KH-SIDC – Fifth Regional Training Workshop:
“Harm Reduction Policy”

The SIDC Sub-Regional Knowledge Hub (KH-SIDC) in Lebanon, with the support of the WHO and IHRA, and funded by Drosos Foundation, organized its fifth regional training workshop, this time addressing the topic of “Harm Reduction Policy”. The workshop was held at Le Crillon Hotel in Broummana, Lebanon, from Monday the 16th to Thursday the 19th of March, 2009. Participants attending the workshop included 26 health professionals, medical doctors, police, NGO managers and ex-drug users from Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Sultanate of Oman, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iraq.

Mr. Elie Aaraj, SIDC Director and KH-SIDC Manager, described the strategy of Harm Reduction and gave a brief presentation of its various programs. Aaraj also stressed the importance of reading and analyzing national drug policies for development through advocacy. Sessions that were given during the workshop tackled international drug policies, the Harm Reduction strategy and its link to Human Rights, with emphasis on Drug-User Rights, and Ethics. In addition, basic sessions on advocacy and lobbying were covered during the last two days of the workshop in order to provide participants with a hands-on training in the topic.

The trainers in the workshop included Mr. Elie Aaraj (KH-SIDC Manager), Mrs. Micheline Abou Chrouch (Menahra Network Coordinator), Mr. Julien Courson, Dr. Antoine Saad and Mr. Nizar Rammal. All trainers adopted an interactive approach during the sessions and incorporated the methods of debate, group work and exercises. The majority of the sessions were practical during which workgroups applied what they had learned to create sample advocacy plans for four countries.