Based on my own experiences with this leading member’s behaviour, the nature of the so-called “Wir-Raum” (explanation will follow later), witnesses who have had firsthand experiences with the organisation known as Go&Change and accounts they in turn have heard from other witnesses, and the overwhelmingly negative and appalling stories about the organisation I have found on the internet, I have come to the conclusion that Go&Change is a harmful cult.
I therefore do not want to be associated with Go&Change or any of its members, and I do not want to be associated with the ZEGG if it in turn remains closely associated with Go&Change or any of its members. I do not want to convey the impression that I approve of Go&Change as an organisation or in any way find that it is aligned with my work, and I do not want to legitimise the actions of Go&Change or any of its members with my presence. As such, I have chosen to refrain from participating in the above-mentioned public event.
I wish to warn all members and guests of the ZEGG, and the general public, about the manipulative and abusive potential of the so-called “Wir-Raum”. This is not a new invention, but rather a common technique found in many cults where it is used to gaslight and control its members. (I consulted Dr. Daniel Görtz, sociologist with a keen interest in cults, about the matter, and he could in detail describe the mechanisms of the “Wir-Raum” without knowing anything about neither Go&Change nor my own or others experiences with the “Wir-Raum”.)
I am saddened to see that a leading member of Go&Change has been chosen to participate in a panel discussion at the ZEGG Summer Camp. I believe this decision is an error and a result of poor judgement that severely compromises the credibility of the ZEGG Summer Camp Leitungsteam.
Finally I wish to honor the numerous survivors of Go&Change. It is my hope that their traumatic experiences will be recognised and that they one day will see justice for the wrongs that have been committed against them. I apologise for not having properly researched who I were to be associated with at the ZEGG Summer Camp and for indirectly legitimising an abusive organisation.
Emil Ejner Friis
Bad Belzig, 29th of July 2021
