HCLU Film Catalogue 2012

hclu film 2012 Video Advocacy Activities of the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union

“HCLU videos get the voice out that otherwise would not be heard. It also helps our movement itself to define our own messages.”

Rick Lines, Director, Harm Reduction International “The HCLU drugreporter films from our point of view open a new dimension in advocacy for drug policy reform.”

Eberhard Schatz, Director, Correlation Network, The Netherlands “Your ability to produce these videos in such short time, in such high level is absolutely fantastic. Its an educational vehicle, its inspirational for other people that this level of professionalism can be brought to this, and also, because HCLU is in the cutting edge of all the discussions and debates in drug policy, it provides a fantastic opportunity.

I only wish we could imitate what you are doing in the United States”.

Ethan Nadelmann, Director, Drug Policy Alliance, USA “In Asia it would work amazingly because not all of us can read and write, but we can wach stuff and listen.”

Dean Lewis, Asian Network for People who Use Drugs “The more people that we can reach through these types of videos, the better.”

Joseph Amon, Director, Health and Human Rights Division, Human Rights Watch, USA

“I also forward some of the movies to Ministry of Health colleagues as part of my responsibility for monitoring developments in international drugs policy.”

Bruce Atmore, Senior Policy Analyst, Ministry of Health, New Zealand “The films that you make are dynamic, they are not boring, they make people want to watch them.”

Anya Sarang, Director, Andrey Rylkov Foundation, Russia “We count on you because we are very bad communicaters as civil servants, and you are good communicators. So please go ahead.”

Carel Edwards, Former Head of the European Commission’s Anti-Drug Coordinating Unit, EU “I personally retweet all your videos on my twitter.”

Mauro Guarinieri, Senior Civil Society Officer, The Global Fund, Geneva, Switzerland “Politicians know that these tools are exposing them to criticism and scrutiny, and they do watch these videos. So they can have a really big impact.”

Steve Rolles, Senior Policy Analyst at Transform Drug Policy Foundation

“The way you do it is not in a two hundred pages report but in a very simple clean cut video that is putting out messages which helps empower young people and break stigma and discrimination.”

“No one does video advocacy like the Aram Barra, Director Espolea, MexHCLU. We are all mutually supporting ico each other and pushing our messages and agenda forward. I think its an incredibly collaborative effort, and you “This goes everywhere, this goes all guys listen to what people say but you over the world. Advocacy is much more also say this is where we should be go- important to spend money on than reing. I think you do an incredible work.” search. The research is there, now the must use the research to Allan Clear, Director, Harm Reduc- advocates make the case.” tion Associaton, USA Pat O’Hare, Honorary President, Harm Reduction International István Gábor Takács, Video Advocacy Program Director, drug policy text written by Peter Sárosi, roma rights text by Eszter Jovánovics and Melinda Zsolt, and disability rights text by Tamás Verdes. English language proof-reading by Joseph Foss. The report is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. 2014 Budapest.

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CONTENT Overview Highlights Staff and contributors Prizes Availability Equipment and funding Trainings Foreign Language Films Drug Policy Disability Rights HIV/AIDS Hungarian language films Disability Rights Drug Policy Freedom of Information Freedom of Speech HIV/AIDS Patients’ Rights Political Freedoms Roma rights Sex work Fundraising About us

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OVERVIEW Highlights In 2012 the HCLU produced 154 movies, out of which 76 are foreign language, and 78 are Hungarian language movies. The HCLU is producing seven thematic movies for the international Count the Costs of the War on Drugs Campaign. We are ready with the first two, one about the human rights costs of the war on drugs (watched 17000 times), and the other one on stigma. The series has already won first prize at the Kreatív Magazine’s annual award contest.

We produced a documentary, Giving Hope about the heroic struggle of the Andrey Rylkov Foundation, the only NGO that provides clean needles to drug users in Moscow.

The ARF successfully used our movies for fundraising. We produced six movies at the annual Commission on Narcotic Drugs. Within the European Drug Policy Initiative, we produced two movies in Bulgaria and two in Portugal. We went to the AIDS conference in Washington, where we published a movie each day, covering the most important events.

Two highlights were our movies about the Human Rights March and Big Pharma. We published two movies about North America. One about how Washington state legalized Marijuana and the other one about InSite, the only legal safe injection facility in North America. We produced many more movies in the context of the 4

Drug Policy Program.

The disability rights program launched a video and article blog series called “Peculiar Neighbours of Ours: People with Disabilities in Hungary” which endeavors to display the situation of people with mental disability, multiple disabilities and people with autism.

The Roma program produced several very important videos, the two most important are about school segregation in Gyöngyöspata (watched 23 thousand times), and the Public works program in Hungary (watched 10 thousand times). We also made a 40 minute long movie about sex work in Hungary, titled: Where is the Truth? This movie was watched 32,600 times on Index.hu.

We still have a very good relationship with Index.hu, the most visited Hungarian magazine, which displays our videos on its main page. The HCLU’s drug policy program started an online fundraising campaign, on Global Giving. We succeeded, and earned 6415 USD from 64 donors.

Harm reduction and drug policy activists were trained in Budapest by the HCLU at the HCLU Video Advocacy Training 2012 in May. The 14 participants arrived from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Serbia, Bulgaria and Poland. We trained them in all aspects of video advocacy and gave them Sony Handycams to use.

Staff and Contributors The HCLU film staff in 2012 consisted of 3 full time personnel, István Gábor Takács as the head of the video advocacy program, editor and director, Róbert Bordás as cameraman primarily for the Roma program, and Ádám Surányi as editor and director for the Roma program. In 2012 we had two volunteers, Márti Mészáros and Noémi Hatala, who worked on several films.The HCLU films are made together with the directors of other HCLU programs. Balázs Dénes, Director of HCLU, worked as producer. The drug policy films are made with Péter Sárosi, Director of the Drug Policy Program, who works as a reporter and director on the films. Tamás Verdes, the Disabilities Program Coordinator, films and edits his own movies, often with the help of Róbert Bordás as cameraman.

The video staff worked together on the movies with the other program staff, such as Stefánia Kapronczay and Rita Bence of the Patients Rights Program, Tivadar Hüttl and Fanny Hidvégi of the Freedom of Information and Data Protection Program, Ferenc Bagyinszky the HIV/ AIDS Program Director and Szabolcs Hegyi and Éva Simon of the Political Freedoms Program, and Melinda Zsolt, the HCLU Communications Officer. The Roma program staff was working closely with Ádám Surányi and Róbert Bordás on the Roma Right

movies: Eszter Jovánovics, Head of Roma Program; Judit Horváth, Roma Program Coordinator; Tibor Kis, Roma Program Fieldworker; Mihály Simon, Roma Program Lawyer and Field Worker; Szabolcs Miklós Sánta, Lawyer of the Roma Program; László Siroki, Roma Program Fieldworker; Anita Vodál, Roma Program Trainee Lawyer. Tamás Kardos and Folk György worked as EDPI coordinators in 2012. Mónika Paulik worked as fundraiser. Andrea Pelle worked as Head of Legal Aid Service, and Levente Baltay worked as Legal Aid Service Officer. Andrea Polgár, Nóra Perlik and Gabriella Harmat provided very important logistical background. We would like to thank those kind people who voluntarily or for very little compensation helped us in narrating, subtitling or translating our films: Arielle Reid, Patrícia Kovács, Balázs Szigeti, Székey András, Alexandra Gurinova, Katalin Sós, Tamás Kardos, Dávid Fekete, Máté Kerényi, Péter Büki, Ágnes Kövesi, Anna Recski, Lili Török, Hunter Holliman, Martin Steldinger, Jan Stola, our friends at Espolea, Aram Barra, Brun Gonzales and Gabo Amezcua, and the EDPI partners at Initiative for Health Foundation who voluntarily translated a lot of subtitles. Special thanks to Jerry Dorey and Joseph Foss who corrected many mistakes in our English language publications.

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Prizes At the 2012 Web Video Contest of Kreatív Magazin for the best online videos produced in Hungary, our video “The Human Rights Costs of the War on Drugs” won first prize for best online video series. Our Hungarian language animated promotional video won first prize in the ‘PR video’ category. A third film submitted by the HCLU also made the short list. This video was about the segregation of Roma children in the Hungarian village, Gyöngyöspata. We were also given an award at the V. Roma Life Documentary festival for our movie about the events at Gyöngyöspata, but we had to refuse it, because at the same time HírTV was awarded for a film, in which they attacked and tried to defame the HCLU for its activities in Gyöngyöspata.

Availability The full list of HCLU films can be found in the back of this report. The foreign language films with accompanying articles on the HCLU can be found at http://tasz.hu/en/hclu-film and in Hungarian at http://www.tasz.hu/tasz-film.

We have English and Hungarian language databases with all the info about the films including download and streaming links and downloadable subtitles at http://tasz.hu/en/hclufilmsdatabase and in Hungarian at http://tasz.hu/ taszfilmadatbazis.

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Equipment and funding In 2012 we bought our second Sony NEX-VG20, because we had to have enough cameras to film in different locations at the same time, using multiple cameras. We found this camera ideal for our type of work: It has excellent image quality with its interchangeable lens system, a shallower depth of field, and it is easy to handle. We purchased a Zoom H4n for quality audio recording, and some lenses and adapters for our interchangeable lens system cameras. We had to buy many hard disk drives to store raw footage.

The HCLU video advocacy program does not have a standalone budget, but it gets its funding from other programs of the HCLU. The vast majority of its funding is provided by the Open Society Foundation’s specific programs, mostly the Global Drug Policy Program in the form of financing from the Drug Policy Program that runs the European Drug Policy Initiative. We are also supported by the International Harm Reduction Development Program of the OSF, the Mental health Initiative of the OSF, the Foundation Open Society Institute and we accept funds from the Common Sense for Drug Policy foundation, the Royal Netherlands Embassy, the Media Law Defense Initiative, and our card holding members and individual donors. HCLU does not accept Hungarian state funding at all.

We also received some support from our crowdsourcing campaign at Global Giving, which totalled 6415 USD. 9

Trainings 14 harm reduction and drug policy

on the training material of Witness.

The international drug policy and by the HCLU at the HCLU Video human rights related education 14 harm reduction drug policy activistswas were trained inby Budapest by the HCLU Advocacy Trainingand 2012.

The HCLU conducted Péter Sárosi, at the HCLU VideoTraining Advocacy Training 2012.head The HCLU Training was Video Advocacy was held in of theVideo DrugAdvocacy Policy Program. held in Budapest between theand 21st25th and 25th of May, 2012.

The 14plans participants arBudapest between the 21st Future video advocacy of rived from Russia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Serbia, Bulgaria Poland.by of May, 2012.

TheUkraine, 14 participants the participants wereand reviewed arrived from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Balázs Dénes, head of the HCLU. The video advocacy training material was The written and presented

by István Kyrgyzstan, Serbia, Bulgaria and logistics were organised

by Gábor Takács, of HCLU’s training Video Advocacy Program. parts ofduring the video Poland.the TheDirector video advocacy Andrea Polgár, Some translations advocacy theory presentations were basedpreparations on the training material of Witness. The material was written and presented were voluntarily international drugTakács, policy and rights provided related education conducted

by Péby István Gábor thehuman Director

by Dina was Balogh, and during ter Sárosi, head the DrugProgram.

Policy Program.

Future course, video advocacy planswere of the of HCLU’s VideoofAdvocacy the whole the trainees participants were reviewed by Balázs Dénes, head of the HCLU. The logistics were orSome parts of the video advocacy assisted by Ádám Surányi and Kata ganised by Andrea Polgár, translations during preparations were voluntarily provided theory presentations were based Sós of the HCLU. We believe that

Trainings activists were trained in Budapest

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we provide trulyand effective only course, soonthe as they returned home. The

by Dina Balogh, duringhelp the whole trainees were assisted by Ádám ifSurányi we provide basic knowledge in funding for 10 participants was made and Kata Sós of the HCLU. relation to the entire spectrum of possible by the International Harm video advocacy, including theory, Reduction Development Program We believe that we provide truly effective help only if we provide basic knowledge camera handling and editing, and of the Open Society Foundations. in relation to the entire spectrum of video advocacy, including theory, camera hanit isbest we can and alsoitprovide To save time money to usewe dling andif editing, isbest ifthe we can also provide theand basic tools.and Therefore basic tools.

Therefore weparticipants decided withthis opportunity as Handycam, best we could, decided to provide all the a Sony Hdr CX 570 a tripod, to provide all a we decided to bring along three earphones, clipthe on participants microphone,with SD cards and an interviewing and camera handling Sony Hdr CX 570 Handycam, a tripod, extra trainees from our partners at start tip sheet that we designed for the participants. This way the participants could earphones, clipown on microphone, HCLU’shome.

European Drug Policy producing their videos as soon as theythe returned The funding for 10 parSD cardswas andmade an interviewing andInternational Initiative, we were granted extra ticipants possible by the Harmand Reduction Development Program of handling the Open tip Society Foundations.

To funds save time and by money and to use this opcamera sheet that we for this the Global Drug portunity as could, we decided to Policy bring along threeofextra designed forbest thewe participants.

This Program OSF.trainees from our partners at the HCLU’scould European way the participants start Drug Policy Initiative, and we were granted extra funds for this by the Drug producing their ownGlobal videos as Policy Program of OSF. 11

Some comments by participants: “It was personally the best and most interesting training I ever attended.”

“My motivation is now more strong and I believe in video advocacy.”

“Very good balance between theory and practice.”

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The first day of the training concentrated on video advocacy theory. Participants learned how to make plans for video production, how to think about their budget and strategy, their objective, message and audience, how to find the right story, and how to distribute their videos effectively. We also talked about the technical issues of videography and the necessary equipment that video activists need.

On the morning of the fifth day, Péter Sárosi, the Head of the HCLU’s Drug Policy Program, held a comprehensive presentation on the international drug control system and human rights, and in the afternoon we discussed the future video advocacy projects of the participants, with the participation of Balázs Dénes, Executive Director of the HCLU.

Since the training, half of the participants have already produced On the morning of the second many movies, and the rest are still day, we discussed camera settings working on theirs. One of the best and camera handling, framing and things is that some of the movies composition, and how to conduct are even subtitled in English. There interviews. In the afternoon, the is one about rapid HIV testing in the participants formed five groups, Leningrad region titled “Discover whose task was to conduct a real your HIV status, be sure!” It was made interview in the city. The interviews

by Natalia Utrovskaya, Mass media were conducted at two needle Officer of the E.V.A. (Equity.Verity. exchange programs, in the HCLU’s Advocacy.) network. E.V.A is the first office and in a lawyer’s office.

Russian network of women affected

by HIV and other socially significant On the third day, we rented five diseases. Ivan Varentsov, from the laptops with the trial versions of Eurasian Harm Reduction Network Adobe Premiere Pro CS6, the brand (EHRN) produced eleven short new editing software. In the morning messages at the AIDS HUB meeting session we learned how to handle in Kiev. Drug users and sex workers the program, and that afternoon the could not attend the AIDS 2012 participants started to edit their own conference in Washington if they materials that they had shot with their declared their status, because ofa still group the day before. in place travel restriction preventing people belonging to these two On the fourth day, we kept practicing groups from entering the “Land of editing and by the end of the day, the the Free”. Activists for drug users who participants had theirfirst films ready. gathered at the meeting sent their The participants were so enthusiastic messages to the conference via video that they worked until one o’clock in instead. We made one video together the morning to finish their works. which was shown at the conference on many occasions.

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FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILMS

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Drug Policy the Costs series tells the story of the most compelling issue, the human The Hungarian Civil Liberties Union rights impacts of the global war on (HCLU), together with Transform Drug drugs.

Policy Foundation, were among the NGOs that launched the Count the According to the Single Convention Costs campaign to urge governments on Narcotic Drugs, adopted in 1961, to transparently evaluate the impacts the aim of drug control policies is to of the 50-year-old UN drug control protect public health. This is far from system and call for the exploration reality. In the US, the birthplace of of alternative policies. The HCLU is drug prohibition, the war on drugs producing seven thematic movies on was designed as a form of social the seven major costs of the war on control and institutionalized racism. drugs.

Despite similar rates of drug usage, African-American men in the US are Even the first UN drug convention, sent to prison on drug charges at 13.4 adopted 50 years ago in 1961, placed times the rate of white men, primarily protection of the right to health at as a result of drug law enforcement. its center. Now, 50 years later, we witness terrible human rights abuses All around the world people who in the name of drug treatment all use drugs are treated as second over the world: public executions and class citizens whose words cannot labour camps in Asia, denial of the be believed, whose rights can be right to effective treatment in Russia, violated for the “public good�. Our eradication campaigns leading to second movie for the Count the humanitarian and ecological crisis, Costs campaign is about stigma and disproportional sentences, racial discrimination. discrimination and overcrowded There are organizations fighting prisons in the US. Human rights are against stigma and discrimination in equal, inalienable and universal. many fields: women’s rights, LGBT Someone cannot be deprived of her communities, indigenous people, human rights because she prefers to people living with HIV, vulnerable use some mind altering substances that are listed among the illicit drugs. children, sex workers and ethnic minorities. Still, very few of these The criminalization of drug users is NGOs are aware of the extent of a violation of the right to privacy in itself, not to mention the institutional the effects of the war on drugs on their communities. If you happen to discrimination and segregation of belong to one of these NGOs, please drug users by the public health system. Our first movie in the Count consider joining our campaign!

Count the Costs

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On 18 November, Transform Drug Policy Foundation, in partnership with all the major UK drug policy organizations, held a private dinner and discussion for a select group of 30 key NGOs from the development, security, human rights and environment sectors at the

Commonwealth Club in London. We filmed the event and uploaded the speeches of the former president of Switzerland Ruth Dreifuss (also of the Global Commission) and Danny Kushlik, Board Member of the Transform Drug Policy Foundation.

Kunming, a forced treatment center (labour camp) for drug users in China.

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Giving Hope: The heroic struggle of the Andrey Rylkov Foundation in Moscow The brave actions of FrontAIDS The HCLU visited year OF GIVING HOPE: THEMoscow HEROIClast STRUGGLE THE ANDREY RYLKOV attracted a lot of media attention at and produced IN a movie (a short FOUNDATION MOSCOW the beginning of this century and version in several languages, and a regularly ended with the spectacular long version) to promote the work of The Andrey Rylkov Foundation (ARF) is the only organization providing needle arrest of participating activists. Such the Andrey Rylkov Foundation, the exchange for drug users in Moscow. Their mission is to promote and develop only NGO that provides clean needles radical street actions were desperate humane drug policy based on tolerance, protection of health, dignity and human acts of survival. At that time it was for drug users in Moscow. The ARF rights. not possible to access antiretroviral is using our movies for fundraising: treatment for people who use drugs it gets no funding at all from the “We decided for ourselves that everything which is not forbidden is allowed.

– they were sentenced to death by government – please help them to Theres no law forbidding syringe exchange programs, there’s no such law in the neglectful authorities. Andrey and buy a van to improve their street Moscow. This means that we can carry out these programs” says Anya Sarang, his friends did not want to silently outreach director ofactivities!

ARF. witness the death of their friends – they chose to make a noise. They Andrey Rylkov was one of the It has been known for decades that providing sterile injecting equipment and subfounders of FrontAIDS, the first chained themselves to the mayor’s stitution treatment are the most effective ways of preventing HIV and other blood activist NGO fighting for the rights of office in Kaliningrad or carried coffins borne infections among injecting drug users (WHO, UNODC, UNAIDS on syringe drug users living with HIV in Russia. in the center of Saint-Petersburg.

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The Andrey Rylkov Foundation staff.

After he died, a couple of harm advocacy network to promote OST reduction activists named a new in Russia and was providing scientific organisation after him – the Andrey information on its website until Rylkov Foundation. There are more February this year, when Mr. Ivanov’s exchange and on substitution treatment). In Russia however, where the HIV epidemic than a million people living with HIV agency banned the website. The is one of the fastest growing in the world right now, more than a million people live in Russia and eight approximately outare HCLU helped thethe ARF to re-open the with HIV, and out of ten nine people infected through sharing of needles. of ten new exchange HIV transmissions were and website from a foreignis server, so itlong is Yet, syringe is not supported substitution treatment illegal. Not attributed tostarted the sharing of out used back in operation now.outreach However, Mr. ago the ARF to carry syringe distribution anyway. The workers needles and syringes inof 2007 yet Ivanov is walk not willing to lift ban. with In of the Foundation, many them– former drug users, the streets of the Moscow the government banned opiate March, Péter Sárosi, head the their backpacks and give out needles, condoms andwhen information, and visit drugofusers substitution treatment (OST), one of where HCLU’s policy program, askedthey in their homes and around pharmacies usersdrug buy the legal opiate drugs inject. the most effective ways to reduce him about it, he accused ARF of the infections, overdose deaths, and drug crime of distributing methadone related Nobody on the website.

We filmed and for The ARF crime. is usingWhy? our movies we knows. produced about them (a short and a longitversion) We asked Viktor several made a movie–titled: fundraising: it getsIvanov no funding at all from the government please“The help Disproved them to buy times at improve the press conferences of activities!

Accusations of the Russian Drug a van to their street outreach the Commission on Narcotic Drugs Czar.”

(CND), but his answers ranged from misinformation to blatant lies about methadone. The ARF operates an 19

Péter Sárosi, Drug Policy Program Director.

Commission on narcotic drugs 2012 The Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) is the annual meeting of UN member states to discuss issues of the global drug control system. The HCLU has made movies about this meeting since 2008, to make it more transparent and call attention to the serious problems associated with it.

In our first movie from the 2012 CND, titled “The Disproved Accusations of the Russian Drug Tzar” we show how we asked the Russian drug Tzar to explain why he banned the website of a Russian NGO, the Andrey Rylkov Foundation. For more information see the previous page.

This year the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first international opium convention. In our second movie “100 Years of Global Drug War” officials and experts like Yuri Fedotov, Gil Kerlikowske, Martin Jelsma, Damon Barret, Allan Clear and Mike Trace, discuss whether it was successful or not.

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime, together with other UN agencies, released a joint statement on compulsory drug detention camps and their message is to be applauded: these camps MUST be closed down! The HCLU 20

Viktor Ivanov, Director of the Federal Service for Drug Control, Russia.

video advocacy team asked the head of UNODC about the statement at a press conference in Vienna - in his answer, shown in our third movie “UN Drug Czar: Detention Centers Must Be Closed” he emphasized the need for the mainstreaming of human rights in drug policies.

In 2010 we produced a movie on forced “treatment” centers: “Abuse in the Name of Treatment”. It has more than 11,000 views on YouTube now.

Approximately 400,000 people are detained in these centers in South-East Asia. Drug users do not have access to evidence-based treatment in these camps, but forced labor, torture, starvation, sexual abuse and other forms of maltreatment are commonplace.

A few years ago, Human Rights Watch discovered that these camps received funding from international organizations like the Global Fund and UNICEF. The advocacy efforts of civil society created a lot of media attention and finally led to the joint condemnation of the camps by the international community.

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Evo Morales, the president of Bolivia, attended the 55th CND. On the 12th of March he spoke at the plenary session and tried to convince government delegates to support his cause: to legally regulate the cultivation, production and trafficking of Coca-leafs, the ancient herb of Andean people. We filmed his speech and uploaded it in its entirety. Thanks to the pro bono contribution of our friends and colleagues at Espolea from Mexico, it is now available with Spanish and English subtitles.

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The fifth movie from the CND, titled “Unspeakable Harm Reduction” features Mr. Yuri Fedotov, the head of the UN Agency on Drug and Crime (UNODC), making an ambiguous statement when we asked him at a press conference to clarify his position on harm reduction. Later we interviewed a few professionals, such as Damon Barrett from HRI, Allan Clear from HRC and Alison Crocket from UNAIDS who commented on what he said. One in four women in Central European and Central Asian prisons is locked up for a drug offence, according to a new study published by Harm Reduction International (HRI). At the CND we met Damon Barrett, HRI’s Deputy Executive Director, who in our last film speaks about the results of the study in our new movie, “Cause for Alarm.”

Evo Morales, President of Bolivia at the 55th CND. 23

At the AIDS 2012 Conference in Washington Péter Sárosi, Drug Policy Program Director and István Gábor Takács, Video Program Director of the HCLU, attended AIDS 2012 in Washington DC, where we produced a video each day.

In cooperation with Harm Reduction International, we also held three thematic film sessions, where after showing some movies, we had roundtables with drug policy reformers.

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Screening of HCLU movies at the conference.

Day 1. In our first video sex workers and drug user activists interrupt the opening press conference of AIDS In our first video we showed dozens of 2012. They emerged from their sex worker and drug user activists inseats unexpectedly and marched terrupting the opening press conferthrough the room, waving banners ence of AIDS 2012. They emerged from and shouting slogans, such “No their seats unexpectedly andas,marched drug users?

No sexwaving workers?

No and through the room, banners International AIDSsuch Conference!”

Theusshouting slogans, as, “No drug activists protesting the ers?

No were sex workers?

Noagainst International attitude of conference AIDS Conference!”

Theorganizers, activists were who praised the US for protesting against thegovernment attitude of conference praised living the US liftingorganizers, the travel who ban had on people government for failed lifting to theaddress travel ban with HIV – but the on people living withrestrictions HIV – but failed to adremaining travel on drug dress travel restrictions users the andremaining sex workers, who could on people whothe useconference drugs and sex workers, not attend if they who could not attend the conference if declared their status.

DAY 1.

they declared their status.

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Day 2. Before the conference, because of the travel ban, there were two smaller conferences for Before the conference, because of the sex workers and drug users. We travel ban, there were two smaller conattended the latter, and together ferences for sex workers and drug users. with EHRN we produced a short We attended the latter, and together with movie,we a video message drug a vidEHRN produced a shortofmovie, user activistsoffor theuser conference. eo message drug activists for the These videos were shown at several conference. These videos were shown at occasions at the conference, often ofseveral occasions at the conference,

by Michel Kazatchkine, former head ten

by Michel Kazatchkine, former head of the the Global GlobalFund FundtotoFight FightAIDS, AIDS,Tuberof culosis and Malaria, now UN Tuberculosis and Malaria, nowSecretary UN General’s Envoy on HIV/AIDS SecretarySpecial General’s Special Envoy in Eastern Europeinand Central Asia. and on HIV/AIDS Eastern Europe Central Asia.

DAY 2.

Day DAY 3.

3. Stephen Lewis, a well-known progressive Canadian diplomat, and the former special envoy for HIV/ Stephen Lewis, a well-known progressive AIDS in Africa, held a very powerful Canadian diplomat, and the former spespeech at the AIDS 2012 conference cial envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, held a in Washington DC, so we decided very powerful speech at the AIDS 2012 to upload itinuncut.

We uploaded thedeconference Washington DC, so we speech Dr. Chris Ford, We the uploaded head of cided toofupload it uncut. the International for Healthy the speech of Dr.Doctors Chris Ford, the head Drug aboutDoctors the costs of thePolicies, International for of Healthy the war on drugs from the doctors’ Drug Policies, about the costs of the war on drugs from the doctors’ perspective. perspective.

Day DAY 4.

4. During the conference thousands of activists marched for human rights & economic justice During the conference thousands of acfrom St. Vernon square, the venue of tivists marched for human rights & ecothe International AIDS Conference, to nomic justice from St. Vernon square, the the White House. The organizers of venue of the International AIDS Conferthe march identified 5 demands: to ence, to the White House.

The organiztax Wall stop cuts to AIDSto ers of theStreet march and identified 5 demands: services, to aidand housing andtoliftAIDS the sertax Wall Street stop cuts ban ontosyringe exchange, provide vices, aid housing and lifttothe ban on full access to services for women syringe exchange, to provide full access to services for women LGBT and LGBT people, to and make Big people, to make accountable Big Pharma accountable Pharma and to stopand theto stop the criminalization of PLWHA, drug criminalization of PLWHA, drug users userssex andworkers. sex workers.

In our movie, “We and In our movie, “We Can End in in Washington DC” Can EndAIDS AIDS- -March March Washington we asked the demonstrators how how they DC” we asked the demonstrators see these issues. they see these issues.

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Day 5. The Canadian Minister of DAY 5.

Health, Leona Aglukkaq does not accept the evidence that harm The Canadian Ministerlike of InSite, Health, the Leona reduction programs, Aglukkaq, is not popular among AIDS acfirst safer injection site in Northtivists: sheeffectively does not accept evidence America, reducethe the that harm reduction programs, like InSite, risks of HIV transmissions and the first safer injection site in North-Ameroverdose deaths. She expressed her ica, effectively reduce the risks of HIV disappointment the Supreme transmissions andwhen overdose deaths. She Court decided in favor of InSite. expressed her disappointment when the She is responsible for recent cuts Supreme Court decided in favor of InSite for a federal program that provides – even if the court declared that attempts extended health-care to close the clinic werebenefits “grosslytodisprorefugee claimants.

Watch our portionate” to the benefits for video drug users and the community.

Watchher our video showing activists disrupting showingatactivists disrupting her speech speech the AIDS 2012 conference! at the AIDS 2012 conference!

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Day 6. “Without respect for the DAY 6. human rights of people who use drugs we cannot fight the HIV/AIDS “Without respect for the human rights of epidemic,” said Michel Kazatchkine, people who use drugs we cannot at a satellite session before the fight the HIV/AIDSWe epidemic,” said conference. uploaded hisMichel full Kazatchkine, at a satellite session before the speech.

conference. We uploaded his full speech.

We later uploaded the whole speech of Gil Kerlikowske, head of the US Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), or as he is generally called, the “Drug Tzar.” He claims his government is paving the way to a progressive, innovative and science-based drug policy.

We also filmed a protest in support orthodox church against Vladimir of at theinRussian Putin, president of Russia.

WePussy filmedRiot, a protest supportEmbassy of Pussy Riot, at thethe Russian Embassy in DC, We and proin Washington DC and produced a later uploaded the whole speech duced a movie to mobilize people to help them. Pussy Riot is a feminist punk band movie to declared mobilize public peopleenemy to help of Gil of the that was number one byKerlikowske, both church head and state in US Russia. them.

Pussy Riotofisthe a feminist punk Officesince of National Drug Control Three members band have been detained March 2012. band that was declared public enemy Policy (ONDCP), or as he is generally number oneagainst by both called, the “Drug by Tzar.�

He claims The charge thechurch young and girls is hooliganism motivated religious hatred,his alstate in they Russia.

Three members of in angovernment is paving theVladimir way to Putin, a though simply performed a song orthodox church against the band have detained since progressive, innovative and sciencethe president ofbeen Russia.

March 2012. The charge against the based drug policy. young girls is hooliganism motivated by religious hatred, although they simply performed a song in an 29

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Our next movie, produced during AIDS 2012, titled “Pharma Greed Kills� shows activists disrupting a session sponsored by the pharmaceutical giant, Roche, to protest against the artificially high prices of the Hep C treatment drugs, which makes it unavailable to many people.

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Alexandre Quintanilha, President of the National Drugs Committee in 1998, which created Portugal’s decriminalisation strategy.

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PORTUGAL: TEN YEARS AFTER DECRIMINALIZATION In 2001, a small European country, Portugal, took a brave step, changing its drug policies and refocusing its efforts away from arresting and criminalizing drug users, towards smart public health interventions. How did the political establishment of a CatholicConservative country come to such an agreement about decriminalization? How does the system work? Is it effective? Ten years after decriminalization, the HCLU film crew travelled to Lisbon and Porto to get answers to these questions. Our movie, “Portugal: Ten Years After Decriminalization” was produced in cooperation with APDES - an NGO partner in our European Drug Policy Initiative. The film tells the story of decriminalization from various perspectives, through the eyes of people involved in its formation, implementation and evaluation. We recommend to read the report of the Open Society Foundation on the same issue, “Drug Policy in Portugal: The Benefits of Decriminalizing Drug Use.” During our visit to Portugal, we recorded a short movie about our Portuguese partner in the European Drug Policy Initiative, APDES (Agência Piaget para o Desenvolvimento). ADPES is a major promoter of integrated development, helping vulnerable people and communities suffering as a result of segregation. They address complex issues including healthcare, employment and education, while seeking to empower these citizens and reinforce social cohesion. The organization, founded in 2004, is active in socially-sensitive action research, uses participative methodologies, encourages people to be critical constituents, and promotes the importance of being politically active on all levels.

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The Initative for Health Foundation Staff.

BULGARIA: ON THE DARK SIDE OF DRUG POLICY BULGARIA: ON THE DARK SIDE OF DRUG POLICY

In our European Drug Policy Initiative Policy” to show how Bulgaria has one (EDPI) we help NGOs promote of the drug policies in the In our European Drug Policy Initiative (EDPI) we harshest help NGOs promote evidence-inevidence-informed and in the field European Possession any(vidformed services and services interventions of drug Union: policy by providingof tools interventions in the of drug quantity of illegal drugs is a crime, eos, research etc.) forfield advocacy.

One of our key partners is the Initiative for Health policy by providing tools (videos, punishable by one to five years’ Foundation, the first NGO to have introduced harm reduction services in Bulgaria. research for advocacy.

One of toon current Our videoetc.) advocacy team traveled to Sofiaimprisonment. to produce two According movies: one governour partners is the forrestrictive, legislation, theonjudge has discretion mentkey plans to make drugInitiative laws more the other the pioneering work of the Initiative with street Health Foundation, thedrug firstusers.

NGO to punish minor offenders with a fine. to have introduced harm reduction In a country of 8 million inhabitants, services in Bulgaria.

Ouravideo 800movie, people are imprisoned every We produced a short and long version of the “Bulgaria: On the Dark Side of advocacy team traveled to Sofia year because of drug-related charges.

Drug Policy” to show how Bulgaria has one of the harshest drug policies in the Euroto produce movies: Prisons are is not a waypunishable of keepingby one pean Union: two Possession ofone any on quantity of illegal drugs a crime, to five years’ imprisonment. legislation, thedrugs. judge has discretion government plans to makeAccording drug lawsto current people away from According to punish minor offenders with fine. In a country of 8 million inhabitants, 800 people more restrictive, the other ona the to estimates by the prison authorities, are imprisoned every yearInitiative becausewith of drug-related charges.

Prisonsofare not a way of pioneering work of the more than 20 percent the prison keeping people away drugs. aAccording to estimates the prisonon authorities, street drug users.

Wefrom produced population are by dependent more than percent of the population are– dependent on them drugsdevelop – and many short and a20long version of prison the movie, drugs and many of of them develop problematic patterns problematic only after being in prison.

“Bulgaria: On the Dark Side use of Drug useput patterns onlyTreatment after opportunities are very limited in the country due to scarce financial resources; many

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being put in prison. Treatment sanctions against people who use opportunities arenow verycommonplace limited in in Western-Europe drugs. Pleaseare signstill thenot petition against services that are available here. the country due to scarce financial the planned new legislation!

In the According to our current knowledge on what works in the drug field, the best policy resources; many services arebe now second video advocacy film, option for decision makersthat would to decriminalize drug possession for“Life personal commonplace in Western-Europe are saving pioneer work in Bulgaria” we ofuse and improve the public health and social care systems; politicians, however, still tend not available According toinstead show how our policy partner, the Initiative ten to choosehere. populist solutions, of effective responses. our current knowledge on what works for Health Foundation, fights for the in the drug field,has thedrafted best policy health andCriminal survival Code of people The government an amendment to the that who would reoption for decision makers would use drugs in Sofia.

Despite financial sult in increasing sanctions against people who use drugs. Please sign the petition be to decriminalize druglegislation! possession andadvocacy a needlessly restrictive against the planned new In the shortage, second video film, “Life saving for personal use and improve legal environment, the Initiative for pioneer work in Bulgaria” we show how our partner, the Initiative for Health Founthe public health and socialand care reaches out Despite to dation, fights for the health survival ofHealth peopleFoundation who use drugs in Sofia. financial and a needlessly legal environment, the Initiative systems;shortage, politicians, however, oftenrestrictive thousands of people suffering from for Health reachessolutions, out to thousands of people suffering from discrimination tend toFoundation choose populist discrimination and social exclusion. and social Their outreach workersTheir are often the last remaining connection instead ofexclusion. effective policy responses. outreach workers are often the between them andhas society.

The government drafted an last remaining connection between amendment to the Criminal Code them and society. that would result in increasing 35

PUBLIC POLICY DRUG LORDS LORDS INTERNA- PUBLIC LESSONS for FORDrug DRUG DRUG Lessons POLICYDEBATES DEBATE TIONAL POLICY SERIES Policy Series INTERNATIONAL The Central Central European EuropeanUniThe The Global the HCLU HCLU created University in Budapest versity in Budapest and the The Global Drug DrugPolicy Policy In 2011 the program of the theOpen OpenSoci- created the fictional OpenFoundations Society Openthe Society the fictional organization, and program of organized a public policy the Drug Lords interna- Foundations ety Foundations is produc- organization, Society Foundations the Drug organized a debatepolicy on illicit drugs tional (DLI), that represents ingproducing a series titled Lessons Lords is a series international (DLI), public debate on the debate opened by drugrepresents lords fromdrug all over illicit for Drug Policyfor Series. titled Lessons DrugWe that drugswas - the debate George Soros. filmed the world, who are the lobby- was are helping theWe promotion Policy Series. are lords from all over opened byWe George and uploaded theand whole ing forwho the are current drug Soros. of the written material by world, helping the promotion lobbying We filmed discussion.the whole warthe andcurrent prohibitionist producing short videos for for of the written material drug sys- uploaded each of them. Last year we tem, which benefits them by producing short war and prohibitionist discussion. made one about “What most. In this years video videos for each of them. system, which benefits the World Can Learn from message, Pablo, the lead Last we made most. of In this spokesman the years DLI is Drugyear Policy Change in them one about “What the video message, Pablo, Switzerland”. This year we expressing his grave conWorld CanaLearn spokesman of cernlead about the outcome produced moviefrom on the the Drug Policy Change in the DLI is referenda expressing of recent in his the “Progressive Drug Policies Switzerland”. year grave about Unitedconcern States of America in the CzechThis Republic”. we movie on of recent that outcome would allow the nonOurproduced movie onaPortugal is the medical use of United cannabis meant to accompany the “Progressive Drugthe referenda in the by adults in the states of report on Policy in States Policies in “Drug the Czech of America Colorado Washington.

Portugal: The Republic”.

OurBenefits movie of that wouldand allow the or more DLI “diplomacy Decriminalising Drug Use.” on Portugal is meant to non-medical use of successes”, here accompany the report cannabis byclick adults in and here. on “Drug Policy in the states of Colorado Portugal: The Benefits and Washington. This of Decriminalising Drug would take profit away Use.” from the DLI, and make it harder for them to buy guns and buy off corrupt officials. In this short video message he calls upon Obama, to intervene.

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PROGRESSES IN LAWYERING ON ONTHETHE PROGRESS HARM REDUCTION REDUCTIONIN IN LAWYERING HARM MARINGS LEBANON LEBANON MARGINS IN DENMARK DENMARK

When When we we speak speak about about ininjecting druguse useand andHIV, jecting drug we rarely pay any HIV, we rarely payattention any to the Middle-East.

But attention to the Middleif youBut think thatthink injecting East. if you druginjecting use is notdrug prevalent in that these and young use is countries not prevalent in people have no access to these countries and heroin or amphetamine – young people have you are very wrong. Harm no access to heroin or Reduction International oramphetamine – you ganozed its latest internaare very wrong.

Harm tional harm reduction conReduction International ference in Beirut, Lebanon –inthe former IHRA April 2011. We– were recognized gap there and theinterviewed between the picture drug users, professionals and researchers in our painted by governments movie Young and the“Investing reality of in the People when - Harm Reduction streets it decided in Lebanon.” to organize its latest international harm reduction conference in Beirut, Lebanon in April 2011. We were there and interviewed drug users, professionals and researchers in our movie “Investing in Young People - Harm Reduction in Lebanon.”

“Lawyeringon onthe theMargins” “Lawyering Margins” is a global unique gathis a unique ering of lawyers of working global gathering with marginalized groups, lawyers working with namely people who use marginalized groups, drugs, sex workers, and namely people who use lesbian,sex gay, bisexualand and drugs, workers, transgender (LGBT). lesbian, gay,people bisexual It is a seminar for lawyers and transgender people who are working towards (LGBT). It is a seminar social change, and believe for are importhatlawyers the lawwho is an working towards social tant means of achieving change, and believe that it. The HCLU’s video advothe is an important cacylaw team traveled to Comeans of achieving penhagen in 2011, to film it.

Thethem.

HCLU’s about Wevideo produced a long andteam a short version advocacy traveled of Copenhagen the film “Lawyering on to in 2011, thefilm Margins.” to about them. We produced a long and a short version of the film “Lawyering on the Margins.”

The international press reThe international press reported November ported in in November 2011 2011 that City the City that the Council of Council of Copenhagen Copenhagen voted overwhelmingly in favour of a voted overwhelmingly legal regulation in favour of a legalscheme for cannabis.

Since we regulation scheme were already in the Danish for cannabis.

While capital we madewe a movie in Copenhagen about the issue. We also filmade a movie“Legal filmed about “ Regulation of Cannabis in Copenhagen” in which we show why they chose to legalise the drug and how they would regulate it. We also filmed about “Fixerum Mobile Injection Room in Copenhagen” a new citizen initiative.

Denmark has one of the highest overdose death rates in the European Union. Harm reduction activists were tired of many years of debate so they went ahead and set up a new mobile injection room, Fixerum.

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Disability Rights HIV/AIDS Disability rights HIV/AIDS

“Despite far-reaching “Keep It Low!” is the changes in some HCLU’sIt promotional “Despite far-reaching “Keep Low!” is the HCcountriesininstitutions video on NeLP, the changes some countries LU’s promotional video on are still the dominant Network Low HIVinstitutions are still the NeLP, the of Network of Low dominant form of service- HIV-Prevalence Countries form of service-provison Prevalence Countries provison many countries in in many in countries in in Central Central and and South South East in Europe”- -Mental Mental Health Health Europe.

It was initiated Europe” East Europe.

It was Europe’s the HCLU withHCLU funding Europe’snew newreport report‘Map- by initiated by the ping Exclusion’ starts with from Partnership ‘Mapping Exclusion’ with East-East funding from this synthetic observation, Beyond Borders Program starts with this synthetic East-East Partnership which is documented with of Open Society Foundaobservation, which Beyond Borders 32 state-reports. Our movie, tions. We produced a s is documented with Program of Open “Mapping Exclusion - Men- short intrioductory movie 32Health state-reports.

Society Foundations. tal Rights in Our Europe” on this initative. movie, “Mapping produced

by Tamás Verdes The initial goal of this Exclusion - Mental of the HCLU’s Disability initiative was to form Health Program, Rights in and the a regional network of Rights Europe” produced cameraman of the Roma NGOs working in the

by Tamás Róbert Verdes of program, Bordás, field of HIV/AIDS as well aims to highlight the most as to create an online the HCLU’s Disability important points of thethe re- content in the form of Rights Program, and port. cameraman of the Roma a website with country program, Róbert Bordás, profiles on legislation, aims to highlight the epidemiology and most important points of experiences of the report. discrimination, to share information, good practices, and to join forces in order to be able to put together further pressure on national governments in the future.

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Fundraising Fundraising The HCLU’s drug policy The HCLU’s druganpolicy program started program started an ononline fundraising line fundraising campaign campaign, to gain funds at Giving, gain forGlobal our drug policytovideo funds foractivities. our drugWe policy making video making activities. produced one main We produced one main movie movie for the campaign for the campaign and 21 and 21 short movies, short movies, showing well showing wellpolicy known known drug reformdrug policy reformers ers and harm reduction and harm reduction activists talking about our activists talking about movies.

We succeeded, our earned movies.6415 WeUSD from and succeeded, andwould earned 64 donors. We like to express gratitude to 6415 USDour from 64 all of those werelike kind donors.

Wewho would enough to support us! The to express our gratitude HCLU together with NIOK to all of those who organized international were kind an enough to conference on fundraising. support us! The HCLU We recorded the 15 pretogether with NIOK held sentations and uploaded a fundraising workshop them. for the most successful non-profit organisations of Central and Eastern Europe. We recorded the 15 presentations and uploaded them.

HUNGARIAN LANGUAGE FILMS

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Siroki László, a TASZ munkatársa egy TASZpontban mutatja be az internetes jogsegélyt.

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Roma Rights Partner, not a target group The HCLU’s Roma Program kept expanding in 2012. The main target group of the Program is those living in deep poverty; primarily the disproportionate Roma population.

The aim of this Program is to facilitate the protection of their rights and interests . One of the most significant human rights problems in Hungary is the prejudice and discrimination against the Roma people in various aspects of life. Our aim is to take a stand against discrimination based on ethnic background and deep poverty; we therefore strive to enable the stakeholders themselves, as well as their communities, with the necessary knowledge and an awareness of their rights. In a new introductory film to the program, the HCLU’s staff and our colleagues at the “TASZPONT” (HCLU Points) explain what we do.

With our free legal aid service, using Skype communication at 30 TASZPONTs in the country, we fight against the violations of fundamental rights by municipalities, call attention to the lack of investigation and action against hate crimes, and we offer help when misdemeanor punishments are discriminative. Our two colleagues, Róbert Bordás, cameraman and Ádám Surányi editor, director produce in-depth movies about the rights violations that Roma people face in Hungary.

Gyöngyöspata, the playground of the racist far right The village Gyöngyöspata became notorious when far right and neonazi paramilitary organisations that were connected to the party “Jobbik” captured the village and terrorised Roma citizens for weeks while the police let them do so.

The government at first criticised watchdog organisations that called for government action for “provoking tension”. The hateful actions proved to be fruitful, as the representative of Jobbik, Oszkár Juhász, won the elections and became mayor at Gyöngyöspata. None of the neo-nazi provokers were sentenced. Only one Roma man was sentenced at court, for taking part in a fight against the neo-nazis. The HCLU was very active in trying to alleviate the problems caused by the situation and also to raise awareness of it, both at the time and after the fact.

Segregation of the school “The water will stink” – says a Roma child in Gyöngyöspata, of one of the reasons why teachers do not allow them to participate in swimming training at school. This is just one example of discrimination faced by Roma children in the local elementary school. Still, HírTV, one of Hungary’s television news channels, is producing programs - including one made 41

to seem as an investigative report - which aim to present the lack of segregation at the school. HírTV even went as far as to deem a journalist of the British paper The Guardian and the HCLU non-credible and dishonest. HirTV forgot to mention that two separate Ombudsman’s reports concluded that Roma children in Gyöngyöspata are segregated in school, which is against the law. In our movie “Without Mercy”, directed and edited by Noémi Hatala as volunteer, we show how children are segregated and how HirTV was manipulating its report. The film had already been seen 13 thousand times when HirTV banned it from Index.hu, (we later uploaded it to YouTube) and sued us for what we said in our Blog about them. We will find out the verdict in 2013.

Oszkár Juhász as Mayor of Gyöngyöspata

interviewed Oszkár Juhász on his phone, in which he said that he is the one that decides who gets wood and who doesn’t. In the meantime, firewood processed by public workers is piled up in the court of the Municipality. The Mayor, of the radical right wing party Jobbik, plans to buy from its sale a new furnace and heat his own municipality building with it. Later in 2012, an audio recording leaked out, in which Oszkár Juhász, with his campaign manager, is talking about an inevitable civil war in Hungary, which they will have to win.

The campaign manager said about the Roma people: “In the future, we will not have time to make war for weeks and month. We will have to grind this race down in a couple of days.” because of the horrible words, the local Roma people organised a protest, which we recorded and uploaded.

For a better future?

We made a short movie about the reasons why the Mátraalja Water Management Association denounced the Municipality of Gyöngyöspata after the municipality transported wood from the territory of the Association without permission. This wood was prepared and meant for public workers, but Oszkár Juhész did not want this to happen. The head of the Mátraalja Water Management Association said that there is no other municipality in the region that would not be a partner in helping people get wood for cold weather. Later, the head of the local TASZPONT 42

After the incident in Gyöngyöspata the uniformed “For a Better Future Union”, tied to the radical right wing party Jobbik, appeared in Magyarbánhegyes. They say they are there to protect civilians, but in truth they terrorise and frighten Roma people and children. Locals say police are not protecting them.

Uniformed patrolling activity by paramilitary groups has been banned after Gyöngyöspata, but it has continued in Magyarbánhegyes. In our movie: “For a Better Future: We don’t patrol, we observe” locals tell

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us how they are being frightened by them, and also, how there was no trouble between Roma and non Roma citizens in the village. (Watched 16 thousand times)

providers to follow regulations relating to their position under normal circumstances, these rules are often neglected in public work projects by the state and local governments themselves. Systematically, public Public works program in workers are not provided with tools Hungary and protective gear. They are forced to work with their own tools while The 2012 budget for the public works they are threatened with the loss program is 140-150 billion forints. of their job. Another problematic In the film “This is favouritism” you practice is the continuous recording can hear from individuals affected of the workers by their work providers by the public works program, throughout their workday. It is very and experts on the subject. While common for workers to receive their minority Ombudsman, Ernő Kállai pay much later than they should. The observed that certain new regulations local government does not provide instituted in 2011, such as the wages any explanation, and does not established for public workers that are even state when the wages should significantly lower than the minimum be expected. Of course, there are wage, are in danger of resulting in settlements where the system in place human rights violations. Lately, while functions well, because workers are working in northeastern Hungary, treated with respect, the work morale the field workers of the HCLU have is high, and people are not worried observed that the dangers inherent for their livelihoods. Discrimination in the regulations are effectively is encoded into the system, because violating the human rights of the the heads of local government are public workers in many settlements. the ones who decide who they will The new regulation instituted in 2011 provide with work, and also the states that if someone is offered an form of employment. In smaller opportunity to join the public works settlements, personal conflicts are program, and (regardless of their often brought up in these situations, qualifications) they do not accept, and the discrimination is often based or they are fired, then they lose their on ethnicity and political differences. welfare eligibility for three years. This makes people completely vulnerable Police abuse and defenseless. One of the most significant practical problems is that It is a very frequent experience of the worker’s rights of the employed the field workers of the HCLU, that are often violated while completing Roma people are disproportionally public works. While the state and fined for minor offences, their local government expect work bikes or how they go on the roads.

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Roma travelling by bicycle in Kesznyéten are systematically fined for trivialities. When our film crew visited Kesznyéten, they interviewed non-Roma cyclists as well. Out of these randomly chosen 10 individuals there was only one person who had received a fine for a cycling offence. Even though on average, their bicycles were not in a better condition or better equipped. Still, the non-Roma travelling by bicycle are not even stopped by the police.

It appears that not only do the police issue fines for offences based on ethnicity, those who receive the fines are often not informed of why they received the fine. Even when there is a basis for the fine, the scale of the fine is disproportionate to the offence. In the case of a trivial offence, such as an individual releasing the handlebar with one hand on his/her bicycle for a second, the police has a right - if there is at all reason to believe the action is “dangerous to society” (this is a requirement for determining an offence)- to only give a warning to the cyclist. Instead, they hand out 5-10-20 thousand forint fines.

approximately 1600. He built from scratch a small workroom in the front yard of their house and for years he made a living repairing bicycles. But a couple of years ago he had to say goodbye to his quiet life, when Csabi, the police officer serving in his village, began fining him for every step he took. In the beginning he rode around on a bicycle, and he was fined again and again for related charges.

Then Józsi’s bike was stolen from his yard. From then on he was fined by the patrol for pedestrian violations.

For example, for not walking on the pavement. In our video it can be seen there isn’t a continuous or properly built pavement, and where there is, it’s in a very bad condition, so people mostly use the road. Józsi was also fined for not using the pedestrian crossing. The truth is, there are no pedestrian crossings in the village at all. Thanks to our mediation and the competent police chief, officer Csabi doesn’t fine our client anymore, and his groundless harassment has been stopped.

The police are often much more violent with Roma citizens. One example is what happened in Hatvan, The main character in our other film where the police attacked a Roma “He’s after me and won’t leave me group that gathered in front of the alone” is Józsi, who was picked up by police station. The HCLU is now the local policemen three years ago. exploring the truth concerning the Since then he has been fined many events that took place in Hatvan many times. Józsi is in his late thirties, on November 22nd and trying to he has a family, a peaceful life and validate the rights of the abused many friends. He’s been living with his victims. We think that neither the partner for years in great poverty in a written announcement, nor the village in Borsod County, population published video footage by the 46

police contains the events fully. With our video crew, we travelled on site on November 26th in order to try to rebuild Thursday afternoon’s events with the help of the concerned people and eyewitnesses as well.

The best example of the use of double standards by the police is the severe and racist incident that occurred on August 5th in Devecser at a radical right wing demonstration.

One of the hateful demonstrating groups behaved quite violently, throwing bottles and stones at a house where Roma people lived.

Their actions constituted violence against a member of the community, which is a crime more severe than truculence, but the many police officers present to ensure the demonstration didn’t arrest anyone,

didn’t use any compelling device, and the prosecution didn’t order anyone’s pretrial detention. We created an educational publication and a video for those who became victims of hate crime, and who would like to report it. We also filmed about another event in Sajónémeti. The local Roma community was harassed many times.

Police went into their houses and harassed people because there was a robbery nearby. The perpetrator was caught, but the harassment did not stop for weeks. Another story is about a case where a teacher tied a kid to a chair in the classroom. We filmed this case and the parents went to court, and the teacher was found guilty for restricting personal freedom, and was warned by the court.

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Disability Rights The Disability Rights Program Director, Tamás Verdes, with the help of the cameraman of the Roma program, produced a series of articles with videos. The series is titled “Peculiar neighbours of ours: people with disabilities in Hungary.” The articles and videos are meant to display the situation of people with intellectual disability, multiple disabilities and people with autism. What is it like to live a life with a disability in Hungary after the transition? What kind of life do those unfamiliar and peculiar people experience in our neighbourhood?

This film features social policy and human rights from a personal point of view and in a broader context.

benefits. But what kind of needs do these families have? On the one hand, they would need support in developing and helping their children and in satisfying the special needs caused by their disabilities. On the other hand, their should be efforts to include them in society. The state does not seem to perform any of these tasks.

“Is it that if I lived somewhere else, I would be lucky and he could go to school?” asks Tomi’s mother in our second movie, “Trauma Engraved in Law”. It seems, that schooling your child with multiple disabilities is mainly a question of luck in nowadays Hungary,as they hardly have any rights. There is a special group of “The state starts to help families children in Hungary, namely the only when they already become 3000 children with severe, multiple ruined and totally gone bust, instead disabilities for whom the fundamental of preventing them from failing. rights to education are not ensured.

A helping hand should have been Although they have been subject given before families were ruined to compulsory full-time schooling beyond recovery.” The parent, Zoltán under national law since 2006, the Domán, speaking in the first film “The compromises and loopholes hidden in End of my Former Life” casts light the regulations make the education of on one of the major characteristics these children impossible. The most of Hungarian social policy. It is an crucial consequence of dropping essential experience of people with out of school is that children do not disabilities or families raising a child become a part of peer groups, and with disabilities that they do not get so cannot develop adequately, with sufficient support from the state or the result that special needs therapy from the local municipalities to be cannot overcome the resulting able to live as equal members of handicaps. Another consequence is the society. This can be traced back that one of the parents has to stay to society’s attitude towards these at home to take care of the child all families, the social services and cash day long, so he or she usually cannot 48

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find employment. This situation eventually results in poverty and dependence on state benefits. In case the family cannot sponsor this way of life, there is no other choice but to institutionalize the child.

Their options are to choose from the totalitarian institutions that should be abolished in accordance with national regulations and Hungary’s obligations in international agreements, as they are the inhuman relics of an outdated socio-political concept.

Such a choice means a necessary acquiescence to the disruption of the family. It is definitely the most serious and irreparable trauma in a child’s life. As for the parents, it remains a lifelong burden of remorse and self-accusation.In the third part of the series “I am kind of happy, that I’m poor”, Géza, who is under guardianship, talks about himself, and what he think of his lack of suffrage. Restricting the right to political participation of persons with intellectual disabilities has always been taken as a normal element of the European political tradition. It has been deeply entrenched in the minds of both voters and politicians and it seems that even the people concerned tend to accept this restriction. While Europe is to dismantle the means of disfranchisement, Hungary’s changes seem cosmetic. In the fourth part “They wanted to take my child away”, Mária Sztojka was said to have mental disabilities, and she was put into an institution. In the institution she was raped, and they wanted to force 50

her to have abortion. Today she is living alone and raising her daughter.

Forced abortions and sterilisations are a frequent form of abuse against women with mental disabilties or issues.

The last film produced in Hungarian about disability rights is an interview with Gábor Gombos, member of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, titled “A convention can have a heart.”

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the guardianship which is called “substitute decision-making” based on the full restriction of legal capacity must be canceled and replaced by supported decision-making.

The newly proposed Hungarian regulations will be in violations of the Convention.

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Sex Work “If somebody is working as a baker, their work without exploitation and she is selling bread. I am a sex rights abuses. Although in Hungary Sex Work sex work is legal, there are many worker, I sell my body.” The HCLU problems. Our movie about sex work produced a 40 minute movie on sex “If somebody is working a baker,isshe bread.

I amissues a sex worker, I sell how explains these and shows work in Hungary, titled as “Where theis selling my body.”

The HCLU produced a 40 minute movie on sex work in Hungary, titled sex workers live in Hungary. We made Truth?” about how the Association “Where is the Truth?” about how the Association of Sex Workers in Hungary (SZEXE) the film pro bono for SZEXE, with our ofhelps Sex those Workers in Hungary (SZEXE) in need. The primary aim of SZEXE is the integration of sex workers into helps those primary aimwishcolleagues Melinda Zsolt, as and reporter, society.

Theyin areneed. ready The to help those who to stop working in the sex trade, Bordás cameraman, and ofthey SZEXE thethose integration of sexsex work Róbert try toishelp who continue to do their work as without exploitation and rights abuses.

Although Hungary is legal, there are many problems.

Márti Mészáros as director and editor. workers into society.

Theyinare readysex to work Our movie about sex work explains these issues and shows how sex workers in on The movie was seen 32600live times help those who wish to stop working made the film pro bono for SZEXE, with our colleagues Melinda Zsolt, Indavideo. inHungary. the sexWe trade, and they try to help as reporter, Róbert Bordás as cameraman, and Márti Mészáros as director and editor. those whowas continue sex work to Indavideo. do The movie seen 32600 times on

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Drug Policy The government deals very badly with drug policy. While criticising the previous government for not doing enough to deal with drug problems, it deals with them even less itself.

While it preaches the necessity of clear goals, it could not provide a new drug strategy in the last two years, after rejecting the previous one. While it talks about recovery oriented approach, it cuts funding for these services. While it talks about the importance of prevention, these programs close down day by day.

Harm reduction centres in Budapest are running out of supplies, posing the threat of an HIV epidemic. In Budapest’s largest needle exchange center, there only remain two or three weeks’ reserves of sterile needles and syringes to provide to intravenous drug users - according to NGOs dealing with low-threshold services in the Hungarian capital. Over 2000 drug users could end up without sterile supplies, in the event that the government fails to intervene. the HCLU made a movie about the situation titled “Budapest at the edge of an HIV explosion”. Péter Sárosi, the Drug Policy Program coordinator, campaigned for support of these programs. he appeared in many articles and on TV, and the ministry started to deal with the problem, and work on improved funding. At least, they made some promises. In 2012, the Blue Point Foundation started its unique program, for women every second week. At this

time the program accepts no men, but accepts marginalized, homeless, sex worker or intravenous drug user women, to respond to their unique needs. Beyond needle exchange and condoms, they get individual counseling and clothes. The financing of the program for the long run is as yet unresolved, which is why we made a short film “Needle Exchange Just for Women!” to try to promote them and raise funding. We made another short movie about the Blue Point Foundation, when it held an interesting press conference.

According to the recent ESPAD study, binge drinking is more common among Hungarian youth than in the majority of EU countries, and while elsewhere in the EU, cannabis use is stable, it is on the rise in Hungary.

The press conference ended with a symbolic act. Dávid Ferenc of Blue Point sealed the message in a bottle: “Message in the Bottle - Dare to have less!” and threw it in the Danube. Maybe it will give pause for thought to whoever finds it.. The NGOs working in the drug care field organise a conference each year and we usually record the speeches. At this year’s conference, the Deputy Under-secretary of the first FIDESZ government, Ákos Topolánszky, delivered a serious critique of the drug policy of the second FIDESZ government. We uploaded all of the other 10 presentations too.

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IN THE OFOF HUNGRY GHOSTS IN THEREALM REALM HUNGRY GHOSTS Dr. Gábor is aisdoctor, best best sellingselling authorauthor and welland know expert on expert drug useon and Dr. GáborMáté Máté a doctor, well know drug drugand policy.

He policy. is from Vancouver, whereCanada, many drug usersmany live, and where use drug He is fromCanada, Vancouver, where drug users many innovative social services exist.

He spent two years as a doctor at InSite, theas live, and where many innovative social services exist. He spent two years only legal supervised safer injection facility in North America. He summarized his aexperiences doctor at inInSite, the only legal supervised safer injection facility in North a new book: “In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts.” Máté visited Hungary America. He summarized his experiences in a new book: “In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts.” Máté visited Hungary on the occasion of the Hungarian edition of his new book. We made a teaser for the Hungarian discussion 54

forums with him, we recorded one such forum in Budapest and we also released our interview with him, shot earlier in Vancouver.

on the occasion of the Hungarian edition of his new book. We made a teaser for the discussion forums withdrug him, we recorded such forumIs in itBudapest WhatHungarian is the relationship between policies andone corruption? presentand we also and released interview with him,it? shot earlier in Vancouver. in Hungary, if so,our how can we fight The Hungarian UN Society

organised an event on world drug day, to which they invited the Drug Policy Program Director of the HCLU, PĂŠter SĂĄrosi. We recorded and uploaded three speeches.

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Freedom of Information

Freedom of Speech

Freedom of information is the most important tool of control over the government. There is a great need for it with a government commanding a two thirds of majority in the Parliament. Our short movie “The Girl Who Asked for the Public Data” explains how people can ask for public data. In general, contracts made by the government and data about public spending should be available to the public. We also explain what people can do if their request is rejected, and how the HCLU helps in court in strategic cases.

For the citizen of a democratic republic, the freedom of the press is the most important civil right. This makes it possible to discuss public issues, and to have an opinion on how governments fulfill their duty.

Can journalists call a politician corrupt? Can they call the minister impotent? Or a celebrity an idiot? In our short movie “What can the press say”, we try to answer these burning questions. The HCLU is providing legal assistance for those journalists who’s rights have been violated.

We sometimes lose these battles for public data. One such case was a request by Tamás Bodoky of atlatszo. hu. He asked for contracts of the indirectly state owned Vértes Power Plant Ltd., which produced losses of billions of Forints. The court said, the Power Plant is not working for the public, and therefore it does not have to provide the requested data. In the video you can watch the verdict.

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We kept recording public protests in 2012. We uploaded all the speeches from the protest for freedom of speech and against the antidemocratic acts of the recent Government, held by the “One Million People for the Freedom of Press” (Milla) on the 15th of March.

We also uploaded video of the speech of Balázs Dénes, president of the HCLU, at the protest organised by civilians for the protection of the only remaining opposition radio, Klub Rádió.

Simon Éva, politikai szabadságjogok programvezető.

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HIV/AIDS December first is the International AIDS Day. It is the day when the issue gets more attention, and unfortunately the only time when the Hungarian media deals with it. We produced a short video spot for this day that was published on Index.hu and has beenseen by five thousand people. The video was produced by our volunteer, Márti Mészáros.

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Patients’ Rights Patient’s Rights There are 100-200 thousand people

infected with Hepatitis C in Hungary.

ARE HCLU STRICTER ABORTION RULES COMThe filmed the protest ING? for better health care and wider availability of the latest and most Accordingmedications to public polls, the abortion effective for people laws are supported living with HepatitisbyC.the Thepublic video– however produced the government have plans was by ourmay volunteer, Mártito tighten the laws and this can cause probMészáros.

the international legal environment and the existing research data.

Contraceptives are hardthe to acquire and The first video shows negative lack of knowledge is widespread. consequences of tightening the In the second part the series, Johanna abortion laws inof Poland, where the Westeson, European Director of the tough laws do not achieve their goal: Center for Reproductive Rights, talks while there are about 800 registered about international law regarding right cases annually in Poland, there are to life and abortion. The film was pro80-200 thousand abortions either duced by our volunteer, Noémi Hatala illegally conducted or conducted and the Head of the Patients Rights abroad. are hard program,Contraceptives Stefánia Kapronczay. to acquire and lack of knowledge isACCESS widespread.

In the second part TO MEDICINES of the series, Johanna Westeson, European Director of the Center for There are 100-200 thousand people Reproductive Rights, talks about infected with Hepatitis C in Hungary. international law regarding right The HCLU filmed the protest for better to life and abortion. The film was health care and wider availability of the produced oureffective volunteer, Noémi latest and by most medications Hatala and living the Head of the Patients for people with Hepatitis C. The Rights program, Stefánia Kapronczay. video was produced by our volunteer,

lems. In the new “The Basic Law of Hungary” there is a half sentence which says According to public polls, that everybody has the rightthe to life from abortion laws are supported the conception, and this may resultby in serious public – however government consequences.

Wethe started a video series may have to the tighten the negative laws in which weplans discuss possible and this can problems.

In thelaw, outcomes of cause a more strict abortion new “The Basic of Hungary” and we show theLaw international legal environment and sentence the existing research there is a half which saysdata.

The video shows the right negative consethat first everybody has the to life quences of tightening laws from conception, and the this abortion may result in serious Poland, consequences. where the toughWe laws do not in started whilewe there are about aachieve video their seriesgoal: in which discuss 800 possible registered cases annually in Poland, the negative outcomes of a Márti Mészáros. there are 80-200 thousand abortions either more strict abortion law, and we show illegally conducted or conducted abroad.

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Tivadar Hüttl, Data Protection and Freedom of Information program director, in the campaign movie.

Political freedoms Political Freedoms

It is strong lobbying laws that We often record interesting public differentiates advocacy and lobbying discussions, and we usually record It is strong lobbying laws that differ- relationship of youth and politics, tifrom corruption, and democratic those organized by szuveren.hu. entiates advocacy and lobbying from tled, “Indifference or Radicalisation?” lawmaking from self-interested This time we recorded a discussion corruption, and democratic lawmaking The guests were: Mihály Csákó, Marlawmaking.

The lack lawmaking. of a lobbying the relationship of youth and Feischmidt, Ágnes Gagyi és Cecília from self-interested The git on law lobbying in a grey zone. Kovai. politics, titled, “Indifference or lack enables of a lobbying law enables lobbying In democratic Radicalisation?” The guests were: in aHungary, grey zone.

In Hungary,lawmaking democratic rules often rules do not apply. are Mihály Csákó, Margit Feischmidt, lawmaking often do Laws not apply. being written a non-transparent Ágnes Gagyi és Cecília Kovai.

Laws are beinginwritten in a non-transway, dictated by companies or other parent way, dictated by companies or other interests, of represeninterests, insteadinstead of representatives tatives studying research and advice. expert studying research and expert advice.

It isthat crucial the activities It is crucial the that activities of of lobbying actors are made transparlobbying actors are made transparent, ent, therefore the HCLU launched a therefore the HCLU launched a campaign for campaign foraa new newlobby lobbylaw. law.InInour short campaign video titled “We need our short campaign video titled “We a lobby law now!”, we asked people need a lobby law now!”, we asked to send letters to the minister and ask people to send the letters to the him to facilitate drafting ofminister a new and ask him to facilitate the drafting law. We often record interesting pubof new law. and we usually record lic adiscussions, those organized by szuveren.hu. This time we recorded a discussion on the

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ร dรกm Surรกnyi, videographer of the roma program.

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R贸bert Bord谩s, cameraman of the HCLU. 63

Fundraising The MajorDesign made an introductory cartoon for HCLU in 2012. The actress Patrícia Kovács gave her voice to the movie. Here, we would like to thank them for their kind help. In 2012 we were supported by many Hungarian celebrities in a series of videos for the 1% taxexempt campaign. The celebrities were: Vilmos Vajdai, Ádám Fekete, Gergő Kovács, Sickratman, László Szily, István Vágó, Gergő Barcza, “Pedro, the Drug Lord,” János Bródy 64

and Péter Müller Sziámi. The movies were made by Róbert Bordás as cameraman and Noémi Hatala as volunteer editor and director. In 2012 we launched the “Pass a Thousand Forints for the HCLU!” campaign. In the two short movies, the celebrities Róbert Puzsér, András Hajós, Attilla Till and Bori Péterfy ask for a small regular donation for the HCLU, in the style of Reservoir Dogs (watched 20 thousand times).

About us The HCLU celeberated its 18th birthday in December, 2012. At the celebration, Balázs Dénes, former head of the HCLU, said goodbye to the members, and welcomed the new president, Gábor Attila Tóth and the new CEO, András Darányi. We uploaded the speech of Gábor Attila Tóth.

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Hungarian Civil Liberties Union 2014

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