A Talk by Bernice Auma Apondi, Déborah Alimi, Daniel Brombacher, Charity Monareng and Dr Clemence Rusenga
VOCAL- Kenya,
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH,
TB HIV Care and
University of Bristol
About this talk
Over the past decade, a strong and unifying narrative has developed to characterize drug markets and related problems in Africa. Although documented to some extent, the idea of a region being only a transit point of the global drug markets not only misses to consider the specificities of drug related issues in each country of the continent, but also categorizes the multidimensional realities of drug-related phenomenon into a small grid of interpretation. Multiple factors contributed to forge this narrative. One of the main ones relates to the limited access and/or lack of accurate, quality data and diversely sourced information, strongly linked to a long history of straitjacket, repressive drug control models.
This panel presents the research, fieldwork and policy analyses undertaken by young and established scholars from the continent and beyond, who contributed to the forthcoming Special Issue of the Journal of Illicit Economies and Development (JIED) dedicated to Africa drugs markets and policies. Bringing academic and field insights, the JIED Special Issue hopes to bring into light more nuanced perspectives on drug-related issues and phenomenon across the region. The discussion it opens, questions the need to rewrite the narratives on drugs in Africa, adopting a more people-centered and multidimensional reading of the drug-related realities, challenges, and policy responses ahead.
Categories covered by this talk
Bernice Auma Apondi
Drug policy and human rights advocate from Kenya
Déborah Alimi
Independent consultant, Daleth research. Researcher, Université Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne.
Daniel Brombacher
Head of GPDPD
Charity Monareng
Parliamentary and Policy Research Officer, TB HIV Care
Dr Clemence Rusenga
Researcher on the Cannabis Africana: Drugs and Development in Africa project, in the School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol.