Creating Roadmaps for Substance Abuse Free Environments
Substance Abuse Free Environment Forum 2018
The S.A.F.E. (Substance Abuse Free Environment) Forum was a multi-stakeholder conference hosted by Fourth Wave Foundation in India with the aim of sensitising, creating awareness, and influencing policy change for creating Substance Abuse Free Environment. This strategic effort enabled stakeholders to understand the importance of their role in shaping the environment for children through best practices.
Proposing Youth Engagement at the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs
United Nations 61st Commission on Narcotic Drugs
At the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), Fourth Wave Foundation has consistently advocated for stronger representation of youth civil society members in formal discussions and side events, recognising young people as key stakeholders in global drug policy. Over the years, this sustained engagement has contributed to a marked increase in youth participation at the CND. Today, young leaders are regularly featured across side events and civil society platforms, increasingly recognised and positioned as frontline advocates in shaping more responsive and inclusive drug policies.
First Asian Regional Forum on the Right to a Drug Free Childhood
Asian Regional Forum Against Drugs 2019
The Asian Regional Forum Against Drugs (ARFAD) was a regional advocacy platform organised by the Fourth Wave Foundation and the World Federation Against Drugs (WFAD) in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The platform advanced dialogue on drug policy grounded in public health and well-being by bringing together civil society members, key decision-makers, and practitioners from across Asia.
Inception of So Why I Engage
Youth Engagement Platform
In 2020, So Why I Engage, a youth engagement platform was established to connect young people from diverse regions to empower and engage with multiple social development outlooks through conversations, ideation, and discussions. The platform, led by teens and youth,
actively advocates for youth representation in matters concerning them.
Youth Representation at International Platforms
Youth Engagement Platform
In 2023, the first cohort of youth representatives from So Why I Engage presented at side events during the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND). This marked a significant milestone in advancing youth participation in global policy spaces. Since then, youth representatives from Fourth Wave Foundation have continued to present and actively engage in international discussions and consultations focused on child rights and the promotion of substance abuse free environments.
International Forum on Right to Drug Free Childhood
Children Matter Forum 2022
Children Matter Forum (CMF) 2022 was a global advocacy platform organised and convened by Fourth Wave Foundation – Project VENDA©, World Federation Against Drugs (WFAD), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), reaffirming every child’s right to a drug-free childhood. The forum advocated for the creation of Substance Abuse Free Environments by prioritising primary prevention in national drug policies, aligning with UNGASS recommendations, and placing children at the centre of global and regional responses.
Youth Capacity Building
11th Asian Youth Forum on Drug Use Prevention
The 11th Asian Youth Forum on Drug Use Prevention was an Asian region platform that empowered young people to become informed advocates for substance use prevention within their institutions and communities by the Colombo Plan Drug Advisory Programme (DAP) and supported by the US Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).
Deliberations on Intergenerational Understanding of Substance Use
United Nations 68th Commission on Narcotic Drugs
At the 68th Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), Fourth Wave Foundation organised a side event on Intergenerational Understanding of Substance Use and Prevention. The event explored how bridging generational perspectives can positively influence youth behavioural health and laid the groundwork for developing an intergenerational accompaniment model for prevention.