During the early months of 2021, a letter of protest was developed and signed by solidarity Networks—the USA, UK, Irish, French, and South African Networks—asking mental health organizations to refrain from holding meetings in Israel and from otherwise collaborating with Israeli mental health organizations that are complicit with the Israeli government. The letter specifically requested that the mental health organization bring the “Do No Harm” document to the organization’s board or executive committee for discussion and action.
The “Do No Harm” initiative was publicly launched in late May 2021 during the assault on Gaza occurring at that time—a moment characterized by sudden worldwide attention on Israel and Palestine and substantial public sympathy for the Palestinian people. Each Network will report on outcomes.
The USA Networked mailed the letter to 102 mental health organizations in the United States and Canada; the list included as well a dozen international mental health organizations. The list had been compiled through an online search as well as an informal inquiry among USA Network members. The letter was then emailed with a cover letter naming the specific organization to the general “Contact Us” email address or office administrator (when available) on each organization’s website.
The letter was also emailed with a specific personal cover letter to each organization’s board president, CEO, or director. Discovering the email address of these leaders had required considerable internet research, because the organization’s website often displayed these individuals by name without indicating their email address. However, the leadership individual’s email address was often available to the public online in other contexts (such as a place of employment in clinical practice or private office, a faculty position at a college or university, or as “corresponding author” on a publication). These cover letters were signed on behalf of the USA Network by a specific person on the Steering Committee.
A total of 162 emails were thus sent by the USA Network.
Responses after three weeks were obtained from of the 102 mental health organizations. Five of these were robot replies simply indicating that the “Do No Harm” letter had been received. Nineteen or approximately one-fifth of the mental health organizations responded with personal emails from organizational leaders. Sixteen of these personal responses indicated either vigorous sympathy for the “Do No Harm” document or at least indicated that the document would be forwarded to the organization’s board or executive committee for discussion and action. One such response stated “thank you for your profound moral conscience and concern.” Two sent updates about the boards’ decisions.
In sum, approximately 16% of mental health organizations approached by the USA Network indicated that the “Do No Harm” document would be brought to the attention of the organization’s leadership bodies. It is useful to note that not a single email sent to a “Contact Us” or office administrator’s email address received a reply other than a robot acknowledgement of receipt. Individual cover letters sent to an identified leadership person and signed by an individual member of a Network, on the other hand, received a 16% positive response.
