WHO AND WHAT IS “NORMAL”?
A One Day Seminar at The Future Inn, Cardiff Bay, 15th March 2012
£150 (inc of £25 VAT)

The Cognitive Centre is proud to launch the first of a series of innovative one-day events aimed at challenging the way we think about difference and we are delighted that our first event will be headlined by best selling author, Jon Ronson.

Jon Ronson is a journalist, documentary filmmaker, radio presenter and non-fiction author, whose past best-selling books include ”The Men Who Stare At Goats” (which was made into a major film starring George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges,) and ”Them – Adventures with Extremists”. His latest bestseller “The Psychopath Test – A Journey Through the Madness Industry” challenges, in a very engaging manner, the ways in which we think of normality. His journalism and columns have appeared in British publications including The Guardian newspaper, City Life and Time Out magazine. He has made several documentary films for television and two documentary series for Channel 4. Jon’s talk will be about The Psychopath Test. It’s a journey that began with him meeting, in Broadmoor, a man who swears he faked madness to evade a prison sentance and now he’s stuck, with nobody believing he’s sane. This encounter leads Jon to Robert Hare, inventor of the industry standard ’Hare Psychopathy Checklist’, who asserts that there’s a preponderance of high-scoring psychopaths – people with a complete lack of human empathy – at the heart of the political and business elite. And so, armed with his new psychopath-spotting abilities, Jon journeyed into the corridors of power. The Psychopath Test is both entertaining and honest, unearthing dangerous truths and asking serious questions about how we define normality in a world where we are increasingly judged by our maddest edges.
He will be joined by two other speakers:

David Lewis worked for the police for 30 years, with experience as a Temporary Chief Inspector for the Metropolitan Police and Head of Training at Durham Police Training Centre. David has helped to re-shape the way in which the Metropolitan Police engage with young people and as Team Leader for the UK China 400 British Council Exchange Programme, has spearheaded many educational visits to China. He was the 1997 Fulbright Fellow in Policing studying at Penn State University. In 2009 he won the Janes Police Review London Team Diversity Award and has travelled to many parts of the world speaking and advising on youth inclusion programmes. He spent a year working as the Night Manager at an East End Men's hostel which gave him a dramatic insight into the lives of the mentally ill. He currently writes full time and is working on a training programme on preventing violent extremism. David says ”I’ve never met anyone I would describe as 'Normal'. Everyone is absolutely unique – and anyway, who is mad and who is sane?' David has had a wide exposure to the total spectrum of the human condition from axe- wielding mental patients to a plethora of individuals claiming to be the rightful king of England, Christ come again, and much in between. He mixes comedy and pathos, poetry and reason as he explores such challenging issues as dementia, extremism and the completely mad excesses of the banks.

Malcolm Morgan qualified as a P.E teacher and worked with pupils with behavioural difficulties for several years before moving into church pastoral work. He is now pastor at City Church Belfast – a vibrant growing church in the heart of the Holylands area of Belfast which strives to be a church community that is welcoming to everyone – encouraging all to follow God in a world where so many values and lives seem broken. You may recall his church receiving media interest recently when it was vandalized after providing refuge to homeless Romanians. Before taking up this position Malcolm was a church pastor in Johannesburg for several years and has worked in many difficult situations and has particularly unique insights to share. Malcolm will ask the question “So who is my neighbour then?” We all seek love and acceptance yet it seems in such short supply today when suspicion of those who are different pre-dominates. How well do we accept people who are different to us and how can we make a difference? Perhaps listening to a parable or two could help?

There will be a question and answer session and an opportunity to meet the speakers. Refreshments will be offered throughout the day, and a buffet lunch will be provided. Places are limited so to ensure a place please complete and return the attached registration form as soon as possible.