Skoun launches a new project with support from the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI)! Strengthening access to justice and support for individuals facing GBV & substance use in Lebanon.

Lebanon took part in the #EWSD conducted between May & July 2024. Here are the main takeaways from the 669 responses we have received. The survey was conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health. For the full Fact Sheet: shorturl.at/dKP0j European Union Drugs Agency

This week we held 2 awareness sessions on substance use risks, harm reduction & safe, confidential access to services in 🇱🇧 W/ women from 🇱🇰🇪🇹🇲🇬🇰🇪🇸🇳🇸🇱🇧🇫🇨🇲🇸🇩🇳🇬 Thank you @jrs.net, @iom.int LB, WPHF & @unwomen.bsky.social LB. Views are their own and do not reflect those of the United Nations

6/6 - For an in depth dive into the many layers of the law read this report www.skoun.org/storage/publ...

5/6 - Watch this video for insights on the importance of accessing medical cannabis youtu.be/UZOv2cFsVys?...

4/6 - For more insights on the gaps in this law read through these slides www.instagram.com/p/CcGFrHvoc_...

3/6 - For more insights on this law, check out this video www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMmt...

2/6 - We’re sharing the observations we made back then, and continue calling for a comprehensive review of drug policies in Lebanon.

1/6 - Skoun welcomes the reactivation of the work on Lebanese drug policy at the ministerial level, 5 years after the passing of the Law for the Legalization of the Cultivation of Cannabis for Medical & Industrial Purposes (178/2020).

For this year’s #SupportDontPunish, we asked YOUR opinion about Lebanon’s response to drug use. Whether you agree or not, fill this survey & share your opinion to contribute to Skoun’s advocacy with policy-makers for evidence-based & human centered drug policies shorturl.at/IV5lW

Skoun along with 69 other organizations call for an end to the use of the death penalty for drug-related offenses. More here: www.amnesty.org/en/documents... #SDP2025 #SupportDontPunish

To commemorate the global day of action towards supporting communities who use drugs, join us for this very timely conversation with @idpc.net : "Support Don't Punish: Advancing Towards a Health & Rights-Based Approach to Drug Policy" bit.ly/3GbdMxX #SDP #SDP2025

To commemorate the global day of action towards supporting communities who use drugs, join us for this very timely conversation with @idpc.net: "Support Don't Punish: Advancing Towards a Health & Rights-Based Approach to Drug Policy" bit.ly/3GbdMxX

Our hearts are heavy today. It is with deep sorrow that we say goodbye to Naomi Burke-Shyne: an inspiring leader, a compassionate advocate and a dear friend of Skoun.

Skoun was at the 28th Harm Reduction International Conference held this year in Bogota,where we presented our work & were surrounded by harm reductionists from around the world.We are grateful to our global community.It was an inspiring space to learn,connect,share & hold space for each other.

From our @idpc.bsky.social members meeting at #HR25 earlier this morning: connecting, strategizing and planning for drug reform opportunities ahead Thank you @afd-france.bsky.social @transformdrugs.bsky.social @harmreductionintl.bsky.social for providing support for our attendance

"A government never gets it wrong when they work sincerely and closely with civil society." Ambassador Laura Gil at #hr25bogota #HR25 Thank you @afd-france.bsky.social @transformdrugs.bsky.social @harmreductionintl.bsky.social for providing support for our attendance.

Volker Turk @volkerturk.bsky.social UN High Commissioner for Human Rights addressing participants to #HR25 in support of our shared vision of human rights and health Thank you @afd-france.bsky.social @transformdrugs.bsky.social @harmreductionintl.bsky.social for providing support for our attendance.

Kicking off the #HR25 week! Thank you @afd-france.bsky.social @transformdrugs.bsky.social @harmreductionintl.bsky.social for providing support for our attendance.

Snippets from the @frontlineaids.bsky.social side-event at the 68th session of the #CND. You can watch the whole event here www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gEB... MENAHRA @undp.org @unaids.org Justice Project Pakistan SANPUD Youth RISE

Snippets from the @frontlineaids.bsky.social side-event at the 68th session of the #CND. You can watch the whole event here www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gEB... MENAHRA @undp.org @unaids.org Justice Project Pakistan SANPUD Youth RISE

Snippets from the @frontlineaids.bsky.social side-event at the 68th session of the #CND. You can watch the whole event here www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gEB... MENAHRA @undp.org @unaids.org Justice Project Pakistan SANPUD Youth RISE

Snippets from the @frontlineaids.bsky.social side-event at the 68th session of the #CND. You can watch the whole event here www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gEB... MENAHRA @undp.org @unaids.org Justice Project Pakistan SANPUD Youth RISE

Snippets from the @frontlineaids.bsky.social side-event at the 68th session of the #CND. You can watch the whole event here www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gEB... MENAHRA @undp.org @unaids.org Justice Project Pakistan SANPUD Youth RISE

Snippets from the @frontlineaids.bsky.social side-event at the 68th session of the #CND. You can watch the whole event here www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gEB... MENAHRA @undp.org @unaids.org Justice Project Pakistan SANPUD Youth RISE

Snippets from the @frontlineaids.bsky.social side-event at the 68th session of the #CND. You can watch the whole event here www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gEB... MENAHRA @undp.org @unaids.org @ejchristie.bsky.social Justice Project Pakistan SANPUD Youth RISE

Snippets from the @frontlineaids.bsky.social side-event at the 68th session of the #CND. You can watch the whole event here www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gEB... MENAHRA @undp.org @boyankonstantinov.bsky.social @unaids.org Justice Project Pakistan SANPUD Youth RISE

Snippets from the @frontlineaids.bsky.social side-event at the 68th session of the #CND. You can watch the whole event here www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gEB... MENAHRA @undp.org @boyankonstantinov.bsky.social @unaids.org @ejchristie.bsky.social Justice Project Pakistan SANPUD Youth Rise

The recommendations proposed by the panelists of the @frontlineaids.bsky.social side event to #CND68 MENAHRA @undp.org @unaids.org Youth Rise Justice Project Pakistan SANPUD Watch the full session here www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gEB...

You can watch our side-event at the #CND68 on the following link www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gEB...

In the face of funding cuts & the growing attack on the rights of women & key populations, govs must act. Stop criminalizing PWUD.Stop wasting money on prisons.Invest in health, evidence-based, human rights responses that meet women's needs & respect their dignity. @frontlineaids.bsky.social #CND68

We must stop wasting money putting people who use drugs in prison. It’s time to invest in health-based solutions and respect the humanity of women who use drugs. #Decriminalize #DrugPolicy #CND68 @frontlineaids.bsky.social

Women who use drugs face compounded stigma, being labeled as irresponsible and immature. We need to prioritize their autonomy and decision-making. #EndStigma #HarmReduction #CND68 #YouthRISE

Decriminalization alone isn’t enough. It’s just the start of a broader transformation to address stigma, institutional barriers, and the lack of tailored services for women who use drugs. #YouthVoices #DrugPolicy #CND68 #YouthRISE

2/2 Check out #SANPUD_NPO pregnancy & substance use toolkit. This is a key tool to help health professionals support women who use drugs, promoting safer practices and better care. #HarmReduction #Toolkit #CND68

1/2 The only way to ensure meaningful change is through peer-driven programs with flexible funding. Peer involvement is the backbone of harm reduction services, and we must invest in these communities to create lasting impact. #Peer #HarmReduction #CND68

Unfortunately, we face challenges that threaten our work. The termination of grants from the USA and Europe endangers life-saving harm reduction services. We cannot let this jeopardize the future of people who rely on these essential services. #CND68 #HarmReduction #FundHarmReduction

As part of #FemAlive, we remind each other that regardless of who you are or what you do, you are worthy of love and respect. The #FemAlive march was a beautiful expression of that solidarity. #CND68 #SANPUD_NPO

Stigmatization leads to harm, not healing. Research confirms that judgment only worsens the situation, pushing people away from accessing vital services. We believe in compassion, inclusion, and action—not judgment. #CompassionOverStigma #SANPUD_NPO

The criminalization of women in Pakistan’s drug trade is a tragic consequence of a system that fails to account for coercion, poverty, and stigma. We need systemic change and justice for those who have been marginalized. #CND68 @justiceproject.bsky.social

Women in Pakistan face severe challenges within the justice system, from harsh sentencing to a lack of gender-sensitive healthcare and rehabilitation. It’s time for the state to implement reforms that protect women’s rights and dignity. #PrisonReform #CND68 @justiceproject.bsky.social

In Pakistan, women make up 40% of those on death row for drug-related offenses. Despite abolition of the death penalty for narcotics, the justice system still fails to address gender-specific vulnerabilities. #CND68 @justiceproject.bsky.social Sarah Belal

Unfortunately, we're nowhere near meeting the 2025 targets for women who use drugs, and recent funding changes may push us further behind. Work is ongoing to improve access to services, but there’s still much to do. #HIV #CND68 #WomenRights @emilyjcole.bsky.social @unaids.org

We must listen to the voices of those affected. We must push for the decriminalization of drug use, scale up HR for women & gender-diverse people,& ensure policies uphold their rights—not punish them.This is a health, development,gender,& human rights issue. @undp.org @boyankonstantinov.bsky.social

We must move away from carceral approaches & invest in health and social justice responses that work & must ensure that harm reduction services are fully accessible to women & gender-diverse people. @undp.org @boyankonstantinov.bsky.social #CND2025 #68CND #HumanRights #HarmReduction #GenderEquality

Intl guidelines on human rights & drug policies stress that DP must align with human rights obligations,including the right to health,non-discrimination,& gender equality.States must eliminate barriers preventing women from accessing HR & healthcare services @undp.org @boyankonstantinov.bsky.social

The evidence is clear: criminalization doesn't reduce drug use—it only exacerbates harm. It doesn’t yield good public health or human rights results and costs a fortune. @undp.org @boyankonstantinov.bsky.social #CND2025 #CND68 #DrugPolicy #HumanRights #HarmReduction

Many women avoid seeking care due to fear of criminalization, loss of custody, or violence at home or from authorities. Women who use drugs face higher rates of intimate partner & sexual violence & are up to 10x more likely to live with HIV. @undp.org @boyankonstantinov.bsky.social #CND68

We at @skoun-lebanon.bsky.social conducted a participatory needs assessment in Lebanon with vulnerable women on the links between SU and GBV. Our findings were dramatic before the war & funding cuts. The situation will no doubt be catastrophic if reassessed soon. shorturl.at/d6Y7K

2/2 This crisis will disproportionately affect people who use drugs, particularly women, LGBTQ individuals, and vulnerable groups. @skoun-lebanon.bsky.social #CND2025 #HumanRights #HarmReduction