Psychedelic Community in Aid of Ukraine: FUNDRAISER

UKRAINE FUNDRAISER EVENT: FRIDAY 4TH MARCH, 7:30PM

Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine just days ago, more than 360,000 Ukrainian civilians have fled the country, many to neighbouring countries such as Poland. 

Refugee agencies fear this number could increase to 5 million people attempting to cross the border, as Russia's war intensifies, casualties mount and access to basic necessities such as cash and medical supplies declines.

We are calling on the Psychedelic Community to help the Ukrainian people in their fight for survival and freedom against tyranny. 

While there are many well known charities fundraising for this cause, there are many more individuals and grassroots organisations, on the ground, at the borders, helping the women, children and elderly fleeing the invasion, as the men are being told to stay and fight.

In purchasing a ticket for this event, 100% of your money will go directly towards helping to buy food, supplies and pay for transport and accommodation for Ukrainian refugees. You can find out more about the people and organisations your donation will support further down the page.

Join us as we unite in solidarity and discuss the impact of war on both a global and personal level.

Hosted by Anya Oleksiuk, who will be guiding us through the discussion as we raise awareness on the situation in Kyiv and consider the wider impact of war.

• We will be connecting with the founder of the Psychedelic Society Ukraine, Denys Krupodorov, for a live update from Ukraine.
• Psychedelic therapists Dr Rosalind Watts and Michelle Baker-Jones join us to speak about the importance of caring for ourselves during difficult times and the psychological benefits of helping others.
• Keith Abraham, war veteran and CEO of Heroic Hearts Project UK, joins us to share his personal experience of war and discuss the traumatic impact it has on soldiers sent to fight.
• Yuriy Blokhin, founder of Homecoming, co-founder of Heroic Hearts Project USA and advisory board member of Psychedelic Association of Ukraine, joins us to discuss the need for integration of psychedelics in the Ukrainian healthcare system.

People and Organisations your donation will support:

Katarzyna Harmata

Kararzyna is leading a grassroots group from Krakow, former mayor of Boleń borough, Krakow; social activist, president of two NGOs: search and rescue organisation SAR Krakow, and environmental protection organisation Błonia Bosutowskie. She is also a lecturer at Agricultural University of Krakow.

Katarzyna is in charge of securing accommodation and transport for Ukrainian families, as well and collecting food and medical supplies.

Lukasz Zagorski

Lukasz, a reporter at TVN and social activist, is leading a grassroots group in Gdynia, north Poland, working alongside Gdańsk University of Technology, on providing food and medical supplies for Ukrainian people, both in Ukraine, and refugees in Poland. 

Guests

Denys Krupodorov (Ukrainian Psychedelic Society)

Denys is the founder of Ukrainian Psychedelic Society, a public speaker, scientist, biologist and a self-taught artist living and working in Kiev, Ukraine.  He creates his paintings in the style of visionary art, taking into account mental health and its metaphors, as well as the complexity of identity, deep spirituality, and consciousness. His interests range from arts to science, including neuroscience, human behaviour, ethnobotany and entrepreneurship. He is currently pursuing a PhD at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Denys has been sheltering in Kiev and being active on social media, supporting fellow Ukrainians and delivering ongoing reports about the escalating crisis in Kiev. 

Kate Kifa (Ukrainian Psychedelic Society)

Dr Rosalind Watts

As Clinical Lead of the Psilocybin for Depression Study at Imperial College London, Dr Rosalind Watts led the clinical team which facilitated over a hundred psilocybin treatment sessions in just over a year.  She has published qualitative research into the psychological mechanisms of psilocybin treatment, a model of psychedelic therapy- ‘Accept, Connect, Embody (ACE)’ -and designed a psychometric tool for measuring connectedness. In her new role of Clinical Director of Synthesis Institute, she is leading the Clinical Track of the Synthesis Practitioner Training Program, and developing programs to build ‘connectedness to self, others and the natural world’ based on her research.  Ros is committed to building structures to safeguard the ethical expansion of psychedelic therapy, and consults for Usona.

Michelle Baker-Jones

Michelle Baker-Jones is a member of the Psychedelic Research Team at Imperial College London, currently conducting research that compares psilocybin and antidepressants as a form of depression treatment. She is an integrative psychotherapeutic counsellor offering individual psychedelic integration for people who are struggling to process psychedelic experiences. She also co-facilitates a monthly psychedelic integration group, which she founded alongside Dr Rosalind Watts who led the trial with psilocybin at Imperial, and a monthly integration circle at the Psychedelic Society. 

Michelle is also a lead therapist in studies in the new proof-of-concept trials for DMT as a rapid onset sustained treatment for various mental health disorders, developed by Small Pharma.

Yuriy Blokhin

As the founder of Homecoming, I am on a mission to support the graceful integration of psychedelics into the fabric of modern culture. While I believe these medicines are the most promising solution to the global mental health crisis, they won't work sustainably without specialized psychotherapy and infrastructure. At Homecoming, we're building tools and technologies to support and amplify the essential work of psychotherapists by giving them better data and patient support infrastructure to guide the therapeutic process.
I sit on the advisory board of the Psychedelic Association Ukraine and am also active in the veteran community as a founding team member of the Heroic Hearts Project Project USA. Our team offers educational, financial, and counselling options to veterans with PTSD seeking access to ayahuasca and other psychedelic therapies. 

Keith Abraham (Heroic Hearts)

Keith Abraham served 9 years as a member of The Parachute Regiment, fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Throughout the latter years of his military service and during his time working for an investment bank, Keith began experiencing severe symptoms of anxiety and depression. After exhausting the majority of services and options offered by the NHS and military charities without much success, Keith realised a new approach was needed. His profound experiences with ayahuasca and psilocybin convinced him of the vital role plant medicines have to offer those suffering from PTSD, brain injuries and mental ill-health.

Host

Anya Oleksiuk

Born in Poland, with Ukrainian heritage, Anya is a documentary filmmaker, host, and educator. She is a Co-Director of the Psychedelic Society UK, leading on video production, harm reduction, and education about psychedelics. She is also associated with the Psychedelic Society of the Netherlands and is a consultant for the Polish Psychedelic Society (Polskie Towarzystwo Psychodeliczne).

Anya is a founder and director of Triptika Studios, which is a collective of independent filmmakers with interests in health, science, innovative solutions, mental health, drug advocacy, social and racial justice, and environment-friendly lifestyles. She is also the creator, director, and producer of The Psychedelic Renaissance - a not-for-profit documentary film about the worldwide re-emergence of the psychedelic movement and the crucial role of psychedelic substances, plants, and mushrooms in human culture.

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