To the Honorable Simi Sami Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women:

We, members of the American psychedelic field, Rick Doblin, PhD​,   Rachel Yehuda, PhD, Brigadier General (Ret.) Stephen N. Xenakis, MD​, Leonard Pickard, MPP​,  Shoshana Ungerleider, MD​, Jeannie Moller Fontana, MD, PhD, and our allies, extend our sincere appreciation for UN Women's commitment to ensuring the safety and freedom of all women, a sentiment which we wholeheartedly share. We join in the aspiration for peace and good neighborliness between Israelis and Palestinians.

Our immediate concern, however, is the serious situation highlighted in a recent US State Department briefing. It revealed that young women abducted by Hamas during the Nova Psychedelic-Trance Dance Music Festival for Peace in Israel remain in captivity due to the continued perpetration of sexual violence by Hamas. President Joe Biden has rightly condemned this heinous act and called for individuals, civil society, and the business community to join governments and international organizations in denouncing Hamas's sexual violence unambiguously.

The psychedelic community cannot remain silent. Our field, recognized for groundbreaking research in psychedelic medicines, understands the profound impact of trauma on mental health. We are committed to healing and alleviating human suffering, and thus, find it imperative to raise our voice against such atrocities.

Leaders across various sectors, including biopharma, technology, finance, and law, have already taken a stand. For instance, Dr. Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer, called at Davos for the immediate release of the hostages. The Yale University School of Management lists numerous Fortune 500 corporations that have denounced terrorism and advocated for the hostages release.

Our call to action is clear: We urge UN Women, under your esteemed leadership, to actively engage in securing the release of the 19 women still held hostage by Hamas, including the five from Nova Psychedelic-Trance Dance Music Festival for Peace. Their names are Noa Argamani, 26, Amit Esther Buskila, 28, Romi Gonen, 23, Inbar Haiman, 27, and Eden Yerushalmi, 24.

This situation transcends professional boundaries and touches us on a human level. While many of us may not have experienced a Psychedelic-Trance Festival, we recognize its cultural and symbolic significance, particularly in the context of the Israeli peace movement. The Hamas atrocities on October 7 and also the tragic loss of civilian life in Gaza, demand a global response.

President Biden's statement, “The world can't just look away” from the horrors of sexual violence by Hamas, resonates with us deeply. The psychedelic community stands united in this cause, and we implore you to leverage your influence and resources at UN Women to ensure the safe return of these hostages as well as the other 125 still held captive.

Rick Doblin, PhD   
Rachel Yehuda, PhD                                                                                Brigadier General (Ret.) Stephen N. Xenakis, MD  
Leonard Pickard, MPP  
Shoshana Ungerleider, MD 
Jeannie Moller Fontana, MD, PhD