Jean-Pierre Brard

Infobox Person


image_size = 150px
name = Jean-Pierre Brard
caption =
birth_date = Birth date and age|1948|2|7|mf=y
birth_place = Flers, Orne, Normandy, France flagicon|France
death_date =
death_place =
occupation = Teacher
mayor of Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis
Deputy, French National Assembly
expert witness, Cult debate, Voyage Au Pays Des Nouveaux Gourous
spouse =

Jean-Pierre Brard, (b. February 7, 1948 in Flers, Orne, Normandy, France), is a French politician.

Career

Initially a teacher, he was mayor of Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis from 1984 to the 22nd March 2008, and a deputy to the French National Assembly since 1988. Though not a member, he is affiliated to the parliamentary group of the French Communist Party.

Appears in Documentary

Brard appeared as an expert witness on the Cult debate in the French documentary on Landmark Education, Voyage Au Pays Des Nouveaux Gourous, in 2004. When interviewed by Pieces a Conviction, Brard disagrees with the assessment of Landmark Forum Leader and spokeswoman for Landmark Education, Sophie McLean :

Channel 3 then interviews Jean-Pierre Brard the Deputy Mayor of Montreuil who once served as vice-president of the French Assembly committee designated to investigate and identify “sects.”

Brard says McLean is “lying” and explains that Landmark meets the criteria of a “sect” because it features a “guru who destabilizes people to enslave them” and “relinquish critical thought.”

Direct quote from film :

On that note, Jean-Pierre Brard, you are deputy mayor of Montreuil. You were vice-president of the investigating committee on cults in the Assembly. As we heard Landmark Education says that you classified them as a cult, without having investigated it, what is your response?
I say that Ms. McLean must be Pinocchio's little sister and that, little by little as she's talking, her nose must be growing longer. Because, obviously, she's lying.
But precisely what are the criteria that lead you to say it's a cult?
It's very simple. Clearly, there's a guru who destabilizes people to enslave them, to make them subservient, which has been said by witnesses. You can also see that they make you relinquish critical thought, and break the person down so that they can pick up the pieces. You can also see that there's a network of money. This hasn't been mentioned yet: The ultimate goal is to press its power and clean out the students' wallets. And by using the students, to attempt to earn more. So, there are the criterion of domination, a network of money, subordination and brainwashing. So it's a cult. [Jean-Pierre Brard, May 24, 2004, Pieces a Conviction, France 3, Voyage Au Pays Des Nouveaux Gourous.]

References

External links

* Voyage Au Pays Des Nouveaux Gourous, [http://programmes.france3.fr/pieces-a-conviction/23896685-fr.php Pieces a Conviction] , May 24, 2004, Exposé (journalism), France 3
* [http://www.depute-brard.org/html/intro1.htm Official site]