TNI Fellow Martin Jelsma, coordinator of the Drugs & Democracy Programme, receives the Alfred R. Lindesmith Award for Achievement in the Field of Scholarship

TNI Fellow Martin Jelsma, coordinator of the Drugs & Democracy Programme, receives the Alfred R. Lindesmith Award for Achievement in the Field of Scholarship
Long Beach, California, USA, 12 November 2005

This award recognizes scholars, like Alfred Lindesmith, whose personal courage and quality of published research constitute a source of rational inspiration for all who labor in drug policy scholarship.

From the Press Release:

Long Beach, CA - The Drug Policy Alliance will honor advocates, elected officials and organizations for their courageous work in reforming drug laws at the Drug Policy Alliance’s 2005 Biennial conference in Long Beach, CA. The awards will be presented at an awards banquet on Saturday,
November 12 at 7 p.m. at The Westin Long Beach. The banquet is sponsored by the Criminal Justice Policy Foundation.

The conference, "Building a Movement for Reason, Compassion and Justice: The Drug Policy Alliance 2005 International Biennial Conference", will attract almost 1,000 drug policy experts, health care and drug treatment professionals, elected officials and family and friends of drug war prisoners from around the country and across the world November 9-12 to promote alternatives to the failed "War on Drugs".

Conference Programme [PDF document]

The biennial awards for achievement in drug policy reform recognize the accomplishments and commitment of people and organizations that have done outstanding drug policy reform work. The awards are given every other year at the international conference of the Drug Policy Alliance.

"These are the true heroes of the War on Drugs", said Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance. "Their courageous work to reform the nation’s, misguided and ineffective drug laws are highly commendable and we are honored to be able to recognize these pioneers for their groundbreaking work".

Among this year's honorees is TNI Fellow and Coordinator of the Drugs & Democracy Programme Martin Jelsma.

Press Release - continued:

Martin Jelsma is a political scientist specializing in Latin America and international drug policy, and the coordinator and founder of the Drugs and Democracy Programme at the Transnational Institute (TNI). Mr. Jelsma has consistently provided the most trustworthy analysis of developments in countries that have the most serious drug production problems, particularly Burma and Colombia. His work is informed by an understanding of the cultural, political and social context of drug production and reflects an admirable concern with human rights. He is increasingly recognized as one of, if not the, outstanding strategists in terms of how international institutions deal with drugs and drug policy.