EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS:
Juliana Buhring was born and raised in the religious cult, 'Children of God/ The Family'. After breaking free in her early twenties, she worked with the Tae Okono charity helping the child soldiers and children directly affected by the rebel warfare in Northern Uganda. She organized an exhibition fundraiser which focused media attention on the plight of children in conflict. Juliana is co-author of 'Not Without My Sister', a book detailing her unique experiences growing up as a second-generation cult child.
Celeste Jones has a degree in Psychology and Education and is co-author of 'Not Without My Sister.' Since breaking away from the Children of God/ The Family cult in 2002 she has spoken in the media about her experiences in order to raise awareness of the second-generation born into extremist cults.
Kristina Jones was born and raised in the Children of God/The Family cult which she managed to escape in 1988. Since then, she has spent time studying the cult phenomenon, helped raise awareness about cults and worked as a media consultant. She has years of experience informally counseling and supporting former cult members in their recovery. Together with her sisters Juliana and Celeste, she is the co-author of 'Not Without My Sister.'
Kristi LaMattery is a survivor of the Children of God/The Family cult and was born and raised in the group until the age of 16 when she left her home and the group. Since her departure she has joined the Army and served a 6 year term. Her background includes seven years of collegiate philosophy training, with study at Louisiana State University, the University of San Diego and St. Clair's in Oxford, England. Kristi currently works as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused and neglected children in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She is a state wide speaker on ritualistic sexual abuse and is working with state and local agencies to train investigators and service providers of sexual assault victims.
"My work is about respecting the unique experience of each child, validating them and showing them their futures are not hopeless. Their resiliency teaches me about the endless strength of survivors."
Peter S. Frouman is a former second-generation member of The Family/Children of God religious cult. In May 2001, Peter graduated from the University of Texas at Austin where he earned a Bachelor of Journalism degree in News and Public Affairs and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Sociology. Since May 2005, Peter has helped edit and administer the web site xFamily.org, a collaboratively edited encyclopedia about The Family/Children of God cult.
Dermot Brannick works as a promoter, fundraiser and consultant for a number of non-profit organizations and projects. Since October 2003 he has been working closely with adult survivors of childhood trauma originating from within international cults.
Alexandra Stein was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and has also lived in England, France and the United States. She has a Ph.D in Sociology and a Masters in Liberal Studies, both from the University of Minnesota. Her academic focus is on the social psychology of extremist groups. She has a particular interest in the experience of children and families in such groups. In the 1980s she was a rank and file member of a small political cult, during which time she became a mother to two children. Her book about that experience, "Inside Out: A Memoir of Entering and Breaking Out of a Minneapolis Political Cult" was published in 2002. She also writes creative non-fiction and has won two writing awards from The Loft and a Norcroft residency. Alexandra Stein served on the RISE International Advisory Board until January 17, 2008 when she was elected to the Board of Directors.
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS:
Perry Bulwer In 1972, Perry Bulwer dropped out of high school at the age of 16 to join an extremist, Bible-based cult. He lived in socially isolated communes in Canada, the U.S., Japan, the Philippines, Korea, Malaysia and China. It took nearly 20 years for Perry to break the extreme psychological hold the cult had on him. After escaping in 1991, he went on to earn a B.A. with distinction from the University of Victoria/Malaspina University-College. In 2002, Perry earned a law degree from the University of British Columbia. He was called to the Bar in 2003 and is a member of The Law Society of British Columbia. He now devotes time to human rights and social justice issues.