Programme

Day 1 - 17 November 2025 | Schedule: GMT

International launch - “Repensando a Guerra às Drogas”: Uma Nova Justiça para um Novo Capítulo da Política de Drogas no Brasil [Rethinking the War on Drugs’: A New Justice for a New Chapter in Drug Policy in Brazil]

Afternoon: Public launch event (hybrid format)

FEUC - Keynes Room

• 14h00 - 14h30 - Welcome

• 14h30 - 15h00 - Opening session by the organising entities with introduction to the two-day event programme:
  • FEUC Directors (tbc)
  • CES Director (tbc)
  • João Pedroso - Coordinator of the Doctoral Programme in Sociology of the State, Law and Justice (CES/FEUC)
  • David Pinter Cardoso - Coordinator of the 'Repensando a Guerra às Drogas' Collective
  • Luciana Zaffalon - Executive Director of 'Plataforma JUSTA'

• 15h00 - 16h00 - Presentation of the collection “Repensando a Guerra às Drogas”
  • Moderator: Vanessa Maria Brito de Jesus - General Coordinator of Plataforma JUSTA
  • Launch session for the collection with critical comments from guest researchers, highlighting the main contributions of the work and the challenges it poses to drug policy.
  • Presentation by Cristiano Maronna - Lawyer, organiser of the collection, director of 'Plataforma JUSTA', and member of the 'Repensando a Guerra às Drogas Collective'
  • Commentary:
• Wanda Capeller - Professor Emeritus at Sciences Po Toulouse and Researcher at the Centre for Social Studies at the University of Coimbra
• Sérgio Adorno - Full Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, Languages and Human Sciences of the University of São Paulo
• João Pedroso - Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Researcher at the Centre for Social Studies at the University of Coimbra

• 16h00 - 16h30 - Coffee-break (FEUC cafeteria)

• 16h30 - 18h00 - Opening dialogue ‘A new drug use policy is possible - and necessary’
  • Moderator: Nathalie Nunes - Researcher at 'Plataforma JUSTA', international area
  • Debate session opening the Portuguese-Brazilian series, discussing the trajectory of Portuguese decriminalisation policy and the challenges of the new Brazilian scenario following the STF decision
  • Commentary:
• João Goulão - President of the Institute for Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies (ICAD)
• David Pinter Cardoso - Judge at the Public Finance Court of Ribeirão das Neves, Minas Gerais
• Cláudia Cruz Santos - Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra
  • Q&A

Launch reception included in cultural programme

• 19:00 – 21:00 including distribution of copies and book signing session

Day 2 -  18 November 2025

Open Seminar - Drug Policy in Transformation: Portuguese Experiences and Brazilian Changes

FEUC - Keynes Room

Morning: First part of the open seminar (hybrid format)

• 9h30- 10h00 - Welcome

• 10h00 - 10h30 - Sessão de abertura com síntese do resultados do lançamento do dia 1 e os objetivos do seminário do dia 2:
  • Vanessa Maria Brito de Jesus - General Coordinator of 'Plataforma JUSTA'

• 10h30 - 12h30 - Drug policy, social justice and deconstructing the war on drugs
  • Moderator: Nathalie Nunes - Researcher at 'Plataforma JUSTA', international area
  • Debate on drug policies from the perspective of human rights, public health, and social justice, linked to a critical reflection on the ‘war on drugs’ and the construction of counter-hegemonic narratives capable of challenging the selectivity, racism, and budgetary choices of the punitive model.
  • Commentary:
• Marcelo Semer - Judge at the Court of Justice of São Paulo
• Tiago Pires Marques - Principal Researcher at CHAM — Centre for Humanities at the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa
• Silvia Rodríguez Maeso - President of the Scientific Board and Researcher at the Centre for Social Studies
• António Casimiro Ferreira - Researcher at the Centre for Social Studies and Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Coimbra
  • Q&A

Afternoon: Second part of the open seminar (hybrid format)

• 14h00 - 16h00 - Panel 2 - Portuguese-Brazilian convergences and divergences
  • Moderator: Cristiano Maronna
  • Comparative analysis between the Portuguese and Brazilian contexts, highlighting points of convergence and tensions in the design of drug policies. The debate focuses on the judicial, regulatory, and political effects of the two experiences and on the possibilities for critical dialogue and mutual learning between Brazil and Portugal.
  • Commentary:
• Henrique Abi-Ackel - Judge of the Court of Justice of Minas Gerais
• Maria João Antunes - Full Professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra
• João Taborda da Gama - Lawyer and Lecturer at the Faculty of Law of the Portuguese Catholic University
• Mariana Dornellas - Lawyer, PhD candidate in the Human Rights in Contemporary Societies Programme at the University of Coimbra (CES-IIIUC)
  • Q&A: the judiciary, research and civil society.

16h00 - 16h30 - Closing session with a summary of the main contributions from the roundtables and definition of steps towards a Portuguese-Brazilian agenda for cooperation on drug policy, integrating perspectives from the justice system, research and civil society.