Board Features - Jamie Enchinton Bailey
Each month, we’ll be highlighting a different member of the board of Faith in Harm Reduction to share more about the people, practices, and values behind our work and the movement at large.
In a phrase or sentence, what is one dream you have for the world?
My dream for the world is that we all awaken to our true nature of kindness, compassion, and love and that our actions be guided by the knowledge of our interconnectedness to all beings and to the planet.
What does "Faith in Harm Reduction" mean to you?
Faith in Harm Reduction means that we acknowledge that harm reduction is guided by love and an awareness of and respect for the light and divinity in all people. That people who use drugs are deserving of love and respect and that as people of faith it is our moral imperative to advocate for the human rights and dignity of all people.
Tell us something about the work you do in Harm Reduction
I am a co-founder and co-chair of the El Paso Harm Reduction Alliance. We provide a space to advocate for the human rights of people who use drugs (PWUD) and promote the Principles of Harm Reduction to the improve quality of life for PWUD. We foresee a future of providing education and training on harm reduction to minimize stigma and harm for PWUD, increased and continued advocacy for the human rights of PWUD, and conducting outreach to meet the needs of PWUD. The El Paso Harm Reduction Alliance was formed as a workgroup out of the Paso del Norte Recovery Oriented System of Care in 2018 whose aims focused on harm reduction efforts within the El Paso community.
What is one Harm Reduction related resource you love?
I love overdose prevention sites because they are places where people who use drugs can be met with care and compassion. They can access services and use under the care of a loving, watchful eye who can respond in the event of an overdose. Overdose prevention sites save lives!
Who or what inspires you in this work?
I am inspired by the Zapatistas, a group of Indigenous people in Mexico, who led an uprising against the government and their indifference to poverty and the marginalization of Indigenous communities in Mexico. They fight for social justice and have established autonomous municipalities. They have accomplished this through non violent resistance, autonomous infrastructure and grassroots democracy.
What's one thing you want to see more of in Harm Reduction movements?
I would like to see more people who use drugs in leadership positions across harm reduction organizations.
Where do you find your own spiritual sustenance?
I find my spiritual sustenance being of service to others; whether its teaching a yoga class at a recovery center, doing outreach, or providing a training, I feel the most spiritually connected when I am connected in service to others.