Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > CEDU / Brown Schools and derivatives / clones

Ways to expand or get our Ideas outside this Forum

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Antibody?:
I need help with this one. Any creative folk out there?

mad:
I think it depends in great part what you are trying to bring to action.  What aims do you have?

Is it to work to shut down the various Cedu schools and other places like them?  If so, contributing to the two investigations that have been cited in this forum seems like a good start.  You might also ask the investigators how you could get more involved, perhaps lobbing individuals actively to come forward with their stories of abuse and help them decide to attach their names to the narratives.  The majority of posts on abuse on this site, while disturbing, are not evidence.  I can also imagine that actively posting to forums for parents considering sending their kids to emotional growth schools might also have an impact.  There is finesse to that tactic, but if the post was not anon and presented appropriately I can imagine that people would think twice before choosing Cedu. I have called Detective Chuck Wyatt in Twin Peaks and provided him some narrative on my experiences at RMA and my take on the program in the early 1990s.  He said it was useful as background. I was very troubled by the investigation into abuse allegations that he mentioned and am disturbed by all of the posts on abuse I have read on this site.  They make me sad and angry on a couple of levels, but mostly sad.

Best, M[ This Message was edited by: mad on 2004-08-10 17:43 ]

Anonymous:
I still think the media has no idea what is going on and stories need to be told, even under fictionalized names.  Docudrama, indie films, articles...  Even with something like organ donation, awareness was raised when people they incorporated the topic in shows like ER.

Books for parents of troubled teens....

Raising awareness is key.  I think its more effectively done sometimes in entertainment than a PSA.

I know my parents genuinely thought I would get adequate schooling, be in an environment that was structured and that promoted self esteem with qualified therapists.  THe only true thing was the structure. Everything else was BS.

So, while picketing and investigations, and lawsuits are one tactic, raising public awareness is another.

mikehunt:
inform, inform, inform.

Anonymous:
Rambling thoughts on closing Cedu

The Cedu schools have a considerable amount of social capital, not only from parents with wide connections and at least some wealth, but also from students that feel good about their experience.   [Yes, its is annoying that some feel like they benfitted]   Given that the cedu family of schools has a large amount of social capitial, the only way to erode their base is through a long term campaign.  Inform, Inform is great, but really just the begining.   If I had the cash and the time here's an outline what I'd do to get started:



* Start a 501 (C)(3) with the H designation  [non-profit org for educational purposes, but with up to 20% of revenue going to political activity]   I'd hire a kid right out of college to start organizing a base that opposes the practics of the schools.   I can talk more about organizing if anyone is interested.


* I'd also start a 501(c)(4) for lobbying purposes.   Lobbying in Idaho can not be that hard.   And I'd work to regulate the environment that these schools exist in. For example,  I'd increase the reporting burden on the schools. I'd also mandate high staffing ratios.   And more .. you get the picture. I'd lobby for state funding for oversite. Additionally,  I would argue for increased taxes for the schools, due to the burden of oversite needed.   Since they clearly can not self-manage. [If funds allowed,  I'd have a lobbist in DC, if not I'd have my (c)(3) organizer start working with groups in DC -- yes, this can be on an educational basis]


* Here's the non-traditional thing that I would do to make a difference.   Bonner's Ferry Largest private employer is Cedu.   As a result, there is considerable loyality to the school in the community.   We are not talking a big town here.  There needs to additional employment oppertunities in the community if there is an expectation that the staff will walk forward with thier story. In the last decade Bonner's Ferry has lost two of their three saw mills.

To get started with this type of campaign, one would need:

* at least $40,000
* A pro-bono attorney
* a solid starting list of people opposed [and committed to being opposed as the only issue that they are woring on]
* A wider list of people who maybe opposed to cedu schools

This is just a sketch.    Many of the details would need to be hammered out and aggreed to by a core group of people with the time and the money for a long-term campaign.

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