Global Drug Policy Reformer Ruth Dreifuss to Speak at Inaugural Criminology Lecture
| Dates: | 15 November 2023 |
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| Times: | 10:30 - 10:30 |
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| What is it: | Lecture |
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| Organiser: | School of Social Sciences |
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| How much: | Free |
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| Who is it for: | University staff, External researchers, Adults, Alumni, Current University students, General public |
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| Speaker: | Professor Julia Buxton, Madam Ruth Dreifuss |
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Renowned Swiss politician Ruth Dreifuss will deliver the inaugural Department of Criminology Annual Lecture at the University of Manchester on November 15th, 2023.
Madame Dreifuss, the former President of Switzerland, will discuss her experience of reforming Swiss drug policy in the 1990s. This was in response to a high rate of HIV AIDS among people who inject drugs. The health led and people centred approach pioneered by Madame Dreifuss has evolved into a diverse range of harm reduction programmes and decriminalisation strategies. What can the UK, currently experiencing record levels of drug related overdose and death, learn from Switzerland and other reforming countries?
Ruth Dreifuss is one of the twenty-six global leaders of the Geneva based Global Commission on Drugs. She has served as Secretary of the Swiss Labour Union Federation, and chaired the WHO commission and High-Level Panel reporting on public health, innovation, and intellectual property rights. She currently serves as a member of the International Commission Against the Death Penalty.
The event will be moderated by British Academy Global Professor Julia Buxton and will be the first in an annual series of keynote speeches, debates and symposia hosted by the Department of Criminology featuring influential scholars and policymakers in criminology and criminal justice reform. Registration for the event is now open and free to the public.
Please follow the Eventbrite link provided to register your attendance.
Speakers
Professor Julia Buxton
Role: British Academy Global Professor (moderator)
Organisation: Department of Criminology, University of Manchester
Biography: Professor Buxton's current research focuses on changing patterns of drug supply and the impact of decriminalisation and legalization initiatives on drug policy reform, stakeholder engagement, and harm reduction.
Madam Ruth Dreifuss
Role: Former President of Switzerland and Minister of Home Affairs (speaker)
Organisation: Global Commission on Drug Policy
Biography: Madam Ruth Dreifuss served as President of Switzerland in 1999. She spearheaded major reforms in public health and social insurance during her career and is regarded as one of the world's leading experts on drug policy reform.
Travel and Contact Information
Find event
SLG 12 (South Wing, Lower Ground Floor)
Samuel Alexander Building
Manchester
