I have been working hard for a long time alongside a multidisciplinary team to build the fundamental framework of this new born institution, which today is only a few weeks away from being legally constituted in Germany.

Dear Knowmads and Steemians, it is my pleasure to introduce to you the European Institute for Multidisciplinary Studies in Human Rights and Science (@Knowmad Institut), a truly multidisciplinary and independent Think & Do Tank that operates internationally and is dedicated to:

1- Promote human dignity and essential rights.

2- Research and advise in the areas of Human Rights, Special Populations, Drug Policy, Ethnobotany and New Technologies.

3- Document and inform through knowledge management and intergenerational collaboration.

4- Preservation of knowledge about the spirituality, sacramental practices, philosophy, religiosity and/or cosmovisions of human groups in different cultures, their evolution and impact on today’s society.

Motivated by the 4th Industrial Revolution, the geopolitical instability, the precarization of labour conditions, the profound cultural changes, the massive migrations, the extreme violence, the systematic violations of human rights and their effects, we decided to create the Knowmad lnstitut to study, analyze and propose innovative ways for the protection of ethnosphere, intergenerational collaboration and sustainable development. In this way, all of us who are part of this Think & Do Tank and those who continue to join it contribute to the construction of a fairer, multidimensional and equitable society.

While non-stop technological progress and the digitalisation of information involve a quantum leap for knowledge management, this is still ignored by many of the so-called “migrants” or “digital orphans”. It is right here that intergenerational collaboration takes a special importance, in which experience, the use of technology and a globalised vision are interconnected.

Today, working and interacting with people from different generations is a real challenge, especially in adult and gerontocentric societies. This is why we propose the Knowmad Institut as a multidisciplinary focus where innovation and collective thinking go beyond philosophical and technological aspects. This implies the promotion of pragmatic proposals for the change of development models while protecting human dignity.

The disruptive technologies sooner than later will break into our society. Technologies such as blockchain or artificial intelligence will be key to this transformation and will change the rules of the social pact. In this regard, we recognize that knowledge management and intergenerational collaboration are fundamental factors for a healthy transition towards a multipolar 4.0 world that must include listening to all of us who are part of society in order to be strategically aligned for the common welfare.

Our Kernel (as we love calling our core team) after more than a decade of work in defense of human dignity and the promotion of sustainable development with NGO´s, FBO´s, intergovernmental organizations, special populations, bio-psycho-social agents, opinion makers and decision makers at the local, regional and international levels, we observe the lack of an independent and transparent entity that would build bridges between civil society, academia, states and the private sector to produce positive social impacts.

Our founding team, coming from different contexts and geographical regions, collect several years of analysis, surveys and studies on drug and human rights policies, participation in international forums, and so on. We took as our own the challenge of finding and promoting alternatives to the model of necropolitics imposed by those who exercise power.

We are pioneers in Harm Reduction and Risk Management work with faith-based organizations. We have worked in Argentina, Paraguay, El Salvador, Uruguay and Germany, and have also coordinated and managed multiple studies and research towards a new approach to drug regulation in Latin America. We have also coordinated public and political advocacy projects, training leaders in the areas of Human Rights, Sexual Health and Reproductive Rights, Food Sovereignty, Technological Sovereignty and Sustainable Development.

We have direct experience in Crisis Coverage, Organization of Specialized Events, Working with Intergovernmental Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations, Faith Based Organizations, Social Movements and Digital Media in Europe and Latin America.

The Consolidation of the Base Team

Our work for the defense of human dignity has taken us to different latitudes and situations that have made us grow collectively and individually. However, our work on drug policy reform in the Northern Triangle, the advocacy for the rights of the LGBTIQ community and the promotion of sexual and reproductive rights led us to confront very dark forces.

It is well known to most people that the most violent region of the American continent is the Northern Triangle of Central America (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras); for this reason, it will not surprise you that our public statements and our work as defenders of Human Rights and Individual Liberties would result in fundamentalist and organized crime groups linked to the State security forces harassing, threatening and attempting against our lives. Going so far as to set fire to private property, threaten public demonstrations organized by us and even the execution of a Harm Reduction and Risk Management volunteer.

 

 

The situation escalated and forced us to find support from our allies in Uruguay. This professional and life experience, today with its obstacles overcome, have made us a team consolidated by commitment.

Since then, we have deepened and diversified our international network of contacts and progressed towards an international advocacy strategy for the reform of the international drug control model.

We made dozens of presentations on drug policy, human rights, theology, new technologies, mental health and public policy in more than 12 cities, 10 countries and 2 continents.
We participated in the preparatory processes, the high-level consultative meetings and the United Nations Special Assembly on Drugs (UNGASS-2016).
We are currently part of the civil society representation of the Northern Triangle of Central America in the Post-UNGASS process which culminated during the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs session in 2019.

During the session, member States will sign the “new political declaration for international drug control”, marking the beginning of a phase intimately linked to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

The Knowmad Institut was born in response to the need for intergenerational collaboration and multidisciplinary work to build bridges between civil society, academia, states and the private sector.

Blockchain for Human Dignity
After a broad consultation we have decided to create the “Blockchain International Observatory for Human Dignity” to advocate in a multidisciplinary and multidimensional way for the adoption of the Blockchain technology for the protection of human dignity and ethnosphere.

Essential Rights and Drug Policy
We promote a reform of the current international drug control model that recognizes the traditional uses of psychoactive substances, which is based on socio-sanitary and human rights aspects.

Through our drug policy advocacy program and the International Observatory for Human Rights and Drug Policy we will manage and promote multidisciplinary studies and research on fungi, plants and psychoactive substances for public welfare, social justice and integral health.

Freedom of Expression and New Technologies
Being aware of the siege of freedom of expression and the obstacles to exercising freedom of thought, we are determined to make pragmatic reflections on the implementation of the blockchain and other technologies as tools to guarantee the exercise of freedom of expression. This for special populations, social movements, alternative media, opinion leaders, journalists, artists and activists who are constantly censored and harassed by local governments and major disinformation corporations.