Gillian Maxwell ~ “Our Addicted Society”
Changing drug policy sounds innocuous enough and this talk will cover what is important about it and what difference it will make to you – at different levels locally-globally - the practical, the political, and the spiritual.
Vancouver is the leader in North America in harm reduction initiatives and drug policy reform, and Gillian arranges tours of facilities and interviews with stakeholders for visitors across Canada and internationally. Gillian has been the chair of Keeping the Door Open: Dialogues on Drug Use (KDO) since 2002. KDO is a multi-sectoral coalition that organises dialogues on problematic substance use to educate and inform public policy. She has been invited to speak about harm reduction initiatives at the International AIDS Conference in Toronto and at Concordia University in 2008. She has presented at several international conferences. She is also the co-regional lead of the North American Consultation for the Vienna Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Committee (VNGOC). This initiative called “Beyond 2008” seeks to involve a wide sector of civil society in raising awareness of global drug policies. She represented her region at the inaugural International NGO Forum in July 2008 in Vienna. Gillian is passionate about people and community. She is a catalyst for change and works dilligently to make it happen in various and creative ways, ranging from transformational processes to the human rights movement, which has currently brought her into the area of reforming drug policy for all currently illegal substances. She loves bringing people together in dialogue, whether at the dinner table or public forum. She values honesty, curiosity, courage and generosity. She is forthright, direct and caring. Gillian lives in Vancouver, BC, Canada with her husband, and step-daughter and puppy and believes in magic. 
Gillian is trained in mediation and negotiation. She has been an entrepreneur in Vancouver for twenty years, with a range of experience that includes facilitation, mediation, coaching, public speaking, networking, advocacy and organising public events. Her community involvement commenced upon becoming a resident of Strathcona (Downtown Eastside) in 1996.