East-West fusion: cross-border human rights activism and the Thai Drug Users' Network

Recently, international human rights leaders have renewed the call for advocacy on economic, social, and cultural rights and suggested partnerships with local organizations. The Thai Drug Users' Network (TDN) promotes the human rights of a marginalized and medically underserved population within Thailand. It also works internationally to reduce drugrelated harms. Thus, TDN transcends a strict local-international dichotomy. The group grew out of professional and personal ties between Thai drug users and international health and human rights actors. Border-crossing connections and two-way transfer of knowledge, particularly through bridging individuals or "cultural translators," have benefited both TDN and the non-Thai organizations that work with it. This case study shows how international-local, and even donor-recipient, relationships may be navigated in ways that are symbiotic and mutually empowering.