On the 11th of july Dutch tv Netwerk broadcasted a second item on Tvind

 

 

 

On the 11th of july Dutch television broadcasted a second item on Tvind. A former Dutch pupil of one of the Tvind-schools in Denmark tells that she had to collect 13.000 guilders by fundraising before she was allowed to go to Africa. Former vice-president from Humana Holland, E. van Veldhuizen, a former mayor, explains that he got out of the trustee in 1998 because it appeared to be impossible to break the control of the Teachers Group in the trustee. G. Verburg, member for the biggest party CDA in Dutch parliament, which also provides the prime minister Jan-Peter Balkenende, askes for a European wide inquiry on the activities of the cult and wants to know whether Humana Holland is in control of the Teachers Group.

Here below tvindalert parafrases the broadcasting of the second Netwerk-item on Dutch television. Down below we have put the questions asked in Dutch parliament, the reaction of Humana and if usefull our comment.

Dutch tv-item from Netwerk, 11th july 2002. A first item was broadcasted on the 26th of june and a paraphrase of it can be found on this website as well.   Click here to read it

After the two broadcasting Humana Holland decided to go public. The organisation gave a well-visited press conference. It also wrote down 'ten questions and answers on Humana', which you can click to here and are given comment on by Tvindalert.

 

           Dutch government calls for

           European inquiry             

                on  Humana

 

HILVERSUM, 11th of july 2002

I

G. Verburg, member of the Dutch parliament for the policital party CDA, is worried after watching the first item on Tvind on Dutch television programma Netwerk, broadcasted on the 26th of june. Netwerk showed a document in which top-members of the Teachers Group, Niels Holst and Poul Jorgensen, are planning to move money from clothes collecting in Holland back into the Teachers Group in Denmark. In this memo, dated on september 24th of 1995, Holland is used as an example for the other European Humana-organisations. It states that Humana Holland sends a cheque with an amount of 150.000 USD to Angola as a donation for development projects. When the cheque arrives in Angola, it is sent to Denmark as a salary for the so-called project leaders, mostly members of the Teachers Group.

Marcia de Munnik, a 27 years old management-secretary, went to Denmark in 2001 to do a course at one of the Tvind-schools, not realising is was being managed by a cult which has connections with Humana Holland. She reacted on a advertisement in a free daily newspaper, Metro which can be found on every big Dutch railway station. I was promised that I would go to Africa to educate children, plant trees after an intensive training in Denmark. But it all turned out different. Marcia got very disappointed during her stay in Denmark. She had to collect money for the Tvind-school. We had to sell postcards, promotional newspapers, roses and then give the money to the school without knowing the school was doing with it.' She had to collect 13.000 guilders before she was allowed to go to Africa. According to the school the money served as a expense allowance.

Marcia: You just give them the money, only thinking about your trip to Africa. You sort of get blind with what is exactly going on. I never realised Humana was part of a cult. Maybe that was a little naive.

Now she says: Its kind of scary to know that the Teachers Group is in so many foundations and companies here in Holland. I would say that everything that has got to do with Humana here in Holland should be cleared away.

According to a former Dutch member of the Teachers Group, Patricia Brunklaus, Tvind is all about exploiting people. That what you want to prevent, people getting exploited, is what the Teachers Group is doing to people. According to Netwerk the Teachers Group, also known as Tvind, is using the schools to recruit new members for the cult. Patricia Brunklaus left the Teachers Group after seven years, in 1984. She tells that for half a year cultleader Amdi Petersen in that period forced the members of the Teachers Group to study the red book of Mao. It lasted for about half a year and then is was over. It was one of those typical caprices of Amdi Petersen.

She got in conflict with the Teachers Group after it appeared that she was having a relationship with someone outside the cult. That wasnt allowed. Letters she got working in Zimbabwe were opened and translated into Danish and afterwards she got interrogated for one and a half day. That is, I would say, brainwashing. They just talk so long with you that in the end you get tired and get to believe yourself that it is better to end your relationship. But later on, when you are able to see things straight again, you think: God, what is this.

Netwerk than explains the disappearance of Amdi Petersen and his elusive life, building his world wide empire and living in luxury, owning appartments and a big ship for tens of millions of dollars and finally his arrest on an airport in Los Angeles. Humana collects clothes in more than hundred towns in Holland, using it for projects in the Third World, according to Humana. But in fact a large part of the money goes to secret accounts of the Teachers Group, is the message of Netwerk, referring to the first item in which the Dutch television showed an inside memo of the Teachers Group planning the way money should be sent around the world making it look in Holland as being used for development projects.

Secret accounts dont fit in with a charity, says E. van Veldhuizen, former mayor of the village Oss and former vice-president of the trustee from Humana Holland (now called Foundation Humana). It just doesnt suit a charitable organisation. Van Veldhuizen tried to change to organisation, but according to him that appeared to be impossible. I was vice-president, but in fact president, because I did all the work. Only for the meetings the president, a member of the Teachers Group, came all the way to Bunnik from Berlin. Which in my opinion was a silly way of working. But when he said that he couldnt do it any more, he told me another teacher was going to replace him. I believe it was a woman, from Sweden. I was very much unpleasantly surprised about that and it got to annoy me more and more, because all the time in fact I was being responsible.

Did they explain why it wasnt possible for you to become president of the trustee? No they didnt. But it was clear that the Teachers Group had this secret funds and that also the federation of Humana People to People was being managed by the Teachers Group. As far as it went for Holland we could do what we wanted, but once the money was going outside of Holland, we had no influence at all. Obviously, the Teachers Group didnt like people from outside looking over their shoulder.

Former Teachers Group-member Patricia Brunklaus says: Its all worked out in a very clever way. Nobody really has the all over look, except for Amdi Petersen. That has always been the case, from the beginning.

In England Humana has been banned by the Charity Commission, investigations are going on in France, Denmark and Belgium. In Belgium eight members of the Teachers Group are being sued for money laundering up to several million euros.

The Central Bureau Fundraising in Holland has announced to start an investigation. Van Veldhuizen has a clear opinion: When it came to breaking the control of the Teachers Group, that appeared to be impossible. For me that was the reason to get out of the Humana trustee and if you ask me it should be a reason for the Central Bureau Fundraising to withdraw the quality hall-mark it has given as for Humana being a reliable organisation.

Humana Holland denies it is depending on the control of the Teachers Group.

Nevertheless G. Verburg from the political party CDA in Dutch parliament got very worried after watching the first tv-item on Humana. Therefore she calls for a European-wide investigation to find out whether Humana is involved in money laundering, fraud, tax evasion, swindling and what is the influence of the Teachers Group on the organisation in Holland. Also she finds it necessary to investigate whether students are being swindled by the Tvind-schools and are being recruited with advertisements in Holland. It is necessary to find out about every detail", Verburg states. Because people usually think: when there is smoke, there must be fire. This is very bad for the image of the whole branche of charities. It would be wise for Humana to fully cooperate with an investigation.

 

Tvindalert

Han Gommeren

 

Questions asked about Humana in Dutch parliament

Here below one can find the questions asked by Dutch member of parliament G. Verburg (CDA). The minister didn't answer the questions yet, but Humana gave its reaction on several of the questions which we have put right down the questions with our comment where thought usefull. The questions have the date 12th of july 2002.

1. Did you take notice of the broadcastings of 'Netwerk' on the 26th of june and the 11th of july?

2. Do you know that Humana pretends to collecting clothes in favour of development projects in the Third World, but at least 75 percent of the money is being referred to the Tvind-cult (Teachers Group) in Denmark?

Humana: Humana doesn't send funds in what way soever to a cult or any other group in the world. Not 75 percent or any other percentage. The whole 'profit' of Humana is being spent on development projects. In 2001 Humana has sent 3,4 million guilders in money en clothes to 25 projects in Afrika. Each project is being checked by an accountant from local offices of KPMG and Ernst & Young. They do not only confirm the contributions of Humana, but also the spending of these funds.

Tvindalert: it's correct, as far as we know, that Humana Holland doesn't send funds directly to the Teachers Group in Denmark. The memo in Netwerk showed how the money should be sent to Angola monthly with a 150.000 USD cheque and from Angola to Denmark to make it look like the money was being used for projects. In a reaction given to tvindalert the Teachers Group says that the memo was only a document for internal discussion. This implies that the Teachers Group was at least willing to consider the possibility of moving the money earned by collecting clothes from Dutch citizens back into the Teachers Group. Already in 1996 the Dutch magazine Vrij Nederland explained that Dutch charity-money had been used to pay projectleaders, members of the TG, after the reporter visited Africa. 

 

Humana: Humana has no connections with a cult. The Teachers Group, of which a number of project leaders and directors are a member, is not a cult. There is no scientific definition of a cult. In some reports characterizes are being forwarded as if they were the characterizes of a cult. Some of these can be considered as a part of the Teachers Group, but this doesn't make the Teachers Group a cult. There is no misticism, no abnormal behaviour, no religious belief in or worship of a leader in the Teachers Group.

Tvindalert: the German journalists Frank Nordhausen (Berliner Zeitung) and Liane von Billerbeck have specialized on cults. They have written a book about this subject, called 'Psycho-Sekten, die Praktiken der Seelenfnger' (january 2000). This book contents a extensive chapter on Tvind/Humana. Their conclusion is that Tvind/Humana is a cult. Several organisations against cults in Europe and the US consider Tvind/Humana as a cult. The Evangelical Centre for World Contemplative Issues in Germany considers Tvind/Humana to be a commercial cult

'Escapees' from the Teachers Group all have psychological problems once they have left the Teachers Group trying to come over the psychological pressure that has been put on to them so many years. They consider Tvind/Humana as a cult and name one charismatic leader: Amdi Petersen, the founder of Tvind. Furthermore,  there are many organisations and magazines warning against cults, easy to find on the internet, which mention Tvind/Humana. The Cult Observer, in 1994, described Tvind/Humana as a multinational money-making conglomerate with cultic aspects. 

So it seems that Tvind/Humana is a cult or cult-like organisation, according to many sources. Arguing about it is just a matter of semantics.

 

3. Which steps will you take to inquire this and end it on behalf of the Dutch citizens who give their clothes away in good faith and the people in the Third World-countries on the other hand?

Humana: We believe these accusations should be investigated as soon as possible. W're looking forward to the conclusions of this investigation.The investigation will show that the funds of Humana were spent properly.

 

4. Is it true that the cult also in Holland recruits youngsters, advertising in newspapers and then allure them to Denmark under false pretextes?

 

Humana: There is no cult and no school, which recruits youngsters under false pretextes. There are schools in Denmark, England and numerous other countries which offer a course for development worker in Afrika en therefore advertise in Dutch newspapers. The education started in 1980 and the development workers have made a major contribution to the development and the international relations on the base of relations between people.

The education money is 1100 euros a month. The education money is partly being payed by the volunteers themselves en partly by fundraising during the course. Also a part is being payed by the Federation. It is not clear where the amount of 13.000 guilders comes from, mentioned in the broadcast of Netwerk. Nobody gets knowlingly deceived in any way.

Tvindalert: The Danish government in 1996 stopped benefitting the Tvind-schools because money apparently was being used for other goals than education. Last year december a Danish court decided that some of the Tvind-schools because of exactly the same reason should pay back 15 million Kroners back to the Danish government. It was an important example case for the Danish authorities. Tvindalert has copies of advertisements in Dutch newspapers, but also of posters of the Humana-federation for instance attached on several places in Amsterdam in summer 2002. So Tvind/Humana still is recruiting youngsters, in Holland but also elsewhere in Europe.

In an interview with tvindalert in june this year the director of Humana Holland, Robbert van Baaren, admitted there had been a lot, too much, of criticism on the Tvind-schools. 'That is a serious problem', was his opinion. 'We are not happy with that.' He said that Humana Holland even had sent a letter about this matter to the Federation, arguing it to 'have a better control on the schools. But also the Federation is not responsible for the schools. They are autonomous', Van Baaren claims.

Tvindalert: All the Tvind-schools are being managed by the Teachers Group, just as the Federation and all the Humana organisations all over the world. So it should be easy to improve the situation at the schools. In Tvindalerts opinion however the schools are being used as a recruiting tool for the Teachers Group.

 

5. Do you think continuation of this is desirable, and if no, what will you do to put an end to this?

 

6. On which ground it is lawfully permitted to demand from a president or director en other members of a trustee and employees to be/become a member of the Tvind-cult?

 Humana: Humana doesn't demand from anyone to become a member of the Teachers Group or whatever other group. The trustee of Humana Holland excists of six members and there are two directors. Two members of the trustee and one of the directors are member of the Teachers Group.

Tvindalert: the president (Per Jensen, working at Humana's headquarters in Mugabe's Zimbabwe) and treasurer (Kare-Sven Dahne, living in Berlin), the most important positions in the trustee, are in hands of the Teachers Group. Director is Jytte Nielsen, (next to Van Baaren), so also here the TG is in charge.

 

7. If this is not permitted, which consequences will this have for Humana Holland and in which way you will put an end to his?

8. How do you explain, if the broadcast of Netwerk is correct, the fact that the Central Bureau Fundraising (CBF) recently gave a quality hall-mark to Humana with which the organisation pretends to be completely reliable?

Humana: Humana always has been a reliable organisation. During fifteen years Humana has given crucial help to hundreds of thousands of people in countries in the Third World. Humana is being checked since its establishment in 1986 by the CBF. results have always been positive for Humana.Humana will cooperate with CBF or any other authority wants to investigate to be able to show that everything Humana does is done in a proper way.

Tvindalert: The CBF doesn't have the people nor the financial funds to do a proper investigation, for instance in the countries in Africa where the development projects of Humana are said to be located. So the CBF is more or less not doing anything else than checking if the financial books of Humana are correct. In the UK the charity commission made an inquiry in Zambia and wasn't able to trace where the Humana-funds had been going to. The charity commission than decided to dissolve the organisation. Humana Holland-director Jytte Nielsen at that time was a member of the trustee in the UK.

 

9. Do you, considering everything here above, the CBF, thoroughly enough equipped and qualified to investigate  the possibilities of misuse, deceit and/or fraud by fundraising organisations?

Humana: this question we cannot answer, but we sincerely hope that the CBF is well enough equipped. Every additional  investigation is welcome.

 

10. If not, will you take measures to not only check words but also activities of organisations?

 

11. Do you agree with us that according to Humana every detail must be checked so that Dutch citizens know what is going on. Also to prevent that the image of other organisations could be damaged? If not, why not? If yes, are you capable to tell which steps, means and time you will need so that complete clarity can be established?

Humana: we agree fully with this.

 

12. Will you look for cooperation with collegues in for instance Belgium, United Kingdom and Denmark, knowing that also in these European Union countries investigations are being done into the activities of the Tvind-cult?

Humana: We are sure that the Federation Humana People to People and all members all over the world will cooperate with any inquiry. The investigation is  in their interest too.