LifeLine International: decriminalising suicide worldwide
We are pleased to be working with LifeLine International as part of the team launching an international campaign to decriminalise suicide worldwide.
Suicide – everywhere in the world – can be prevented. Yet it remains a crime in over 25 countries around the world, with a billion people living in communities with no access to suicide prevention resources.
Where suicide remains a crime, it represents one of the greatest barriers to accessing proven suicide prevention services.
The impacts are devastating, with:
- 1 in 100 deaths worldwide, 700,000 a year, occurring due to suicide.
- Suicide is the 4th leading cause of death in 15-19 year olds.
- 77% of global suicides occur in low and middle-income countries.
LifeLine International launched a global campaign last night at the Australian High Commission in London with keynote speaker The Honourable Julia Gillard AC, 27th Prime Minister of Australia.
The campaign will prevent and decriminalise suicide worldwide through combinations of:
- Putting in place crisis lines and other national suicide prevention strategies to immediately start saving lives from preventable suicides.
- Working in partnership with governments and their agencies, civil society organisations, individual philanthropists, charities, and philanthropic foundations, community service associations, business leaders, and community advocates.
Earlier this year, Ghana and Malaysia added to the global momentum created by recent decriminalisation in Pakistan, India, and Singapore. These successes demonstrate what can be achieved when we unite for a shared purpose.
Over the last 70 years, we have helped to plan and direct a range of transformational international fundraising campaigns, and we are very proud to be part of LifeLine International’s big vision to decriminalise suicide worldwide.
Please visit 25 crimes to learn more and get involved.
