting blocks to in-person events during the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the campaign organised the ‘This is not a webinar’ workshop series, three global capacity-strengthening events on topics selected in consultation with campaigners:

• Youth,
• Prison abolition; and,
• Strategic messaging.

The application process received 121 responses from all corners of the world and concluded with the selection of 49 people from 25 different countries! Each one of the facilitators (community and thematic experts) were invited to participate in the anonymised selection process, to encourage familiarisation with the profiles and interests of prospective participants, reduce bias and promote fairer regional and gender representation.