Report of the Ukrainian national center religious safety and help to victims of destructive cults "Dialogue" at the International scientific and practical conference "Children and sects", Barcelona (Spain), 10-11 May 2002

From name of the Ukrainian national center religious safety and help to victims of destructive cults "Dialogue" I am glad to welcome the participants of FECRIS Conference who has gathered here for the sake of protection of the human life supreme value - freedom. We know, that the European community, worrying about observance of the person rights and freedom, for a long time has paid attention to threat for the person and societies proceeding from destructive cults. Practically from the very beginning of active distribution of dangerous cults in Europe and other countries fair people activity directed on citizens protection against suppression of their person, mentality and freedom began. In some countries of the Western and Central Europe laws against destructive cults are already accepted. The state bodies and instances of the Council of Europe, public organizations and traditional churches take part in the decision of dangerous cults and groups problem, a number of the centers on rehabilitation of destructive cults’ victims, and on informing citizens on danger of cults operates. We can list your achievements for a way of protection of people from cult threat for a long time. Probably, in the Western and Central Europe these achievements not so are obvious, but to us - in Ukraine in which there is nothing similar and where cults feel like absolutely freely, cunningly European community is visible as far forward.

Participation in the Conference for Ukrainian national center "Dialogue" is not only a step for a way of development of the international cooperation to the decision of the international problem of dangerous cults, but also unique hope to the aid the European community in a crisis tragic situation of dominance destructive cults in Ukraine.

After disorder of Soviet Union and wreck of system of the state atheism in Ukraine the road for revival of spirituality was open. But as people of Ukraine was brought up in ideology of Marxism where the religion was considered as "opium for people ", the level of their knowledge in the field of religion and philosophies was and while remains to the lowest.

Having longed to earlier forbidden religious and esoteric themes, not being familiar with the factor of destructive cults, citizens of the post-Soviet countries appeared before threat of dangerous cults. If in Europe the certain immunity before influence of dangerous cults became religious and cultural traditions, but on post-Soviet space such immunity did not appear. Among the first, in Europe, for a way destructive cults, there were traditional religions. However in Ukraine traditional religions appeared not capable to this role as were exsanguinated by decades of persecutions by atheistic system.

In Ukrainian science, also absolutely undeveloped were and there are areas of the psychological and social analysis of dangerous cults.

While cults from the very beginning appeared in very favorable conditions, main of which:
1. Crisis of traditional spirituality in a post atheistic society.
2. Absence of knowledge of the population about dangerous cults.
3. Disorientation of the population among numerous new religious currents.
4. Absence of representations among the population about the factor of a psychological manipulation.
5. Very good financing of dangerous sects.
6. General condition of economic and social crisis causing destabilization at a level of a society and the person, making him/her more liable to a manipulation.
7. Present laws protecting rights of the religious organization, but absence of laws protecting the person from an arbitrariness on the part of the religious organization.
8. The unlimited opportunity for any several citizens to create the religious organization, with any doctrine and to receive its official legal status if illegal intentions are not specified in its Charter.
9. High level of corruption.
10. Legal impossibility to prove a crime of cults, owing to absence of the appropriate normative base.
11. Incompleteness of democratization process that has found the reflection in an abeyant question on protection of the persons rights.

Fallacious stereotype, that any cult group is good, as "bears belief in something good", has received undeserved distribution in Ukraine. Result of it became occurrence in Ukraine very big number of the widespread cults, exceeded their number in neighboring countries.

Statistic

As destructive cults of a foreign origin as arisen in Ukraine have received wide spreading in Ukraine. In total, in destructive cults it is involved more than one million person. The exact statistics is inconvenient as a number of groups are not registered, but it is approximately possible to define the situation as following:

1. Pseudo-christian destructive groups operated in Ukraine are about 4300. It is involved more than 800 thousand persons in them. The given category is the Ukraine most widespread in the cult world. Among pseudo-Christian cults the most widespread are destructive groups of movement of belief, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Church of the Christ, New-Apostles church, Mormons, Бogorodichniy center, dangerous local groups is false giving out for Orthodox or Protestants, Vissarion followers, the White Brotherhood and others.

2. Pseudo-east cult groups in Ukraine not less than 300. In them participates from 30 000 up to 50 000 person. The most widespread from them are the White lotus, Transcendental meditation, Sant Mat, the Society of Krishna Consciousness, cult of Carma-Kag’yu, Sahadja-yoga and others.

3. Neo-pagan cults include about 90 groups, with number about 5000 members.

4. Psycho-cults in Ukraine are not less than 600 groups, with amount involved in their activity more than 30 000 persons. The most widespread from them are FEID (the Further energy-information development), Method of Silva, cult of Norbekov, Scientology, theosophy and others.

5. 1500 persons participate in Ukraine in more fifty groups Channeling.

6. Commercial cult groups total is about 1500, with participation in them not less than 50 000 members.

7. Various pseudo-medical and pseudoscientific cult groups in Ukraine more than hundred in which activity it is involved from 2000 up to 4000 members.

8. Not less than 600 groups of New era (New age) in which participate more than 50 000 adherents concerns to movement. The most widespread from them are Church Universal and Triumphant (other names - Summit University Press, The Summit Lighthouse), Olga Asauljak's cult, Rerih’s, Ashram Shambala, cult of Anastasia and others.

I ask to take into account, that destructive cults, as a rule, conduct the recruiting activity in Ukraine no more than 10-12 years. Taking into account this small term, the amount strike for rates of their distribution. Only for 2001 average growth of destructive cult groups has made in Ukraine about 20%. In some cults growth reaches up to 200%.

Fatal display of similar statistics are the number of murders cases accomplished in cult groups (last known - ritual murder of the small child accomplished in the Dnepropetrovsk area of Ukraine in destructive group of Fair Movement), suicides, numerous driving to death through exhaustive cult practice (for example, death of one cult follower from Guhyasamadja in Crimea and two children starving to death by parents being members of destructive group Fair Movement in Kiev), many cases of mental frustration of destructive cults members caused by cult practice (similar cases among minors are especially often), death because of refusal of medical aid etc.

Penetration into an education system.

Despite of the constitutional division of religion and state educational system in Ukraine, dangerous cults nevertheless penetrate into school.

The education system in Ukraine due to bad financial position, non-awareness in area of destructive influence on children from the side of dangerous cults and absence of the state measures on children protection from psycho-cults and destructive groups, especially is not protected from penetration of dangerous cults.

Very often using material neediness of educational establishments, cults will penetrate into schools under a mask of charities. Offering one or another humanitarian help, cults gradually form the factor of educational institution dependence from them. Having adjusted such relations, they pass to direct influence by involving children in cult practice and entering the elements of cult recruitment into teaching system.

So, for example, one of the Ukrainian study-rehabilitation boarding schools appeared completely under authority of Jehovah’s Witnesses cult. Having created financial dependence of boarding school from the cult, they have achieved by the same method the introduction into a cult firstly all the school management, and then the teaching staff. Not consent persons were dismissed for the different formal reasons. The general situation of psychological pressure created in the educational institution has resulted to suicide of one teacher. Children, who have rendered resistance to their involving into the cult, also were hound out from the school. In a result, the state educational institution with medical bias appeared as the cult center where children became object of round-the-clock cult influence. Attempts to achieve normalizing measures from a higher powers did not give the necessary results - the management of a municipal education system quite, evidently, arranged the cult participation into financing of the one from the basic educational institutions. Only disclosing of financial crimes of the school management has changed this tragic situation. A similar example not unique – they are hundreds in Ukraine. The same method of penetration into school is actively used also by New-Apostles Church, destructive groups of Fair Movement, group "New Age".

Cults try to work among teaching structure very actively. Purposeful teachers recruitment by cults has resulted in horrifying result: no less than 8% teachers of Ukrainian schools are destructive cults members. One of principal causes of the phenomenon is teachers’ non-awareness about destructive cults and their methods of influence. As a rule, teachers as cults adherents conduct active work on children involving in different forms: using lessons hours for propagation of the doctrines, realizations of out-of-class cult actions, attraction of the whole classes and even schools to cults activity, using children and parents dependence from the state free-of-charge education system. As a rule, the reason for non-suppressions of such measures is besides lack of information of authorities and education systems staff in the problem. We know cases when the system of study estimation was put by teachers-cults members in the direct dependence on visiting cult divine services and occupations. During Ukrainian center "Dialogue" activity, we have discovered similar cases and gave explanatory work with concrete civil servants repeatedly with explanations of the danger for children and societies from similar illegal practice resulted in its suppression and even to teachers-recruiters dismissal. But Ukrainian center "Dialogue" possibilities are non-comparable confronted with dangerous cults penetrations into the education system of Ukraine. Ukrainian center "Dialogue" has elaborated the project of joint activity of authorities and the Center directed on preventive maintenance of similar penetration and revealing the cases of such infringements. The project was not rejected. But, unfortunately, was not accepted for a while because of insufficient understanding of the problem by the power structures.

Cults, hiding their original nature, aspire to penetrate into the education system under the pretence of the various study programs, concealed under "culture", "humanitarian" and other signboards. Only one of examples: one of the most powerful “New Age” cults in Ukraine – Oriental-Rerih society “Urusvaty” through the members - teachers and employees of some high schools has developed pseudo-culture program "Soul ecology", externally directed on cultural values education, but actually constructed on occult doctrine of Blavatskaya and Rerih’s. The cult, through dummies, tries to achieve its introduction at the state education system level, denying its unscientific and religious character. It is difficult to overestimate damage, which will be put to children in case of its introduction. All children of Ukraine appear in front of occult recruitment and education in the system of values hostile to Christianity. And, nobody asks the parents consent, as nobody will inform them on original essence of the “study” program. Although the state education principles have not accepted the program yet, but on places, in separate educational institutions, it is already entered as experimental under the initiative of teachers - members of cults. But it is not the unique example.

It is necessary to notice, that even in 1993, activity of the most dangerous Ukrainian cult "White Brotherhood", arranged mass disorders in Kiev and attempt of group suicide, also was actively conducted at Ukrainian schools. The cult has penetrated there under a kind of circles of Yoga and "Institute of soul АТМА". Now similar cults came to the rescue of an underground "White Brotherhood " and operate with the same methods, using children vulnerability.

With the purpose of children involving cults organize their own educational projects hidden their cult character in every possible way. One of the most widespread forms of such projects is exploitation of children aspiration to computer studying and English language. In contrast of the Western and Central Europe this knowledge are not enough distributed in Ukraine yet, and the need for them grows during the international integration and computerization of Ukraine. Cults create free-of-charge rates for children and teenagers, and carry out active recruitment among them. Already about thousands of children have undergone to similar recruitment. The cult "Keepers of the Flame" involves children by opening the clubs of children's creativity. Only in the city of Zaporozhye, one of 25 large cities of Ukraine, hundreds of children became victims of the such fraudulent recruitments, without any conducting with their parents. With participation of Ukrainian center "Dialogue" it were conducted some attempts to stop acting of this children's club, but, most likely, it will continue the activity as in the Ukrainian legislation there is no mechanism of children protection from similar influence.

Cults connection with criminal cases.

There is observed close connection of dangerous cult groups with the underworld in Ukraine. So, for example, pseudo-Buddhist cult "The White lotus", from the Ukrainian origin, actually is mafia military organizations, having already thousands persons fanatically devoted to the “guru” well armed fighters. The center of the cult is the Cherkassy area of Ukraine. The basic place in cult practice is professional studying to fight Laotian single combat Sha-Foot-Fan. The insurgent of "The White lotus" is trained during five years. According to law enforcement bodies of Ukraine the basic incomes of "The White lotus" are under construction not due to financial operation of the adherents (though it, certainly, too is present), but due to criminal activity as a result of which "The White lotus" has suppressed and has put under the control the criminal world of Cherkassy city. On some data, the number of professionally prepared fighters f this cult is exceeded over 25000 person. Any gangster grouping of Ukraine, probably, will not be compared to these, armed automatic devices, grenade cup discharges, pistols, pomegranates and alarm mines, army of fanatics. Outside of Ukraine "The White lotus" already has branches in a number of the European countries working under covering of Kong-four schools, security or other business concerns. Insurgents of "The White lotus" repeatedly were late by law enforcement bodies of Ukraine, but actually it is impossible to stop activity of the cult, as laws of Ukraine do not provide a practical legal mechanism of liquidation of the religious organization.

Many cult groups are based by people conducting criminal activity, and using the status of the religious organization for covering of criminal activity. In particular, Ukrainian center "Dialogue" have the facts of drug addiction spreading, extortion acts, plunder of art works by cult groups. As a whole, unequivocally it is possible to speak about connection of dangerous cults with criminal sphere in Ukraine.

Cults connection with terrorism.

The cult group “Guhyasamadja” which has arisen in Ukraine, broken away in due time from known "Aum Sinrike", having achieved official registration in Ukraine, has based own monastery in Crimea. And, certainly, cult activity so close to terrorism began to acquire scandalous situations soon, has drawn attention of mass media, the law enforcement bodies conducting now investigation of its activity as a result of which number of persons has suffered from, including minors. However, even in case of successful end of the investigation, the dangerous cult will not be liquidated, by virtue of the above-stated legal problems.


Extremist Islamic cult groups adapt in Ukraine very actively. For example, under a kind of the youth Islamic organization in Ukraine the terrorist organization "Brothers Moslems" carry out its activity. And after past antiterrorist operations in the world, terrorists, using cult groups, use Ukraine as a place of treatment and a time disposition. According to mass-media, through some cult groups it is conducted recruitment in the international terrorist organizations.

Washing up of dirty money by cults.

The problem of "washing up" of money by destructive cult organizations for Ukraine having huge shadow capitals, and is even more actual.

The brightest, probably, not having analogues in other countries, example - notorious Ukrainian "The White lotus". The criminal capital of the whole large city, the center of an administrative and territorial unit of Ukraine "is washed" by means of registered Buddhist community using huge privileges which are given according to the Ukrainian legislation to religious communities (in particular full absence of the taxation for religious communities). Money in this case also "are washed" through quite legally working commercial enterprises belonging to the founder and the leader of the cult, Vladimir Skubaev and engaged in security business, commercial cargo transportation and by trade.

Taking into account the feature of many cults, first of all, destructive groups of Fair Movement, regularly to invite "authoritative" foreign preachers in the communities for realization of festivals, divine services, lectures and other religious activity accompanying with gathering of donations, that is "pure" money which sizes are not taken into account by the Ukrainian tax bodies, with the subsequent legal export by preachers of this money abroad and an opportunity of their further legal use (including for financing European and other foreign cults), it is quite possible to assume presence of interest to a similar opportunity "to wash" money at owners of shadow capitals. In particular, it is known the connection of line pseudo-Christians dangerous groups with ex-prime minister Paul Lazarenko (nowadays staying in the American prison, and accused by the Ukrainian and Swiss justice), with participation in his operations on washing up of the huge sums of dirty money.

Cults penetration into authority.

Telling about destructive cults penetration into authority in Ukraine, it is necessary to address to already cult twice mentioned today "The White lotus" again. This really outstanding cult has gone on an unprecedented step - actively supported at elections of the mayor of the spiritual capital, city of Cherkassy, the candidate which supports closely contacts to the cult, or they actually nominated the candidate. And he has won at elections. After that during a lot of years heads of the cult not unreasonably feel itself as owners in city. The protégé of the cult accepted, participation in president elections, although he was absolutely unsuccessful.

Some deputies of the Ukrainian parliament of the last convocation were heads of dangerous cult groups. Thus some of them have passed under the list of the Ukrainian party "Gromada", which head, Paul Lazarenko, already on that moment had wide popularity in Ukraine due to the criminal activity and loud political murders (it is, by the way, one more characteristic of cults criminalizing in Ukraine). In the last attempt to achieve authorities and to keep the positions in Ukraine Paul Lazarenko based on the cult organizations. In particular, heads of some cult groups have declared to the followers about Paul Lazarenko "munion of God" and actively used them in realization of pre-election campaign.

By the report of one of these cult leaders becoming after described elections parliament deputies of Ukraine, all deputy term he was engaged in extremely religious questions, lobbying cults interests and leading the religious религиозною propagation in parliament.

Scientology also make active efforts to reach authority in Ukraine, nominated on the last presidential elections own candidate to president (his connection with scientology was carefully disappeared). The party created by scientology was accepted to participate on the last parliamentary elections. In answer for widespreading of the information about connection of the party with one of the most dangerous cults in the world, Ukrainian center "Dialogue" has undergone to repeated threats.

On last parliamentary elections some representatives of destructive cults successfully passed to. There is the similar situation in many local councils. Boats of cults - members of parliament actively aspire to use the status for covering illegal activity of cults, down to direct pressure upon law-enforcement, judicial and administrative bodies.

At mutual relation with authorities, as a rule, dangerous cults aspire to use corruption methods.

Cults penetration to the West.

If in the beginning of 90th years basically cults have penetrated into Ukraine from other countries, but now the situation was reserved. There are a lot of cults of the Ukrainian origin which, due to financial infringements, operation of followers, washing up of dirty money and connections with the underworld, have got stronger, have received the big opportunities and have begun penetration into other countries, first of all, in other countries of Europe.

Among such cults is, for example, psycho-cult FEID (The Further energy-information development). The cult represents a mix of psycho-methods with elements of the occult doctrine, and has strongly pronounced commercial character. As a whole, it reminds scientology. Concerning its features, in particular, it is necessary to cancel heavy consequences of its influence on person mentality. From all familiar for us former and present members of the cult, passed its second step and further (FEID has five steps) everyone suffer from the mental frustration being as the consequence of their stay in the cult. On available data the cult founders, acting now under the name of mythical academician Vereshchagina, basically consists of experts in the psychological influence, working earlier in KGB of the USSR.

FEID branches operate now in Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Estonia, Austria, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Israel, Czech, Canada, USA and other countries.

Above mentioned pseudo-Buddhist militarized criminal cult "The White Lotus", fastening connections with transnational mafia structures has the branches in Lithuania, Moldova, Byelorussia, Russia, Greece, USA, Arab Emirates and other countries, and aspires to the further expansion.

Actively developed destructive groups of Fair Movement, not being limited to development in Ukraine, have begun the foreign expansion. So, for example, even provincial Ukrainian destructive groups of Fair Movement "Light of Awakening" has opened the branches in Israel and Germany (Berlin). But the group differs especially high level of psychological influence and, on some data, even use drugs in cult practice. Other destructive groups of Fair Movement also conduct similar activity.

Ukrainian splinter of Aum-Sinrike – Guhyasamadja also conducts active foreign expansion.

Pseudo-Hindu cult of guru Sergey Bugaev, with the center in Kharkov has opened the branches in Los Angeles, Munich, Cologne and Dresden.

Olga Asauljak's occult cult develops schools in Russia, Poland, Germany.

Pagan neo-Nazi groups from the Ukrainian origin actively adjust connections in Germany. Destructive cult “Marzhin” also has its branches in Russia and Germany. There are a lot of such examples.

The analysis of the legislation.

Normative-legal acts working now in Ukraine concerning activity of the religious organizations safely can be named the most “all allowing” in Europe. On the one hand, it has positive character as excludes an opportunity of religious discrimination. But in the same time, laws of Ukraine at all do not protect the right of the person in the religious organization and other cults, do not provide offences peculiar destructive cults, do not give legal definition of a destructive cult and do not take into account the factor of psychological violence.

In the Ukrainian legislation there are all some restrictions on destructive influence on the person and a society from the side of religious groups. But even having got these restrictions, it is not stipulated the legal mechanism of carrying the responsibility for their infringements. So, the cult actually can break the law but it is impossible to take to it any measures. From all kinds of violence the obvious physical violence is taken into account only.

It is practically impossible to achieve an interdiction or liquidation of cult group even if its activity carries the dangerous criminal character proved in the judicial order. As an example can be the case with White Brotherhood. The reason for this is free given preferential status. This status, in particular, paralyses any actions to control above observance of human rights from the side of authorities and the public. If it is possible to protect person rights at work or in public organization, in processes occurring in the religious organization actually non-controlled by anybody except for its management. The religious group if it does not want to receive the status of the legal person, can not to inform the state bodies about its existence at all and to continue activity feeling free.

It is possible to list the underfulfilled questions of the legislation of Ukraine in the given area so long, but the most sad is an absence of the positive tendency to its change.

About Center "Dialogue"

Center help to victims of destructive cults "Dialogue" began the activity from city of Zaporozhye in May, 2001, from the edition and distribution of information booklets in the various cult organizations, realizations of press conferences on the facts of cults infringement of legislative guidelines and rights of the person, assistance to the report of a real-life negative public opinion concerning those or other socially significant cult projects, the organization of consultation of the persons injured of cults, and their relatives, readings of fact-finding lectures about cult activity for students and schoolchildren, information gathering on features of the Ukrainian cult organizations and branches of foreign cults.

In February, 2002 in city of Zaporozhye it was hold the International Conference "Orthodoxy and threat of totalitarian sects in Ukraine", carried out by Center "Dialogue" together with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church upon Conference termination Ukrainian national center religious safety and help to victims of destructive cults "Dialogue" was founded. At present Pan-Ukrainian organization is in process of registration.

The purpose of Center "Dialogue" activity was determined protection of person, family and society from destructive cults, distribution of the truthful information on cults and help for the victims of their activity, also assistance of Ukraine democratization and strengthening of human rights protection, including legislative initiative. Center "Dialogue" supports close connections and cooperates with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and other traditional religions in Ukraine, but thus is the secular organization. Center "Dialogue" does not conduct doctrine polemic with cults, and stops the attention to their relation to human rights, corporate interests of society, influence on adherents mentality and social influence.

As very young organization, Center "Dialogue" now is engaged in the organizational development. Regional branches Center "Dialogue" now begin the work in the majority of areas of Ukraine.

Center "Dialogue" conducts the following directions of activity:

Data on cults activity distribution to Mass media, information of their histories, monitoring the cult quality of consciousness and recruitment. Center "Dialogue" aspires to maximum increasing the knowledge level of the population in the area through mass-media.

Center "Dialogue" conducts information-analytical activity directed on the analysis of cult groups working in Ukraine, gathering the information on dogmas and cult practice of religious organizations, in particular, for their conformity to human rights and the current legislation, informing of the state bodies on the facts of illegal activity of dangerous groups.

Center "Dialogue" aspires to conduct educational activity: lecturers of the Center carry out lectures among teachers, students, schoolchildren and other social groups, at the Center it is conducted rates of sectology for preparation of sectology lecturers.

Publishing house "Dialogue-Inform" started working in Center "Dialogue" which conducts editing of booklets about destructive cults, the book covered to the analysis of a cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses published, newsletter "Sects and cults" begun release on an example of the French bulletin "Bulles".

Separate direction of work is the legal analysis of activity of cults, and a legal protection of destructive cults victims.

In contrast to the European countries it is not advanced in Ukraine the expert religious legal, medical, psychological, social and economic analysis of dogma and cult practice at all. To one of the main problems of Center "Dialogue” is to begin the organization of scientific activity in this direction, with participation of scientific experts of the appropriate areas. Already the first examinations now are carried out, and work on creation of national expert council is conducted.

In sphere of minors protection Center "Dialogue” analyzes the facts of illegal penetration of cults in an education system with the purpose to organize right and information counteraction to it, helps minor, injured from destructive cults.

Rehabilitation service of Center "Dialogue” organizes rendering information-advisory, spiritual, psychological, legal, social, material, psychiatric and other medical aid to the citizens injured from destructive cults or potentially able to suffer from them with attraction to activity of public service, religious and private organizations, experts and other private persons, capable to assist the victim.

Also Center "Dialogue” developed some bills directed on protection strengthening of the person from destructive cult influence. For their acceptance it is conducted the work with members of parliament of Ukraine, parties and public organizations.

Certainly, while there is an organizational process in Ukrainian national center "Dialogue", there is no constant financing, except for the incidental help of sponsors and the state support, so the Center possibilities are very strongly limited. It is necessary to recognize, that opportunities of any advanced destructive cult, for today, is higher than opportunities of our Center. And in Ukraine, as you saw, there is not one such cult.

Besides after at the international conference organized the Center in February of this year destructive cults which were named and it was declared creation of the national organization, destructive cults having been afraid to lose so favorable situation in Ukraine have begun the active company against Ukrainian national center "Dialogue".

Absolutely unreasonably Ukrainian national center "Dialogue" was accused by destructive cults of encroachments on religious freedom. Despite of absence of the judgment confirming similar accusation of our address cults in every possible way distribute the similar information. Using hysterical propagation about infringement of religious freedom, the wide financial and corruption opportunities they have started pressure upon authorities of Ukraine, with purpose to prevent work of the Center. In particular, as a result of pressure upon Ministry of Justice Ukrainian national center "Dialogue" can give up in the state registration. Under pressure of cults educational seminars with school psychologists and a number of other important actions were broken.

Ukrainian center "Dialogue" declares that is the supporter of democratic values and human rights. Including religious freedom to which threaten destructive cult aspiring only to operation of the members.

But young democracy of Ukraine has not understood the problem of destructive cults yet. In particular, cults convince authorities, that Ukrainian national center "Dialogue" cannot operate, while in laws of Ukraine there is no legal concept of destructive cult. This statement not only contradicts the settled democratic values and freedom of speech, but also the Constitution of Ukraine.

We trust in sincere aspiration of Ukrainian authorities towards democratization and integration in the European community. But while the Ukrainian authorities are not enough informed about destructive cults and can be entered by them into error. Cults aspire to convince authority, that the problem is invented by National center "Dialogue", and actually destructive cults and the control of consciousness does not exist.

Today National center "Dialogue" has not anyone more to whom will address for the help, except for as to the colleagues gathered on this conference. We ask you to address to Ukrainian authorities with resolutions which to confirm the urgency of the problem that was reflected in the number of documents of the Council of Europe. We ask to recommend Ukrainian authorities to pay steadfast attention to threat to human rights from the side of dangerous cults and to support, as it was told in the Decision of the Council of Europe (which adviser now is FECRIS) from 22.06.1999 and in Reply from the Committee of Ministers adopted at the 765th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies (19 September 2001) about creations of the center engaged by informing of the population on dangerous cults and the help the victim from them. The voice of Europe will be heard in Ukraine as the European community has the big authority for our country.

Also we offer FECRIS participants to carry out following conference FECRIS in Ukraine that will draw attention to the problem not only the Ukrainian public, but also all East Europe in which a problem of dangerous cult groups is especially actual.