Call for Expressions of Interest
Jan Groenveld
This is primarily for Australian and New Zealand readers, but please read until
the end ..... there is a message for you too ...
Steve Hassan writes in his new book: Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to
Think for Themselves ......
A group should not be considered a "cult" merely because of its
unorthodox beliefs or practices. Instead, destructive cults are
distinguished by their use of deception and mind control techniques to
undermine a person's free will and make him dependent on the group's
leader.
Steve defines destructive mind control as "a system of influence that
is designed to disrupt a person's authentic identity and replace it with
a new identity. By immersing people in a tighly controlled, high
pressure social environment, destructive cults gain control of their
member's behaviour, thoughts emotions, and access to informaiton. They
take over their minds.
We at CAIC wholeheartedly agree with these statements. People have the right to
choose what they want to believe, but no one has the right to coerce or
manipulate another into believing or accepting another belief. There is a VAST
difference between simply explaining what you believe to another and letting
them consider what you say and using coercive methods or deception to change
that persons' beliefs.
Because of the increase of cult activity, and manipulative persuasion techniques
in our society, the time has come when I am seriously considering convening
another 3 day Australian seminar about the problem of cultism in our
society. Subjects I propose to be covered will be indoctrinaiton
tactics, manipulation, deception, false memory syndrome and post exit
trauma, legal issues etc. Other aspects I propose we cover are the affects on
families, how to best help families cope, post exit issues of recovery and
parenting issues etc and how we can educate our communities etc.
Steve Hassan has expressed interest in returning to Australia to hold another
seminar. It is 6 years since his last visit. This will be a great
opportunity to learn what has developed in Steve's methods of assisting
families since his last visit. His book is a real eye-opener on this!
I also invite other authorities in these fields to express interest in
presenting a paper. My proposal is that this be a seminar to benefit both the
professional and non-professional community. Specialised workshops will be
included. Anyone wanting to conduct a workshop is welcome to apply to do so.
Because of the Olympics later this year, holding this in 2000 is unfeasable.
I am proposing the seminar be held late March/Early April 2001.
We can book rooms at a motel which has venues for seminars for the convenience
of those attending out of state. This may involved slighly higher seminar fees,
since these venues can be expensive.
Before I make concrete plans, I would like to have some ideas of who would be
interested in coming, and who would be interested in presenting a paper.
Please let me know your thoughts on this and if you would be interested in
attending, and if you live locally, if you would be interested in being inovled
in the planning and convening of this seminar.
Some of you receiving this don't live in Oz. But you may be in contact with
others here in Austrlaia who may be interested in this. Please pass this
on and have them contact me direct. If they wish to keep their identities
secret, that is fine. They only have to tell me and I will respect their
confidentiality both now and if they attend the conference.
Thanks
Jan Groenveld
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^^THE MOST DANGEROUS LIE IS THAT WHICH MOST CLOSELY RESEMBLES THE TRUTH^^
Cult Awareness & Information Centre
(OZ = Australia C.A.I.C Ph. 61-(0)7-3216 8790
_--_|\ Web Page: http://www.caic.org.au
/ x <- Brisbane E-Mail: Ja...@caic.org.au
| OZ | Ja...@in4free.com.au
\_.--._/ Jan.Gr...@uq.net.au
v Jan's Personal Page: http://www.uq.net.au/~zzjgroen
"Truth is always strong, no matter how weak it looks; and
falsehood is always weak, no matter how strong it looks."
- Phillip Brooks