NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2020 Parliament votes in favour of harm reduction! A motion was passed in the Dutch Parliament on 8 December, calling for continued Dutch support for harm reduction. In doing so, Dutch MPs acknowledged the petition - signed by 330 organisations from 95 countries - which was sent to them earlier this year. Read more Wrapping up the Bridging the Gaps programme After close to 10 years, the Bridging the Gaps programme is coming to an end. What a spectacular ride it has been. Not only for Mainline, but also for our many partners across the world. Bridging the Gaps offered the opportunity to build long-term relationships. As Mainline, we are lucky to know that these relations will last far beyond the programme. We would like to thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their support and all the Bridging the Gaps Alliance partners for their energy and perseverance. But most of all, we would like to thank all of the partners in Indonesia, Kenya, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa, Tanzania and Vietnam. All the peers, outreach workers, field staff, nurses, counsellors and paralegals are our heroes: doing a very hard job every day, sticking with what they believe in, serving people who use drugs and fighting for improved health and rights. In the image above: some reactions from our partners to the question "What has the Bridging the Gaps programme meant to you?". Lasting impact: support for women who use drugs The Muslim Education and Welfare Association (MEWA) in Mombasa Kenya has been a long-term partner and friend of Mainline. Under the Bridging the Gaps programme, we worked to improve access and care for women who use drugs. MEWAs’ hard work has been acknowledged in a chapter (no. 25) of the newly released ‘The impact of global drug policy on women: shifting the needle’. Another success is the uptake of the training manual for peer workers who work with women who use drugs in the national curriculum managed by NASCOP . Curious? Click below for the manual. Read more Funding for key populations affected by HIV and AIDS “way off track”... This is one of the main conclusions from the first ever study into global funding for key populations – including people who use drugs. The report was released at the HIV2020 conference by Aidsfonds through the Bridging the Gaps and PITCH partnerships. Click below to read the full report and fact sheets specifically about people who use drugs. A video highlighting this fund crisis was also released. Read more Goodbye Muna Beautiful things sometimes come to an end. Due to the Bridging the Gaps programme coming to a close, we are also saying goodbye to our colleague Muna Handulle. With new work coming in, we hope to welcome Muna back to the team soon. But for now, we would like to say: Muna – we will miss you. You are a Mainline superstar! Help us build the museum Last month, our start-up drug Poppi has been releasing shares. That means you can become part owner of our beautiful museum and in time get a return on your investment. On our side, the shares provide us with capital to work on our next pop-up and to further build our museum into a profitable business. Opt-in now! All information can be found on our website. Questions are always welcome via email: stak@poppi.amsterdam. Read more Happy 2021! The end of 2020 signals the end of Bridging the Gaps. Ten years of beautiful and important work with partners in Indonesia, Kenya, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa, Tanzania and Vietnam. But where some doors close, new ones open. Our next newsletter will highlight further details. A few hints: · We will continue our work with peer workers and women who use drugs in South Africa · We will dive into the drug scene in Zambia · We will expand our international chemsex work – with a new e-learning module and work in Central Asia and South East Asia · We will bulk up for a new project targeting people who use performance and image enhancing drugs (PIEDs) · We will pilot two projects for young people who use drugs: in Kenya and South Africa · We will build on the research conducted in Indonesia (prison health) and Kenya (gender based violence against women who use drugs) · And many more interesting tasks are ahead of us. Mainline wishes you a very happy and – most importantly - healthy 2021! You receive this newsletter because you have opted in or you have a relationship with us. Forward this newsletter If you no longer wish to receive our emails, you can unsubscribe here. © Mainline. All rights reserved.