BRAHA, Brazilian Humanitarians in Action (Brasileiros Humanitários em Ação) is a non-profit association established with the objective of supporting and informing about initiatives which can better life quality of the inhabitants of Brazil as well as of other places of the world.

BRAHA acts in association with diverse sectors of society, including universities, schools, private enterprise, public administrations, in order to motivate them to work for an healthier world without the use of psicoactive substances.

BRAHA is closely involved with the concept, the philosophy and the practice of preventive cities.

BRAHA Executive Board was awarded a prize of excellence in international leadership in drug prevention, granted by RIPRED, Interamerican Drug Prevention Network.

PREMIO RIPRED 2001 AL LIDERAZGO INTERNACIONAL EN LA PREVENCION DE LAS DROGAS

http://www.ripred.org/dpna/events/excellence.htm

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Opinions about BRAHA from distinguished international leaders…

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Sandra S. Bennett, Director - Northwest Center for Health & Safety

Calvina L. Fay, Executive Director - Drug Free America Foundation

Botho Simolin, Former Deputy Chairman. Irti Huumeista - Free From Drugs Finland

Peter Stoker, Director - NDPA. C.Eng., M.I.C.E. (Retd).

December, 2003

We at the Northwest Center for Health & Safety are extremely pleased to see the new website for BRAHA (Brazilian Humanitarians in Action), a drug prevention organization under the directorship of Professor Mina Seinfeld de Carakushansky.

We are familiar with Professor Carakushansky’s ongoing and exemplary work in the area of drug prevention education and of her worldwide recognition for excellence in this field. Although Professor Carakushansky has received many awards for her outstanding efforts in a wide range of endeavors, it is her work in drug prevention that shines like a beacon for law enforcement and drug prevention efforts around the world.

We extend our congratulations to BRAHA and to Professor Carakushansky and look forward to sharing information that will further the prevention of the use of illicit drugs and the illegal or reckless use of legal substances. There are few troubles in society that are not caused or worsened by the use of psychoactive and addictive substances. If we are to better the world for future generations, we must strive to prevent first use of such debilitating substances. BRAHA, under the leadership of Professor Carakushansky, will move Brazil forward in this endeavor.

Sandra S. Bennett, Director
Northwest Center for Health & Safety
www.drugandhealthinfo.org

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Dear Mina:

Congratulations on the launch of your new program, Humanitarian Brazilians in Action (BRAHA).

I have known you and worked closely with you for over five years now and I have no doubt that under your leadership, BRAHA will become very influential and effective in the promotion of sound drug policy and drug prevention. You are extremely knowledgeable on the topic and have the unusual ability to push things forward and get the job done. You are also a person of high integrity and unlimited energies. The people of Rio de Janeiro are lucky to have you among them and especially lucky to have you proactive in formulating drug policy and prevention efforts.

I look forward to progress reports on the activities of BRAHA and hope that you will not hesitate to call upon me and others here at Drug Free America Foundation if we can be of help to you.

Regards,
Calvina L. Fay
Executive Director - Drug Free America Foundation

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I want to recommend anyone who works against drug abuse the services that BRAHA end especially Ms Mina Seinfeld de Carakushansky can provide. Knowing this passionate lady, who affectionately fights drug abuse in the spirit that the United Nations´ conventions declare, I can wholeheartedly stand behind her opinions that are based not only on deep theoretical knowledge but also on this knowledge put in practise.

Ms Mina Seinfeld de Carakushansky has a very wide and experienced international network that is, without exaggeration global. All these years I have worked with her I have been impressed by her capacity to handle these sometimes very delicate questions involved. One cannot but admire her passionate approach to this world´s worst problem that corrupts our young generation.

Botho Simolin
Former Deputy Chairman
Irti Huumeista - Free >From Drugs Finland

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To BRAHA - Humanitarian Brasilians in Action

I write to congratulate you on the formation of this important and potentially most influential new body, BRAHA. BRAHA is clearly much-needed right now, as a contribution to maintaining standards of national drug strategy, policy and practice at their highest possible level. From technical exchange and co-operation with you over many years, we know the great respect and high regard which you personally hold in the international community; for example, at the recent Rome Global Conference on Drug Prevention, involving some 500 delegates from 84 countries, it was clearly apparent that you are highly and warmly respected amongst your professional peers. The senior posts you have held in Brazil amply illustrate the quality of your professional service.

The Rome conference also served to highlight the key role that BRAHA can now play in this complex and difficult sector of human endeavour. At a time when too many people are deliberately confusing the arguments and issues around drug policy and practice, and advancing reckless and damaging initiatives, there is a fundamental need for an organisation that can cut through the propaganda and misinformation, and assist decision-makers to reach sound policy and practice decisions. I am confident that BRAHA will be a very valuable asset in this respect.

We agree on the basics; that a free society dedicated to the’common good’ is one that is free of drug abuse (meaning any use of an illegal drug, and any inappropriate use of a legal drug); that humans can best reach their potential when their minds and bodies are not polluted by toxins; that there must be a sensible balance of the rights of the individual and the rights of society as a whole; that the best of drug strategies are those which provide a rational and proportionate mix of prevention, education, treatment, enforcement and justice, and social care, and - most importantly - that proper, validated science should underlay and inform all strategy, policy and action.

We also agree that the most humanitarian approach is first to prevent onset of use across the whole of society, then to inter-act constructively with the lesser number who have become users. To those misguided few who advocate an acquiescent approach - with reduction of harm given undue prominence for all people, whether they are users or not - we say that the proper and only place for reducing harm is as part of the intervention/treatment process with known users, on a one-to-one basis, as they contemplate a recovery to a healthier lifestyle. We recognise the existence of pressure groups and lobbies who are abusing the humanitarian concept of reducing harm for known users, instead turning it into a psycho-political tactic to gain their ends - which would certainly be even more harmful to society.

I look forward to reports of the progress of BRAHA, which unarguably deserves the greatest possible success.

Yours sincerely,
Peter Stoker, Director, NDPA. C.Eng., M.I.C.E. (Retd).