The programme uses non-formal education to reach vulnerable young people who are at risk of drug misuse and HIV, mainly in India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, but also in Pakistan, Malaysia and Nepal. These youth often live in marginalised settings, e.g. slum dwellers, street children, or certain low caste communities. The programme also raises awareness among the broader community about drug mis-use and harm prevention activities, and develop policy with organisations and professionals, from grassroots level to regional government
This position paper has two broad purposes. First, it seeks to make explicit key aspects of the strategic thinking which has informed the design and development of the UNESCO Drug Abuse Prevention Programme for Marginalized Youth in Asia (DAPPA), as well as articulating some specific issues with which the programme engages within the context of over-arching UNESCO mandates on education and poverty eradication. Second, drawing upon experience among programme partners, the paper describes some of the key components of the project and highlights their mutually complementary nature