Schedule
Conference Program
June 22 - Presenting to the world and arrival and Libreville
While we formally present the project to the world, this day is for you to arrive in Libreville.
June 23 - Opening ceremony
Spirituality, Tradition, and Societal Health
- Opening
- 9:00 am
- 12:00 pm
Official Opening Ceremony
Opening of the Summit by the President of Gabon, the President of the Organizing Committee (Moughenda Village), and the Bwiti leaders. Presentation of the general objectives.
Introduction to Bwiti and the sacred plant (Iboga).
Artistic performance by a Bwiti group.
June 24 - Roots, Context, and Ways of Thinking
Iboga, Bwiti, and the questions shaping the future
- Opening
- 8:30 am
- 9:00 am
Presentation – Sidsel Marie: The Long Roots of Ibogaine
A short presentation opening the day with a historical view of ibogaine, from plant knowledge to pharmaceutical development.
- 9:00 am
- 9:30 am
Presentation – Vincent Verroust: From Psilocybin to Iboga, Integrating the Spiritual Dimension in Medical Research
This presentation examines the challenge of integrating the spiritual dimension of a pharmacological experience within the framework of medical research, drawing on the history of psilocybin’s discovery and the development of experimental therapies around this molecule. Starting from indigenous Amerindian uses and tracing a path toward clinical trials in Euro-Atlantic hospitals, the talk draws a parallel with Iboga — asking what is gained, what is lost, and what must be preserved when a sacred plant enters the medical system.
- Break
- 9:30 am
- 10:00 am
Break
- Panel
- 10:00 am
- 12:00 pm
Iboga in Policy: Remembering the Roots
Government representatives and key stakeholders present their positions on recent global developments in Iboga and Ibogaine policy, grounded in Gabon’s sovereign perspective and the cultural roots of the plant. This is not a consultation — it is Gabon speaking first.
- Break
- 12:00 pm
- 2:00 pm
Lunch break
- Presentation
- 2:00 pm
- 2:45 pm
Iboga and the Suffering Body: Neurological and Psychiatric Frontiers
Iboga and ibogaine is attracting serious scientific attention across a range of conditions where conventional medicine has reached its limits; Parkinson’s disease, treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, and traumatic brain injury among them. This session presents what current research is showing, what remains unknown, and what rigorous, ethical investigation should look like. Who leads that process, and on whose terms?
- Workshop
- 3:00 pm
- 4:30 pm
Workshop 1 — What Is the Health Potential of Iboga?
A working session exploring the full spectrum of conditions — neurological, psychiatric, physical, and spiritual — where Iboga and Ibogaine are showing relevance. From Parkinson’s disease and traumatic brain injury to treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, and deeper questions of existential suffering, this workshop maps what science is beginning to confirm, what Bwiti tradition has long known, and where the two converge. The goal is not a definitive answer, but a shared, honest assessment: what do we actually know, what remains unexplored, and what should drive the research agenda from here?
- Panel
- 4:45 pm
- 6:00 pm
On the Ground in Gabon
A discussion on local and national issues around Iboga cultivation, community life, culture, and relationships with international organizations. What help is welcome, what respectful collaboration looks like, and what should be avoided.
June 25 - Ethics, Youth, Practice, and Exchange
How Iboga moves between tradition, medicine, and systems
- Panel
- 9:00 am
- 10:30 am
Extractions Without Extractivism
A panel on the philosophy and practical model behind the new Government-sanctioned Ibogaine exportation project, including Bwiti ethics, clinic relationships, logistics, and scale.
- Break
- 10:30 am
- 10:45 am
Break
- Workshop
- 10:45 am
- 12:00 pm
Workshop 3 – Ethics in Practice
A practical workshop on respectful approaches, responsibilities, and the kinds of behaviours and models that should not be repeated.
- Break
- 12:00 pm
- 2:00 pm
Lunch Break
- Panel
- 2:00 pm
- 3:30 pm
Young People’s Issues and Bwiti
A panel on youth violence, isolation, addiction, and mental health in Gabon, and on how age-appropriate reconnection with Bwiti and local communities could help
- Break
- 3:30 pm
- 4:00 pm
Break
- Workshop
- 4:00 pm
- 6:00 pm
Workshop 4 – Working Between Tradition and Science
A session on translation, cooperation, and how researchers, clinics, and Bwiti communities can work together without flattening differences.
June 26 - Inaugurations and Gala
New steps, public moments, and celebration
- Special
- 10:00 am
- 4:00 pm
Inaugurations
A daytime series of inaugurations marking important milestones for the Summit and its long-term vision. These moments will formally honour the institutions, places, and initiatives connected to the future of Iboga, Bwiti, and international collaboration.
- Special
- 7:30 pm
- 2:00 am
Gala
A festive closing evening bringing together guests, speakers, organizers, and partners in a spirit of celebration, gratitude, and shared vision.
June 27 - Cultural Immersion
A full-day immersive visit to a traditional Bwiti centre of practice.
- Field trip
- 9:00 am
- 6:00 pm
Visit of Moughenda Village, Moyen-Ogooué
You will be introduced to the sites, rituals, symbols, ancestral knowledge, and the community dynamics surrounding Iboga at Bwiti House. An essential experience for understanding Bwiti in practice and place.
June 28 - Return and Reflect
Informal wrap-up circle and closing gathering
- Closing
- 10:00 am
- 12:00 pm
Return to Libreville
Travel back and informal closing.