Silenced NGO Partner - CND 2008 video No.1 (Sub: ENG, RUS, GER, BUL)
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0:04 - 0:24"Silenced NGO Partner"
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0:24 - 0:36"I value the fact that you have spoken out on important issues. We don't need silent partners, we need dynamic, outspoken ones!" said UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa
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0:36 - 0:41You're comments will be quite important in the process ahead.
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0:41 - 0:45I think that the contribution of NGO's and generally speaking
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0:45 - 0:49your own views and whatever you do on the ground
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0:49 - 0:54in relation to the UNGASS targets, are important.
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0:54 - 0:59My name is Frederick Polak, from the European Organization _,
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0:59 - 1:06I doubt you're, what you say, that you're open to be challenged.
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1:06 - 1:09I had a bad experience in that respect with you sir,
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1:09 - 1:11I'm sorry to say,
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1:11 - 1:14and that was at the New Orleans conference that you mentioned,
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1:14 - 1:17where I put a very simple question to you,
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1:17 - 1:22and twice I put that question to you, and you refused to answer,
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1:22 - 1:26and you started to stray away and talk about other things,
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1:26 - 1:28but you did not answer the question.
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1:28 - 1:31So I'll do it again now if I may.
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1:31 - 1:32A simple question:
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1:32 - 1:38In Holland, cannabis is available for everybody who wants to use it
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1:38 - 1:42and who is an adult over 18 years.
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1:42 - 1:46So there is no restriction on the personal use of cannabis
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1:46 - 1:49and on possession of small quantities.
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1:49 - 1:54Yet the levels of use of cannabis in Holland are lower
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1:54 - 1:56than in the countries surrounding us.
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1:56 - 2:00And I said to you, this must be a problem for you,
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2:00 - 2:03I would like to know how you explain this
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2:03 - 2:07because this is contrary to the theory of drug prohibition.
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2:07 - 2:11This is contrary to how the whole system here is working,
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2:11 - 2:14and I would like to know how you understand this.
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2:14 - 2:17And you refused to answer this question.
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2:17 - 2:20So I put the question to you again.
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2:20 - 2:24No my friend I did not actually refuse, actually I got into trouble,
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2:24 - 2:26because as you recall in New Orleans
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2:26 - 2:29when I was addressing this very point of the Netherlands.
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2:29 - 2:34I made certain statements that were then picked up by the Dutch press.
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2:34 - 2:37And there were news informant statements
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2:37 - 2:42about stigmatizing my own behavior in the Netherlands.
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2:42 - 2:46Though I did not, and I didn't recall you personally, sorry,
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2:46 - 2:49a thousand or two other people, but I do recall your question.
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2:49 - 2:52The answer to your question comes from the Netherlands itself,
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2:52 - 2:56for example from the very same mayor of Amsterdam,
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2:56 - 3:01as you know, no more than fourteen years ago there were
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3:01 - 3:052600 coffee shops selling marijuana.
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3:05 - 3:10In the Netherlands there has been a decreasing number and size,
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3:10 - 3:13progressively there are about 550 now,
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3:13 - 3:17the administration of Amsterdam decided to move them out of the city,
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3:17 - 3:21out of the red district, towards the borders,
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3:21 - 3:26of Germany, Belgium, and France,
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3:26 - 3:29obviously making clear, that the government itself,
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3:29 - 3:32the administration can see that the experiment failed,
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3:32 - 3:41and I would like to put an end to that period.
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3:41 - 3:44Do you think that this is an answer to my question?
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3:44 - 3:46Well if not, forget it.
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3:46 - 3:51I'll hear you, this is your willingness to be challenged?
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3:51 - 3:53I'm not here for a personal debate,
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3:53 - 3:55we are not debating society,
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3:55 - 3:58we want to solve the world drug problem. Period.
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3:58 - 4:02Please sir, you are really out of order. Period.
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4:02 - 4:07No, I posed you a question which is really central to the issue here.
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4:07 - 4:10How do you explain the fact that in Holland
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4:10 - 4:16the levels of use of cannabis are lower than in the surrounding countries.
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4:16 - 4:19This is a very clear question,
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4:19 - 4:22and I would like to know, you must have an explanation for it.
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4:22 - 4:25That the mayor of Amsterdam has decided to do as I just told you. Period.
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4:25 - 4:29You're mistaking him with the mayor of Maastricht,
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4:29 - 4:34thats the first thing, and whether it's ....
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4:34 - 4:38Silenced NGO Partner
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4:38 - 4:42There is a question which you tried to raise several times already.
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4:42 - 4:45When did you raise it first, why did you raise it, why do you think it's important?
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4:45 - 4:50The first time I raised the question was at the DPA meeting in New Orleans,
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4:50 - 4:55and Costa, that he came there himself was very good I think,
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4:55 - 4:57was really okay,
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4:57 - 5:02and after his plenary speech he was in a discussion in a smaller group,
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5:02 - 5:06and there were many questions for him, and there I asked this question already,
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5:06 - 5:09but he simply avoided it,
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5:09 - 5:13and when I came back with the same question,
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5:13 - 5:16he got mad, and he started to scold,
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5:16 - 5:21and he said things like Holland is not the good guy of Europe
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5:21 - 5:25and Holland produces all the amphetamines,
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5:25 - 5:29and Holland poisons Europe, and things like that.
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5:29 - 5:33And again I said, sir you do not answer my question.
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5:33 - 5:38And I thought, in his position, he really, he must have an opinion on this.
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5:38 - 5:43He cannot, he is paid by us tax payers to do this work,
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5:43 - 5:48and he must be able to explain when something like this happens,
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5:48 - 5:52which is contrary to the whole idea of drug prohibition.
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5:52 - 5:56So when I got the opportunity here at the meeting,
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5:56 - 6:03I again asked him the question about the Dutch experiences with coffee shops and with cannabis,
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6:03 - 6:08and how he explains that the usage level is lower in Holland,
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6:08 - 6:10with free availability of cannabis,
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6:10 - 6:14and again he avoids it and he starts to talk about other things,
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6:14 - 6:17and I thought, I should have said clearer
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6:17 - 6:23that the coffee shops are really so objectionable for other countries,
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6:23 - 6:27they want them to disappear, and why?
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6:27 - 6:32Because the coffee shops prove the uselessness of drug prohibition,
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6:32 - 6:36and simply that drug prohibition is not necessary.
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6:36 - 6:41If you are upset by the highest ranking UNODC official not answering a simple but relevant question
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6:41 - 6:48please circulate this film, and ask Mr. Costa this question again at:
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6:48 - 6:51Thank you (PERIOD)
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6:51 -Transcribed by Anna Fischer
Subtitled by Hunter Holliman
- Title:
- Silenced NGO Partner - CND 2008 video No.1 (Sub: ENG, RUS, GER, BUL)
- Description:
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Find more info here:
http://www.drogriporter.hu/en/node/929The continuation of this debate by Dr. Polak and Mr. Costa can be found here:
Polak's Question: Round 3: http://tasz.hu/en/hclu-tv/polaksquestionQuestioning Costa's Answer: http://drogriporter.hu/en/discussionpaper
Also some more question to Mr. Costa: http://tasz.hu/en/node/811
- Duration:
- 07:07
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