Monday 14 May 2007

The UK crew - Taking news back home: Video link

Well, the energy, the sessions and the interest in the topics up for discussion has all stepped up the pace. 1000 people are networking, talking, debating and presenting a whole range of fascinating subjects, research, projects and ideologies. The Uk gang are working hard, all meeting up at least twice a day to run through the conference programme, allocating reps to workshops and plenarys, collating and recording our thoughts and documenting how such issues could help improve harm reduction in the UK. Sadly one member (we all send you our hugs and best wishes P) is laid up with an infection - something we users can't seem to escape even in Poland...We hope he gets better quickly xxx . There was supposed to be a doctor here somewhere to sort out these things for the user contingents....

The NTA, I must mention, has been a real support to this endeavour, only as little as 2 years ago the idea of the government taking 11 user activists overseas to a huge worldwide conference - would have been a complete non starter. It just goes to show how hard we have all worked to build bridges - not just regionally, but at national levels to. Three cheers to all of us and everyone who's been fighting and working so hard back in the UK. It is our combined attitude and experience that has got us here today - the largest contingent of user activists to be funded by a government body in the entire conference...Perhaps the world. Wicked stuff!