Background
Shaun was born in 1966, in Cape Town, South Africa.
activist researcher author academic
Shaun was born in 1966, in Cape Town, South Africa.
Shaun attended Grove Primary School, Westerford High School and studied at UNISA, the University of Stellenboschand the University of Cape Town.
Shaun Shelly is dedicated to the understanding of drug use, the rights of people who use drugs, and the development of effective drug policy. He grew up in apartheid South Africa and in his late teens became aware of the disparities in society, specifically those related to apartheid. After a decade of experience in the use and trade of drugs and homelessness in the Western Cape, Shaun became aware of the racial and socioeconomic disparities in the application of drug policy in South Africa, as informed by the global demand for prohibition. In order to redress these issues, Shaun volunteered at a non-profit organization and established South Africa's first non-abstinence based drop-in center for people who use drugs. Situated in the community with the highest rates of drug-related crime in the country, Shaun developed a harm reduction approach to drugs. During this time he completed his studies at the University of Stellenbosch Department of Psychiatry and then continued his studies at the University of Cape Town Department of Psychiatry.
Shaun is currently the Human Rights and Policy lead at TB/HIV Care, where he founded SA Drug Policy Week. He holds a post as a researcher at the University of Pretoria, Department of Family Medicine, and is the former Deputy Secretary of the United Nations VNGO Committee on Narcotic Drugs. He is the chairperson of SANPUD and sits on several boards and advisory groups, locally and internationally. Shaun was awarded the 2016 SASOP Special Achievement Award for advancing the field of psychiatry based on his notable contribution in advocating for positive change in the field of addictions, addressing the stigma and difficult socioeconomic circumstances associated with addiction as well as his contributions in lecturing and ongoing research. He was also an Open Society Foundations International Drug Policy Fellow and has published several peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on subjects ranging from police culture to the neurobiology of dependent drug use. He has spoken as a plenary speaker at local and international conferences.