- avvenimentionline.it/ No. 47, Dec. 1, 2006
Webbed in Italian at: xenu.com-it.net/txt/perchenonaccada.htm- Posted to alt.religion.scientology Jan 10, 2007.
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Italy: Scientology front gains institutional patronage Scientology is restless
What has RAI (Radiotelevisione italiana [a]) got to do with Scientology
?
The question, arisen in Internet discussion groups, refers to an informative
campaign about psychiatric drugs and children. The pamphlet issued by the
campaign bears the famous butterfly logo [symbol of RAI] on its front cover.
But let's start from the beginning. In Italy the focus on ADHD is stronger and stronger. ADHD, or learning
and hyperactivity disorder, is a psy- chiatric syndrome that seems to
affect children, which are called "hyperactive". ADHD is treated with
metilfe- nidate, an active principle that is an amphetamine. In 2000 Italy
decided to reintroduce these drugs on the market, previously withdrawn in
1997. In march 2003 (Minister of Health, Storace) metilfenidate was moved
from the narcotic table to the psychiatric drugs one. This year in April, it
was moved back to where it was. In the United States, where the number of prescriptions is very high, the problem has been known for years. In short, this is the Italian context in which a battle of public opinion against the risks of an abuse of pres- criptions has started, i.e. the drug could be used not to cure a disease but to calm down children too lively. The battle has taken an associative form. Or better, two forms. One is named "Giù le mani dai Bambini" [Hands off children (b)], the other one is named "Perché non accada anche in Italia" [something like: it has not to happen also in Italy (c)]. The first one was born in April 2004, the second one this year. The first one has institutional partnerships, it organises conferences, puts materials online. The second one has produced an informative booklet. Both of them present a long list of testimonials, names of fame in culture and entertainment. The first one has a long list of promoters that ranges from Agesci [catholic boy scouts] to Cisl [catholic unions], from Acli [catholic youth association] to Ausl [public health unit] of Bologna. Moreover, its scientific committee lists the best names of the Italian research and has also an ethical committee. The second one is promoted by Cisvc, a study centre for the development and the co-operation, by Asvi, an agency for the development of no-profit, and by CCDU, the citizens commission on human rights. In both the initiatives we find the name of
Roberto Cestari, a medical doctor who sits in the scientific committee of
the first, and, as President of CCDU, is the main promoter of the second.
And here the controversies begin. Because Dr. Cestari is a well known
scientologist but, above all, because CCDU seems to be an emanation of the
Church of Scientology (known for its anti psychiatric positions, the
"religion" was founded by L. Ron Hubbard in 1954 and it has been
particularly fighting on the ADHD front). If it is true that CCDU claims to be different from Scientology (and threatens legal actions (d)), it is also true that this diversity doesn't appear so clearly. Founded in 1969 by the Church of Scientology (with the acronym CCHR, Citizen Commission on Human Rights) CCDU was formed in Italy in 1979 and it became an onlus [registered no-profit association] in 2004. It defines itself as a "no profit association of volunteers, whose purposes are the investigation and the exposing of psychiatric violations of human rights". It claims to be an "independent association" with "ideological links to CCHR". Its promoters are "proud to have been founded, at international level, by the Church of Scientology". At the foot of its
bulletins it writes: "CCDU was founded by the Church of Scientology. The
Italian branch is one of its emanations. The Commission is present in 31
countries world-wide with more than 130 groups". "It is affiliated to CCHR,
a secular entity funded, by others, by the Scientology community". We're
playing with words: ideological links, affiliations, emanations.
Scientology is not new to the paradoxical alternation between proud and
distance: it's not unusual than even the happiest follower of the hubbardian
church tends to deny the presence of the church in the initiatives that the
church itself promotes or controls through it "emanations". It's the same
old problem: the unpleasant sensation, for the ones involved, that not all
has been said. Scientology itself, however, lists CCDU in its official
organisation chart: Department 20 of Special Affairs [1]. All this does not disturb the promoters, together with CCDU, of the
campaign "Perché non accada". Laura Ciccardini of Asvi says: "It is a
cultural campaign we have promoted together with CCDU, an onlus that is
not part of Scientology and to which it doesn't give or get money". Paolo
Barletta, President of Cesvic, says: "CCDU is an independent onlus, outside
both of Scientology and CCHR, to which is linked only ideologically. Legally
there are no connections" [2]. And it seems to not disturb neither its
patrons, for example the Social Secretariat of RAI, the structure promoting
the social communication of the public broadcasting company. Its President,
Carlo Romeo who says he never heard the word Scientology mentioned in
reference to the campaign "Perché non accada", states: "Belonging or not to
an international organisation is not, per se, a favourable or unfavourable
condition to get our patronage, that is granted only and exclusively on the
very initiative or the document presented, and not in favour of the
organisation that fowards it. However, we have no news that Scientology
is prohibited in Italy". That's correct. It seems also correct, however, that CCDU uses the booklet sponsored by
RAI (CCDU claims it has been printed in a million copies [e]) to collect
money not for the campaign, but for the association itself. As we read in
e-mails came into possession of Left-Avvenimenti and sent by the CCDU
national management to its area executives, "CCDU has thousands of copies of
the booklet "perché non accada" to be freely distributed against the
donations you are collecting". The fear of whom has arisen the objections is
that Scientology could instrumentally exploit the campaign, even if it
denies it does. And that through the participation to a just cause one could
find him/herself to support an organisation whose methods and purposes
he/her doesn't share. The Social Secretariat of RAI also sits in the ethical committee of "Giù
le mani dai Bambini", the other cam- paign involved with psychiatric drugs and
children. But to Carlo Romeo there are no risks of superim- position: "Its our
firm belief that this is a discussed issue and it has to be further
discussed,. The debate must be as wide as possible, the issue needs to be
studied in depth with no bias, prejudice or extremism by any parts. I want
to add something: the Secretariat will investigate circumstantiate reports
and possible violations of norms, laws and behaviours, or uses contrary to
the law of the materials that gained our patronage, moving into the
direction we'll judge more appropriate to safeguard the non exploitation of
the company. We have not received any critical reports about the contents
of the booklet so far, and that the only thing we have sponsored. Much
less we wish to intervene in situations of conflict exploitation between
different organisations: if this should be the case, the only possible
solution for the company is to escape at all from these situations". Meanwhile, a member of the ethical committee of "Giù le mani dai Bambini"
(to which CCDU has asked to adhere more than once, getting only refusals)
has formally requested the expulsion of Dr. Cestari from the scientific
committee, which will give its opinion soon [3]. Valentina Avon /Left Avvenimenti Martini's notes (for my comments see below the notes): 1. See a partial image of the official Scientology organisation chart
here : organigramma.gif.
Scroll down to the bottom of "Dept. 20" to see the "Comitato dei
Cittadini per i Diritti dell'Uomo". The "VFP" (Valued Final Product) of
Dept. 20 is: "Acceptance of Scientology". 2. However, the official website of the Church of Scientology enumerates
CCDU in its "list of the churches of Scientology and other associated
organisations" checose.scientology.it/Html/part14/chp42/index.html .
Here the Italian offices of CCDU, same site: checose.scientology.it/Html/part14/chp42/pg1008-a.html
3. Dr. Cestari resigned prior the ethical committee had the chance to
discuss his expulsion, as we learn from a press release of "Giù le mani
dai Bambini" (GMB) dated Dec. 27, 2006 (pdf)
: What's interesting here, is that GMB was asked by Cestari to sponsor
what should be his own CCDU simple "publishing initiative" (in fact,
originally it was not a "campaign" as it turned out to be later), but
GMB formally refused, fearing a possible exploitation for religious
propaganda by the Church of Scientology. More Martini's notes only for the English version
: a. Public National Broadcasting Company. b. www.giulemanidaibambini.org - originally created by
(now disaffected ??) scientologists Luca Poma and Luca Yuri Toselli, but
without any hidden directions by the Church of Scientology or CCDU
(CCHR). In its wide membership, GMB lists psychiatrists and
psychologists of fame and its works are generally objective and scientific, no scieno rants about psychs (I must say there were some at
the very beginning, but have been corrected or deleted). c. www.perchenonaccada.org - Born in May, 2006. Created by
CCDU (CCHR) Italian President Roberto Cestari, logo of CCDU/CCHR in the
pamphlet they printed. Cestari is a IAS freedom medal and OT something.
Married to Elisabetta Armiato, first ballerina at "La Scala" theatre in
Milan. d. The threats are webbed in "Perché non accada" website www.perchenonaccada.org/index1.html# and are aimed to
Alessia Guidi, a well known SP operating on the Italian Usenet scene, see
also www.alessiaguidi.provocation.net. The threats are
quite funny and are written in the typical scientologist ranting. e. On their website and on the pamphlet itself, bearing lots of logos of
known and legitimate associations and institutions among which CODACONS, an
association for the defence of consumers (!!), they say that the booklet has
been distributed to schools of every order and grade, municipalities,
communities, media etc. However, the "media coverage" listed by the site
itself is incredibly poor. The section "what politicians say of us" (or
something like that) is sadly empty since its inception a few months ago.
After having investigated and researched the GMB matter for a couple of
years (unfortunately, common sense suggests cautions when a well known
scientologist as Luca Poma - he's a Piedmont politician - starts such a
campaign: hidden direction is highly suspect), what I could understand of
the whole situation is as follows (not facts, just *opinions*): Originally, Poma asked the CCDU and CoS support for the campaign he was
in aim to create, but made it clear that HE was going to steer the wheel.
CCDU/CoS refused (they always want to be the Boss). Poma went on anyhow,
however welcoming Cestari (just as a personal participation) in the
scientific committee of the campaign. Cestari's wife E. Armiato is a
testimonial of GMB, as well as Chick Corea and other prominent Italian
scientologists (I wonder how many of them will stay after the recent
events …). Within a year GMB turned into a very, very successful operation,
lots of media contacts, conferences etc. As I say in a note, the campaign
is not bad, it puts online a lot of materials (both pros and cons) and
lists a lot of reputed names, among which psychs themselves. Seen the incredible success of the campaign (CCDU never gained so much
attention in its 20+ years existence in Italy) CCDU/CoS asked (or should
I say, ordered?) to be welcomed onboard, expecting to dictate its rules. The
answer was no, no, NO. A flat refusal. In 2006 Cestari (note he's the President of CCDU Italy) asked the support of GMB to "print" his CCDU booklet, but GMB refused, fearing a scieno exploitation of their name/position acquired (formally stated in its Dec. 2006 press release). At that point, it appears as if Cestari, unbeknown to GMB, used his position in GMB scientific committee to approach GMB testimonials, sponsors and patronage (names in common are quite a lot, among which RAI Social Secretariat, and Cesvic and Asvi (the co-promoters of the CCDU campaign)) and gain their support, which was granted (I think mainly on GMB reputation). What originally had to be a simple "publishing initiative"
turned out to be a "campaign". Did we really need a second campaign, seen
the success of GMB? We didn't - but Scientology DID. GMB is "too
moderate", as I read in a mail sent in Dec. 2005 by the CCDU
co-ordinator Gobbini to her juniors. GMB hopes for a "debate" whereas
there's nothing to debate according to the Scientology views.
Incidentally, Gobbini's real office seems to be by OSA Milan. Moreover,
Scientology has no power at all on the information spread by GMB, its
conferences, its "psychs" etc, the CCDU logo is not welcomed in GMB
initiatives. The frictions between GMB and CCDU operatives are well
documented in the GMB website. Is "Perché non accada" a real campaign
? Actually, it doesn't seem to be.
The only thing they could put together so far was a "charity" soiree at "La
Scala" in Milan, seemingly charging up to 3000 euros for a box - no media
coverage as far as I know, no reports on their site. But I can't exclude that in the typical scieno style they'll start to
knock at schools and communities doors to "lecture" about ADHD and
psychiatric drugs, as Narconon does about street drugs. CCDU were able
to gain a lot of respectable patronage and support and that is a powerful
tool to open doors. By the way, Cesvic and Asvi (the co-promoters of CCDU operation) have
absolutely nothing to share with Scientology, and their aims and
purposes have nothing to do with ADHD, mental health or what. I think
they were simply cheated and made to believe it was a sort of GMB
operation, and now they have to somehow defend their mistake. Btw, maybe
some of you remember HCOPL 3 feb 1969, "Public Image". This operation just
seems its flat application. Well, once GMB discovered the "caper", a member of its ethical committee
asked the expulsion of IAS medal Cestari, who resigned prior to any decision
was taken. GMB press release (written by its spokesman Poma) is very harsh
and in short this is what I caught among the Bets are open about Mr. Poma's fate inside Scientology. Martini - Italia |
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The latest case in Italy with links: ilGiornale.it
- Nuoro, donna segregata Tre francesi in manette - n. 3 del 21-01-2008
Nuoro - Three French citizens belonging to Scientology were arrested in
Nuoro on charges that he kidnapped and held captive a fellow of Tunisian origin.
Police Headquarters in the Nuoro intervened after a call to 113 had reported
invocations help from the rural Mount Ortobene on the hill overlooking the
capital barbaricino. Police officers raided surprising on the ground floor and
three French citizens on the upper floor of their fellow 47 years, closed in a
room full of waste. ilGiornale.it - Nuoro, donna segregata Tre francesi in manette - n. 3 del 21-01-2008 Nuoro - Tre cittadini francesi appartenenti a Scientology sono stati
arrestati a Nuoro con l'accusa di aver sequestrato e tenuto prigioniera una
connazionale di origini tunisine. I poliziotti della Questura di Nuoro sono
intervenuti dopo che una telefonata al 113 aveva segnalato invocazioni d'aiuto
provenienti da un'abitazione
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