Americas

Venezuela's Luis Gerardo Gabaldón has been studying mechanisms of social control as responses to crime, and states that some of the failures of the current police forces in the region may be attributed to the fact these mechanisms are disconnected from the control of police violence. The professor discusses the need for practical training manuals and adequate training for police officers.

A bill introduced in the past week in the US congress would end the sentencing disparity between crack and cocaine that sent hundreds of youths to prison. After crime rates have dropped and crack prices have fallen, is crack use still associated to violence? What kind of social harm is caused by cocaine derivative?

Decriminalizing the consumption of marijuana and begin dealing with drugs as a public health subject were the recommendations made during the release of the Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy declaration, in Rio.

Law makers and politicians in Latin America consider the need for harm reduction and the effects of repressive policies. The Presidents of Mexico, Honduras and Argentina have spoken in favor of decriminalizing drug use, just as the United Nations is poised to re-evaluate the first ten years of the War on Drugs.

The Sixth National Drug Policy Conference convened 400 people in Argentina's lower house of congress. They discussed drug policy reform, and mentioned Brazil and Uruguay as regional leaders in making the law more flexible for drug users.  

This issue shows, as in August of every year, a statistical data report that refers to exports and imports of small arms and light weapons in Latin American and the Caribbean. Far from trying to do an exhausting analysis of national policy of arms trade, this study provides a number of statistical data for a much unexplored reality in the region.

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After seven years of success in Brazil, the youth violence prevention initiative "Fight for Peace" is being replicated in the United Kingdom. “We will work with youth one to one, we want success inside and outside the ring." says founder and director Luke Dowdney.

Shift in cocaine routes threatens security in W. Africa, while inflating cocaine-related offenses and adversely affecting public health in Europe.

Researchers went out to meet and interview families in Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil  to find out whether children are heard in family matters. The results are not encouraging, first, parents need to be active citizens themselves. In those families that do, the result is higher self-esteem and more respect for others.