ICEERS
International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research & Service
Living in Witten, Germany, Dr. Maas is clinical Pediatrician, trained in Family Therapy, and passionate violinist. He worked in Germany, Bangladesh, Gabon, Zimbabwe and Mozambique as a pediatrician and in treatment programs for people affected by HIV and AIDS. He was engaged in one of the first methadone detoxification programs during pregnancy in the late 1980th in Berlin. After extensive contacts with traditional healers in Gabon he underwent the Iboga-initiation of the Mitsogho tribe. Field studies from 1999-2007 led to several publications about the psycho-therapeutic potential of Iboga, the brain-organic induction of near-death-experiences, prevention of the cardiac risks of Iboga-intake, and the structure and music- therapeutic effects of Gabonian ritual music.
Maria Carvalho, living in Porto, Portugal, started as a junior research assistant in projects that studied the most problematic aspects of drug use. For her Masters research and PhD studies, she developed an interest for drug use by youth populations in recreational settings. As a lecturer in the field of Psychology at the Universidad Catolica in Porto she became particularly interested in teaching her students the evolution the human act of altering conscience has suffered, from a historically and culturally integrated practice to a “social problem” in modern societies, and how we see it becoming more recently a tool used by youth in their understanding of fun and pleasure. There are multiple challenges for intervention in this field.
Òscar Parés studied Philosophy and Anthropology, after which he got a Master's degree in Drug Addiction at the University of Barcelona. In the 14 years following he got interested in the use of ethnobotanicals in indigenous contexts as well as modern psychotherapy through the consciousness expanding techniques. He currently collaborates in the drug-prevention team of the Program on Substance Abuse at the General Directorate for Public Health, Department of Health of the Government of Catalonia. Òscar Parés has done trainings in prevention of problems related to drug use in schools, institutes, for professors, academici, public health professionals such as doctors, nurses, therapists, police officials, night life staff, youth prisoners, etc. He is also involved in diferent european projects such as Democracy Cities & Drugs, Newip, Club heath conference, Psychonaut, Drojnet2, etc.
Living in Halsteren, the Netherlands, Margot has been working as an accountant for over 10 years of which 2 years in Kenya training local personnel, amongst other activities. In 2002 her daughter got cancer and a very difficult time followed, until she died in 2006. After a long and devastating mourn process, Margot got in contact with Ayahuasca which provided a profound integration of her daughters death, giving many answers to unanswered questions about life and death. At present, Margot has continued her accounting activities for a number of companies, but in addition started a foundation to help grave or incurable sick children to express their feelings and emotions. The important role Ayahuasca has played in her life make her a dedicated treasurer for ICEERS.