Growing people power: The Support. Don’t Punish 2022 Global Day of Action – Summary report

It has been two years since the Covid-19 pandemic began and wreaked havoc across continents. The socioeconomic harms triggered by the pandemic – and the unjust policies that come with it – have had long-lasting impacts on communities. But 2022 turns out to be the year of slow recovery for many people-led initiatives and movements.

From São Paulo to Lima to Edmonton, from Maseru to Helsinki to New Delhi, and all the way down to Sydney, Support. Don’t Punish campaigners worked together to organise activities countering the ‘war on drugs’ and advancing sustainable alternatives instead.

Their areas of focus, priorities, and strategies of choice differ greatly, and they may even have disagreements on the way forward. Still, united under a shared banner, they occupied different spaces of struggle and change-making, bringing the Support. Don’t Punish messages to parliament buildings, public parks, radio stations, online meeting rooms, and many more.

In addition to popular mobilisations for the human rights of people who use drugs and other populations affected by punitive drug policies, a growing number of campaigners adopted an intersectional approach to campaigning, bringing into sharp focus issues related to gender and economic injustice.

This report summarises activities carried out as part of the Support. Don’t Punish Global Day of Action in 2022. In their own unique ways, these activities help connect policymaking processes with realities on the ground, solidify people power, and challenge criminalisation at its core.