With drug-related deaths on the increase, Peter Krykant looks ahead to Cranstoun’s Social Justice Conference 2024.
Drug deaths and harms are increasing, the cost-of-living crisis is impacting families and young people, homelessness is rising, prisons are overflowing and cases of domestic abuse are at appalling levels.
Cranstoun’s three-day Social Justice Conference will cover the five key areas of domestic abuse, young people’s services, criminal justice, housing and homelessness, and of course substance use. The theme is ‘innovation and collaboration’ – coming together to learn, share and be inspired by each other.
At Cranstoun we believe in empowering people, meeting people where they’re at and delivering services that are designed by the people they’re there to serve. At this conference we’ll hear from leaders in the field, from those with living experience and those who challenge outdated laws and stereotypes.
While we all work as hard as we can as individuals to support people often experiencing multiple forms of disadvantage, we believe our combined knowledge, expertise, compassion and voice can drive the wider policy changes needed for real meaningful change. This is exactly why this conference is so critical – to steal the theme of this year’s DDN conference, we really are ‘Stronger Together’.
So who should attend? Anyone with an interest in social justice – third sector, drug services, prison, police and probation services, housing associations, social workers, commissioners, health services, night-time economy, community safety teams.
When last year’s inaugural Cranstoun Social Justice Conference took place in Brighton, we were joined by delegates from all over the world – Aamer Anwar the Scottish human rights lawyer, renowned Canadian activist Zoe Dodd and author and reader in law Dr Kojo Koram were among a wide range of speakers covering topics like drug decriminalisation, racial justice, sex work, civil disobedience, overdose prevention sites and heroin-assisted treatment.
After amazing feedback we’re ready for #SocialJustice24 which will take place from 18 to 20 September at the Birmingham Conference and Events Centre. Much has changed since last year’s event, with the drug supply in the UK becoming increasingly toxic – which makes the need to scale up harm reduction services crucial.
‘It’s imperative now that we use spaces like the Social Justice Conference to find our people and team up to prevent further drug deaths, given the rise in adulterants like nitazenes and xylazine,’ said keynote speaker and Release’s service coordinator, Shayla Schlossenberg. ‘I’m grateful for the chance to speak and look forward to finding accomplices interested in taking action against the toxic drug supply.’
Alongside Shayla, we’re delighted to welcome other keynote speakers including Judy Chang from the International Network of People Who Use Drugs, outgoing executive director of Harm Reduction International and Cranstoun board member Naomi Burke-Shyne, our very own director at Cranstoun Meg Jones, Hannah Boyle and Claire Longmuir from Simon Community Scotland, Anna Millington from HR M2M Network, Deb Hussey from Turning Point and Aura Roig Forteza from Metzineres in Barcelona.
We’ll also have poster displays and an exhibition space, and the conference registration will include free-flowing tea and coffee. There’ll be a full lunch each day, and a social evening with a drink included on arrival for each delegate.
Last year we brought together individuals and organisations (that are often competing for contracts and tenders) to share ideas in a safe space, a space where we could be honest and open with each other about some of the challenges we faced as drug deaths continue to rise. Our challenges now are even greater. The Social Justice Conference will give everyone attending enhanced knowledge and expertise so we can meet them head on.
For further information and tickets click here
For group rates, exhibition spaces and student rates email pkrykant@cranstoun.org.uk and events@cranstoun.org.uk
Peter Krykant is events and campaigns lead at Cranstoun