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BRUSSELS/LUXEMBURG, 10-12 DECEMBER:
ANTIPROHIBITIONIST DAYS - ORGANIZATION AND NONVIOLENT STRUGGLE
Brussels, November 10, 1997
Dear friend,
by the initiative of the Transnational Radical Party and Cora (Radical Antiprohibitionist Coordination), the radical antiprohibitionists will meet on 10 to 12 December 1997 in the European Parliament in Brussels in order to plan and organize the next events and initiatives of civil disobedience in Italy, and to plan the framework for the progressive extension of these initiatives in other countries of the European Union.
As you know, during the last two years, 7 public initiatives of distribution of hashish were organized in Italy by Lista Pannella, which were joined by the Radical Party and Cora. Following one of these actions, Marco Pannella was recently sentenced to four months in prison.
Although we are more than ever convinced that the basic aspect of the drug issue remains the trafficking and in particular the traffic of the so-called hard drugs, and latterly of synthetic drugs, and that therefore our goal is and remains to be the legalization of all drugs, we think that with the legalization of hashish we can break an important taboo and create the possibility for achieving our ultimate goal.
We are also convinced that Italy represents today the weakest link in the chain of the prohibitionist system in Europe; That is to say, today in Italy there exists the political conditions for fundamental reform of drug laws.
To reach this goal in Italy in the short term, it is therefore indispensable to organize ourselves on the European level to strengthen the Italian front.
If you agree with our analysis, if you think like we do, that the strengthening of the political organization of antiprohibitionists in Europe is the priority, and if you are also available to participate in the actions of civil disobedience in Italy and furthermore to organise actions in other European countries in the future, we would be very happy to hear from you and to be able to count on your active participation in this phase of development.
We hope to meet you in Brussels,
Kind regards,
Eric Picard Olivier Dupuis
Secretary of Cora Secretary of Radical Party
Doctor Member of the European Parliament
PS. Please find enclosed the draft programe of the three days, the form for participation in the meeting and a dossier with practical information. We would appreciate if you could coplete it and send it as soon as possible by fax or by e-mail.
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PROVISIONAL PROGRAME OF THE ANTIPROHIBITIONIST DAYS
IN BRUSSELS AND LUXEMBURG
10-12 December 1997
* Wednesday
- 15.00: debate on parliamentary initiatives in Europe with the participation of European and national deputies
- 17.00: introduction to the debate on the reinforcement of nonviolent initiatives and on organization of antiprohibitionists at a European level
- 18.30: end of the first session
* Thursday
- 09.00: continuation of the debate on nonviolent initiatives
- 13.00: break for lunch
- 15.00: public debate "For a New Policy on Drugs" with:
- Marco Pannella
- Emma Bonino, European Commissioner
- Hedy d'Ancona, President of the Committee on Civil
Liberties of the European Parliament
- George Papandreou, Minister for European Affairs (Greece) (*)
- Antonio Almeida Santos, President of the Portuguese
Parliament (*)
- Bernard Kouchner, Minister of Health (France) (*)
- Rosie Boycott, editor of the 'Indipendent on Sunday'(*)
(United Kingdom)
- Franco Corleone, Vice-Minister of Justice, (Italy) (*)
(*) awaiting the confirmation
* Friday
- 8.30: departure from Brussels to Luxembourg
- 11.00: arrival to Luxembourg in front of European Council of Heads of States and of the Presidency of EU
- 14.00: end of the manifestation
PARTICIPATION FORM FOR THE ANTIPROHIBITIONIST DAYS
Brussels-Luxemburg, 10-11 and 12 December 1997
* I will participate in two days of meeting YES NO
* I will participate in the manifestation YES NO
of 12 December in Luxembourg
* I request you to reserve for me
- a room in a hotel YES NO
- a place in a youth hostel YES NO
* for the nights of:
- Wednesday evening YES NO
- Thursday evening YES NO
- Friday evening YES NO
* I will come on ... December around ... o'clock
* I will leave on ... December around ... o'clock
Please send back to the following fax numbers:
+32-2-284.91.97 - 284.91.98 - 230.36.70
or via e-mail to Pr.bruxelles@agora.stm.it
Tel. +32-2-284.71.98
