Support Dr. Lalich's Anti-Cult Mission to New Zealand

Hello there anti-cult and coercion friends! My name is Ashley Love Richards, creator and host of That's So Fcked Up, a respectful comedy podcast about cults, crime and other things that'd make you say "ugh, that's so fcked up." I'm also extremely proud to be able to call world-renowned cult expert, Dr Janja Lalich, a long-time supporter of the show and a friend very dear to my heart.

The Gist:

Dr. Lalich will be the Keynote Speaker at DECULT, New Zealand's first-ever cult-awareness conference. This pivotal event comes at a time when awareness is crucial, given the recent high-profile cult cases in the region. We're seeking support to cover essential travel expenses, ensuring Dr. Lalich can share her invaluable expertise.

The Details:

If you're unfamiliar with Dr. Lalich's work, she is the founder and CEO of the Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion and is best known as a foremost expert on cults and coercion, charismatic authority, power relations, ideology, and social control. She's authored several essential books on her areas of expertise, including Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships, which has recently been translated into Spanish, Farsi, and Sinhala. Her valued insights have also been featured in documentaries on platforms such as MAX and Netflix.

Now to the matter at hand. There have been several really big cult cases in New Zealand recently: Centrepoint and Gloriavale. Gloriavale is the big issue now. It’s an extremely restrictive and isolated “Christian community,” in which the women have absolutely no rights and there have been decades of rampant abuse of women and children. Marriages are arranged at a very young age and everything is sexualized.

Gloriavale was founded in the 1990s and the original leader has since died. Convictions go back to the ’90s, including of the founder for sexual assault. Gloriavale is a charity so they don't pay any taxes and have a huge farming operation that makes them millions. Everyone works for free (surprise) starting at age 15. At least 300 live on their land in New Zealand, while some women are sent to a satellite community in India, which is essentially sex trafficking. One investigation last year found 138 potential abuse victims and dozens of suspected offenders. There have already been several court cases. And a stream of survivors needing assistance.

Given that Dr. Lalich has professional engagements in different cities, there will be transportation costs, as well as lodging and other travel expenses. Our first major hurdle being the round-trip airfare from San Francisco, CA to Auckland, NZ!

Dr. Lalich’s itinerary includes delivering the keynote at the DECULT Conference, engaging with academics at major universities, and appearing on national media. Each engagement is an opportunity to educate and catalyze change in tackling cult coercion.

Here’s what we know that she'll be doing and where she'll be going thus far:

Keynote Speaker, DeCult Conference in Christchurch, NZ

Lectures at Universities (including but not limited to)

Media Appearances and Interviews

Wellington

Timar (a week or so after the conference)

Supporting Dr. Lalich’s trip isn’t just about covering travel costs; it's an investment in combating coercion and aiding cult survivors across New Zealand. Every donation, no matter the size, contributes to a larger cause of justice and recovery.