Scientology Today

St. Petersburg, FL—More than 1,200 Tampa Bay residents of all ages walked quarter-mile laps around Straub Park in St. Petersburg Saturday, March 6, to raise human rights awareness.  Ms. Linda Drazkowski, Founder and President of the Human Rights Group Inc., Scientologist, mother of two and Clearwater resident, created the Human Rights Walkathon four years ago, and has chaired it every year since.  The fourth annual Human Rights Walkathon, produced by the Human Rights Group in partnership with Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking and the Tampa Bay Academy of Hope, featured performances by hip hop artist MC Lyte, recording artist David Pomeranz, and the Dundu Dole Urban Ballet.  Speakers included Mrs. Anna Rodriguez, founder of the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking; Mr. James Evans, founder of the Tampa Bay Academy of Hope; Rev. Alfreddie Johnson, founder of the World Literacy Crusade; and Dustin McGahee, president of Youth for Human Rights Florida.

The day before the walkathon, an article in the Fort Meyers, Florida, News-Press pointed out the vital role education plays in protecting human rights.  A 15-year-old Guatemalan girl living less than 150 miles south of St. Petersburg,  in Immokalee, might still be enslaved and forced into sex, pornography and field labor today had it not been for the alertness of a Florida woman who suspected she was the victim of human trafficking and reported it to authorities.

Some 800,000 men, women and children are trafficked across international borders each year.  “People who know and understand human rights will not only stand up for their own rights but also for the rights of others,” said Drazkowski. 

To raise awareness of this and other crucial human rights issues, the Human Rights Group uses educational booklets, DVDs and an educators’ guide created by Youth For Human Rights International in collaboration with the Human Rights Department of the Church of Scientology International.

For more information on these programs and materials, visit United for Human Rights at www.humanrights.com.

Actress Cassandra Hepburn helps feed and clothe children at a Haiti orphanage.

A week in Haiti on the Scientology Disaster Response Team changed actress Cassandra Hepburn’s life.  Born in the Philippines and raised in London, Hong Kong and Switzerland, she has led no sheltered life, but she says her week in Haiti opened her eyes to what helping others is all about.

Hepburn arrived in Haiti on February 14 aboard a Scientology-sponsored charter flight and went to work helping refugees in three IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camps.

“Living conditions for the volunteers and medical professionals were pretty rugged—we slept in tents on cots or in sleeping bags on concrete slabs or hard floors, and we ate MREs (Meals Ready-to-Eat—food rations for the United States Armed Forces), but compared to the conditions at the IDP camps this was luxurious,” she said.  In the IDP camps, entire families live out in the open, their only protection from the elements a sheet or a tarp suspended from a branch.  “Unless we act now to provide shelter for the refugees there will be devastation during the rainy season.”

Hepburn’s assignment in Haiti also included working in local orphanages with a team of medical professionals who provided checkups while volunteers gave food and toys to the children.  “They were so happy to see that someone cared,” she said.

Hepburn, 33, appeared in the Quentin Tarantino film “Hellride” and in the daytime drama “The Young and the Restless.”

A Scientologist since 2005, she recently joined staff at the new Church of Scientology and Celebrity Centre in Las Vegas, which held its grand opening on February 6.

For more information on the Scientology Volunteer Ministers Haiti Disaster Response, visit the Volunteer Ministers blog at blog.volunteerministers.org.

Recently back from three weeks in Haiti, mother of eight and Scientology Volunteer Minister Donna Cooper, shown here at a Haiti orphanage, is already planning her return.

With only 16 days until she and her husband retire, Donna Cooper, mother of eight, grandmother and soon-to-be great grandmother from Pahrump, Nevada, is not planning how she will spend her well-earned leisure time. Instead she is boning up on how to avoid cholera and mosquito-borne tropical diseases as she prepares to return to Haiti to continue her work with the Scientology Disaster Relief Team in Port-au-Prince.

“As soon as my husband heard about the earthquake he looked at me and said ‘I know, you have to go,’” said Cooper. A Scientologist since 1997 and veteran of the Scientology Disaster Response in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, she immediately contacted the Church of Scientology of Las Vegas and the Volunteer Ministers Hotline to arrange transport to Port-au-Prince.

Cooper left from Los Angeles on a Scientology-sponsored charter flight January 21, the second of six such flights that have brought over 400 doctors, nurses and EMTs to Haiti and more than 200 Scientology Volunteer Ministers to support them in their work.

Most of the Volunteer Ministers worked in two of the Port-au-Prince hospitals or in clinics set up in tent cities in and around the city. But Cooper wanted to do what she did in New Orleans—take care of the people who are taking care of the disaster victims.  So Donna cooked and washed clothes for the doctors, nurses and Volunteer Ministers.

“The doctors were great,” she said. “They slept on the ground in sleeping bags just like the rest of us, they didn’t ask for special favors. They never complained about anything.”

“We didn’t have a kitchen-just a couple of two-burner hotplates,” she said.  “One day I grabbed two big bags of rice, 33 cans of soup, four cans of peas and cooked it all together. It was hard to believe, but everyone loved it.  People were so easy to please.  I did laundry for the doctors and nurses because they simply had no time to wash their own scrubs.”

“Between our camp and the UN area at the airport were huge stacks of donated food.  We would load it into a big truck to bring it to four local orphanages.  Doing the food drop one day, it really hit me that here are these kids who have nobody—homes gone, families gone—they just wanted to be hugged.  We’ve all had hardships in our lives, some more, some less, but nothing most people have experienced has been like that. The Haitians are amazing people.  They are so resilient, so strong.”

Cooper plans to return to Haiti mid-April, after she and her husband officially retire from farming.  Their oldest son and his wife and family are taking it over, which allows Cooper to be gone for as long as needed. “My husband is the most wonderful guy on the face of the Earth and he understands I have to go back,” she said.

Cooper explains why she is returning to Haiti when she could be enjoying the ease of retirement after operating a farm and raising a large family.  “A lot of volunteers have had to return home, but it isn’t over.  I can go back and I so badly want to go back.”

This time, Cooper’s 17-year-old daughter will go to Haiti with her.  “She wanted to come with me in January but I made her stay in school.  Now that she’s seen my pictures and read the journal I kept, I can’t keep her from going.”  The teenager will work alongside her mother, helping in the next phase of disaster relief.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers Corps is an embracive program of the Church of Scientology that provides community service, disaster relief and emergency response. Created more than 30 years ago by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, the program has expanded to 203,000 Volunteer Ministers worldwide who have served at 145 worst-case disaster sites.

For more information on the Scientology Haiti Disaster Response, visit the Volunteer Ministers blog at blog.volunteerministers.org.

On January 6, 2010, Annalisa Tissoni, President of the Church of Scientology of Milan, and Fiorella and Gaetano Cerchiara, President and Director respectively of the Association for Human Rights and Tolerance of Italy, presented a special gift to the village of Twewaa—a new school.  With the opening of this school, the second sponsored by Italian Scientologists, the children of the village gained an important human right, as stated in Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights—”the right to education.”

The Twewaa school opening ceremony included speeches by village Chief Nana Somua Nyampong II, Assembly Member Paul Adarkwah, and Chief Executive of Kwahu South District Assembly, Samuel Asomani.

“We involved the community in every aspect of the planning and construction of the school because it belongs to them,” said Ms. Tissoni.  They also hired local companies and artisans and purchased all raw materials for the construction from local merchants, as well as school supplies, clothes and shoes for the children and classroom furniture.

The project began three years ago when an educator in the Ghana capital city of Accra needed additional funds to complete the construction of a school. He invited Ms. Tissoni and Ms. Cerchiara to Ghana, and when they saw the need, they immediately decided to help.  With funds raised by the Milan Church of Scientology and the Association for Human Rights and Tolerance, the construction of the Untoma Oxford International School was completed, opening in August 2008 with some 300 children enrolled.

When the Untoma Oxford School was completed, Tissoni and Cerchiara visited outlying villages and chose Twewaa as their next project.  With the Twewaa school now opened, they are focusing on their third project, a school in a nearby village in Eastern Ghana, scheduled to open before the end of 2010.

“We have taken on this project because education is a basic human right and a vital component to creating a better world,” said Ms. Tissoni.  “Our Church is very much involved in promoting human rights awareness.  Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard said ‘Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream.’ By helping to build these schools, we are enabling the children to create a better future for themselves and their communities.”

To learn more about the human rights initiatives of the Church of Scientology, visit the Scientology website at www.scientology.org.

KLAS TV coverage on the opening of the new Church of Scientology and Celebrity Centre of Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS - The First Church of Scientology in Las Vegas dedicated a new building on Saturday. The relentless rain didn’t stop Saturday’s dedication. “We have opened new churches in cultural epicenters before, but talk about center stage, planet earth,” exclaimed Ecclesiastical Leader David Miscavige. “This one stands in a town so bright you can even see it glowing from deep space.”

Several public officials attended the grand opening, including Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman. “As the mayor of the fastest growing city, I look forward to partnering with you as the fastest growing religion,” Goodman said.

To read full article and view video, click here.

LAS VEGAS, Nevada—Fifteen hundred Scientologists and their guests from across Nevada and the Western United States gathered Saturday for the grand opening celebration of the new Church of Scientology of Las Vegas. The 40,000-square-foot Church, located at 2761 Emerson Avenue, will serve parishioners from throughout Nevada and represents significant growth for the congregation formed in Las Vegas 40 years ago.

Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center and ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, presided at the evening dedication ceremony, welcoming the assembled Scientologists and guests to their new Church.  He was enthusiastically acknowledged by those in attendance for dedicating the Las Vegas Church and for his instrumental role in making it possible.

Special guests participating in the dedication of the new Church included United States Congresswoman Shelley Berkley, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Las Vegas City Council member Steven Ross, and Las Vegas Neighborhood Services Department specialist and mayor’s representative to the Community Interfaith Council Maria Castillo-Couch.

In welcoming the parishioners and guests, Mr. Miscavige said, “You don’t get much closer to the spirit of what we represent than a city that rests on the dreams of artists and treats everybody as somebody.  So, yes, we have opened new Churches in cultural epicenters before.  But talk about ‘Center Stage Planet Earth.’  This one stands in a town so bright you can even see it glowing from deep space.  And now it’s home to our newest Church of Scientology and Celebrity Centre Las Vegas.”

The Mayor of Las Vegas, Oscar Goodman, welcomed the new Church: “Artistic creativity not only transforms the way a city is perceived, but the way its residents think of themselves. It changes their entire outlook and attitude towards life itself. That is where you play an especially vital role. Therefore as the mayor of the fastest-growing city, I look forward to partnering with you as the fastest-growing religion.”

In her address, Congresswoman Berkley acknowledged the human rights initiatives of the Church: “It is more than encouraging to find your members moving effectively among Las Vegas families, school groups, youth organizations, and other community-based organizations, to provide effective human rights education. It is through such effective community involvement and contribution that the Church of Scientology will continue to strengthen this nation and build a worldwide foundation for peace.”

Talking about the new Church, Mr. Miscavige said that Celebrity Centres are those special Churches of Scientology designed to enhance a culture by enhancing the artist.

“The first of this new breed was opened only just last year in Nashville—otherwise known as Music City, USA,” he said.  “But as your honorable Mayor pointed out, what plays in this city now plays in every other cultural capital on earth.

“And even more than that—and with all due respect to your Mayor’s modesty—it’s not a London, a Paris, a Tokyo, Milan or New York that tops the résumé of international performers these days. No, it’s the fact one can say:  ‘I do Las Vegas, which is Show Town planet Earth.’

“So, yes—and unquestionably—when L. Ron Hubbard spoke of ‘art as viewed by people, heard by people and felt by people, because art is not just the fodder of a close-knit group of initiates but the soul food of all people…’ he might well have been speaking of what this city represents as a worldwide capital of art and entertainment—a place where big shows qualify as an ‘act of God’ and there are no words for ‘over the top,’ so long as people are enthralled,” Mr. Miscavige continued.

“All of which is why it’s more than a little significant that we now cut a ribbon on an Ideal Organization that embodies what else LRH said about art—and I quote:

“‘A culture is only as great as its dreams and its dreams are dreamed by artists.’

“But still that’s not all this new Ideal Organization represents.  Because as an Ideal Church of Scientology, it’s amply equipped to embrace everyone else who makes up this culture.  Those in the wings of every performance, those who service, care for, prop up and cater to every entertainer—as they, too, are Las Vegas, so this Church is also theirs.  And the same again for everyone else who pumps the lifeblood through this city: Its technicians, its teachers, its cops, its cooks, its managers and professionals of every description—what this Church affords is likewise theirs for the asking.

“So if drug abuse and addiction plagues every showbiz palace, then spills out all over the streets—this Church can make a difference,” he said.  “In point of fact, you have our anti-drug programs that routinely knock down usage rates 40, 50 and 60 percent wherever they play.  Then again, if there are kids out there who will never come close to achieving any meaningful goal for the simple fact they cannot read and cannot study, we have a technology that just as routinely raises literacy rates two and three grade levels in a matter of weeks.  And if there are households out there in discord and contentious rifts in the neighborhoods, you have our common sense guide to living, The Way to Happiness. And wherever else social fabrics fray and citizens fall through the safety net, this Church is here to help.”

Set on five acres of desert landscape, the former synagogue and school has undergone extensive renovation to accommodate all Scientology religious services and also serve as a home for the community services the Church provides through the many activities and humanitarian programs of its members.

An expansive Public Information Center houses a permanent multimedia exhibit describing the Church’s beliefs and practices and he life and legacy of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. Displays also cover the Church-sponsored humanitarian and social betterment programs that offer practical answers to the societal ills of crime, drug abuse, illiteracy, declining moral values and natural and man-made disasters. These programs represent the work of the Church of Scientology in servicing every community in which they reside as well as other communities around the world.

There is also a Chapel for Sunday services, weddings, naming ceremonies and other congregational gatherings including workshops and seminars for artists; spiritual counseling rooms; course rooms for religious study; seminar rooms; a bookstore containing the written and spoken materials of L. Ron Hubbard; and Community Relations offices and meeting rooms to coordinate social betterment programs with like-minded organizations in the community. There are spacious lounges and a central courtyard to serve as a gathering place for artists and community visitors, in keeping with the unique purpose of a Scientology Celebrity Centre to help the artist and thereby benefit the culture as a whole.

In closing the dedication ceremony, Mr. Miscavige spoke of the significance for Las Vegas of the new Church: “Yours is a city that rose out of sand to become an artistic empire and inspire the world. As such, it really is a place of dreams—and extravagant dreams at that. So as we, too, know what it means to build upon a dream, let this new Church of Scientology signify the fact we believe in your artists, we respect the audacity of your vision—and together, we can light up this city so brightly, it will shine unto eternity.”

Accompanied by local Scientologists who spearheaded the drive to build the new Church, Mr. Miscavige cut the ribbon and invited all to enter.

Las Vegas is the third new Church of Scientology opened in 2010 and the eighth in the past year. The Brussels branch of Churches of Scientology for Europe was opened on January 23. The Church of Scientology of Quebec was dedicated on January 30 by Mr. Miscavige, the first new major Church to open in Canada. In October 2009, Mr. Miscavige dedicated two major Churches: the Founding Church of Scientology of Washington, DC, and the Church of Scientology of Rome. In April 2009, he officiated at the openings of Scientology Churches in Nashville, Tennessee; Dallas, Texas; and Malmo, Sweden.

These Churches join the roster of new Churches of Scientology in the world’s cultural capitals, including the National Church of Scientology of Spain in Madrid’s Neighborhood of Letters; the Church of Scientology of New York, just off Times Square; the Church of Scientology of San Francisco, California, in the original historic Transamerica Building; the Church of Scientology of London, England, located in the epicenter of the city; and the Church of Scientology of Berlin, Germany, near the Brandenburg Gate.

Another 12 new Churches of Scientology are scheduled for completion before the end of the year.

Le Journal de Québec video interview of Scientology spokesperson, Karine Bélanger, on the grand opening of  the Church of Scientology of Québec, located at 665 rue Saint-Joseph in the heart of the Nouvo Saint-Roch district of Lower Québec City.

To view the video, click here.

Nearly 1,000 Scientologists and their guests from across Europe attended the dedication of the Brussels branch of the Churches of Scientology for Europe on Saturday.

Brussels January 27, 2010—A representative of Church of Scientology International, the Mother Church of the Scientology religion, officiated at the ceremony held in the early-20th-century historic structure at Boulevard de Waterloo 100-103.

Presiding was the Reverend Robert Adams of the Los Angeles-based Church of Scientology International. In welcoming the parishioners, staff and guests from more than a dozen countries, he introduced the new Brussels branch as “an international Church for an international city, dedicated to helping all the people of Europe.”

Rev. Adams called the opening the “beginning of a new era for Scientology parishioners and all residents of Belgium and Europe. You are always welcome in our Churches, and we invite you to participate with us as we serve the larger community with effective solutions to uplift the visible decay of the society in which we live.”

Distinguished guest speakers participating in the dedication of the new Church were the Honorable Hugo Coveliers, Senator in the Belgian Parliament; Professor Abolfazl Beheshti, Professor of International Relations and Energy Economy at the University of Lille, France; The Honorable Juan Ferreiro, Spain’s Deputy Director General for Religious Affairs at the Spanish Ministry of Justice; Ms. Katalin Szomor, expert member of the Drugs Commission of the Hungarian Parliament and former national drug coordinator; and the Reverend Christopher Vonck, Rector of the Faculty for Comparative Study of Religions at the University of Antwerp.

In his address to the Scientologists and guests, Senator Coveliers said, “This new Church in the capital city of Europe stands as a beautiful testament to your help, and you can be certain of my continued support. You care for people, and this Church is such an example of this attitude.”

The new Church in Brussels has undergone extensive renovation not only to accommodate all Scientology religious services but also as a home for the community services provided through the many activities and humanitarian programs of Church members.

The 88,000-square-foot Church includes an expansive Information Hall housing a multimedia exhibit describing the religion’s beliefs and practices and the life and legacy of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. Displays also cover the Church-sponsored humanitarian and social betterment programs that offer practical answers to the societal ills of crime, drug abuse, illiteracy, declining moral values and natural and manmade disasters. These programs represent the work of Churches of Scientology in servicing every community in which they reside as well as other communities around the world.

There is also an auditorium for congregational gatherings which also serves as a Chapel for Sunday services, weddings and naming ceremonies; a Documentation Center containing the written and spoken materials of L. Ron Hubbard; rooms for religious training and religious counseling; and Public Affairs offices and meeting rooms to coordinate human rights initiatives across Europe with like-minded organizations.

Rev. Adams closed the ceremony with these words from Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard:

“Change no man’s religion, change no man’s politics, interrupt the sovereignty of no nation. Instead, teach man to use what he has and what he knows to the factual creation, within any political reference, of a civilization on Earth for the first time.”

The new Brussels branch is the third Church of Scientology opened in Europe in the past year. In April 2009 a new Church opened in the Swedish seaport city of Malmo, and in October 2009 a new Church was opened in Rome.

Brussels, Malmo and Rome now join a roster of new Churches of Scientology opened in capitals across Europe, including the National Church of Scientology of Spain, in Madrid’s Neighborhood of Letters; the Church of Scientology of Berlin, Germany, near the Brandenburg Gate; and the Church of Scientology of London, England, located in the epicenter of the city.

To serve growing congregations and their communities, major Churches of Scientology were also opened in the United States in 2009: In Texas, the Church of Scientology of Dallas, opened in April 2009; in Tennessee, the Church of Scientology and Celebrity Center Nashville, opened in April 2009; and in the nation’s capital, the Founding Church of Scientology of Washington, DC, opened in October 2009.

An additional three Churches of Scientology are scheduled for ribbon cutting in February 2010, with another 12 new Churches scheduled for completion before the end of the year.

Fox TV coverage on the disaster relief initiative of the Church of Scientology:

The Church of Scientology has chartered a jet to ferry about 160 doctors, nurses and other volunteers to Haiti on Saturday to help in the earthquake relief efforts.

A small group of volunteers, including a Haitian-American nurse and a Haitian-American construction worker, was meeting Friday night at the Haitian Embassy in Washington for a midnight bus ride to New York City. They were to join the others for that chartered flight out of JFK International Airport. >>

Click here to watch the video

Church of Scientology of Pasadena anticipates a new era of expansion with the renovation and restoration of its new headquarters in Old Pasadena

Artist’s rendition of the planned exterior of the new Church of Scientology of Pasadena.

The Church of Scientology of Pasadena is bringing in the new year and decade by beginning renovation of the historic Braley Building this week in the heart of Old Pasadena.  The full renovation and restoration of the Braley Building by fall 2010 reflects significant expansion for the Pasadena Church.  The 50,800-square-foot building at 35 South Raymond Avenue will serve 10,000 parishioners and provide a broad spectrum of community outreach programs in the greater Pasadena area, including Glendale, La Cañada, La Crescenta, Sunland/Tujunga, the San Gabriel Valley, the Inland Empire and San Bernardino.

The first floor of the new Pasadena Church will house an extensive Public Information Center with more than 20 multimedia displays, designed to answer nearly any question about Scientology and provide information regarding the Church’s community outreach and social betterment initiatives, including their anti-drug and human rights programs.  The first floor will also hold a bookstore, café, chapel and a multipurpose room that will host community meetings and events.  The upper floors are devoted to course rooms for religious studies and individual counseling rooms.

Scientology churches are well known in the field of adaptive reuse—an efficient and environmentally responsible trend in architecture, which retains the classic features of historic buildings while converting them for new uses—and have renovated, restored and opened 15 new Churches in major cities around the world in the past decade.  Five new Churches were opened and dedicated by Mr. David Miscavige, the Church’s international ecclesiastical leader, in the last year alone: Dallas, Nashville, Washington, DC, Rome and Malmö, Sweden.

In its story announcing the Church of Scientology of Pasadena’s long-awaited renovations project, the Pasadena Star-News reported that Old Pasadena Management District President Steve Mulheim said everyone is “thrilled” to see progress on the building.

“Our new beautiful Church is a whole new expansion for us and it is going to be a wonderful community asset,” said Eden Stein, President of the Pasadena Church.  “We are greatly looking forward to sharing it.”  Ms. Stein said the new facilities will make it possible to provide an entirely new level of community outreach.

The Church will provide introductory and parishioner services at its new location seven days a week until 9:30 p.m. weekdays and until 6 p.m. weekends.

Led by Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board Religious Technology Center and the ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, Scientologists are celebrating a renaissance of their faith.

Today, the Church of Scientology has expanded to more than 8,000 churches, missions and affiliated groups in 165 nations—doubling the number in the last five years.  This year alone, the Church completed a $40 million restoration of one of its oldest landmark buildings and inaugurated five major new Church buildings in Malmo, Dallas, Nashville, Rome and Washington, DC. Current demand for L. Ron Hubbard’s books and lectures on Dianetics and Scientology has outstripped the last five decades combined, approaching 70 million distributed in the last two years.  All the while the Church’s ever growing humanitarian programs in the fields of anti-drug, human rights, morals education and disaster relief have positively impacted hundreds of millions of lives.

As the decade comes to a close, Scientologists world over are celebrating their religion’s most expansive year to date.  2009 marked the 25th Anniversary of the International Association of Scientologists, the official membership organization of Scientology. In addressing the more than 7,000 Scientologists and guests in attendance at the anniversary event on October 16th in England, Mr. David Miscavige praised members for their dedication and contribution to the tremendous accomplishments of the Church to date and expressed his optimism for the future of Scientology:

“Our battles of yesterday were to stay alive. Our battles of tomorrow are to overcome the obstacles to eternity itself. Because we have never taken our eye off the ultimate prize, we stand where we are today. Twenty-five years of magnificent accomplishment and a future more glorious than we could have ever imagined.”

The scriptures of Dianetics and Scientology are comprised of over 500,000 pages and over 3,000 recorded lectures by Founder, L. Ron Hubbard. Since July 2007, over 67 million copies of L. Ron Hubbard’s basic books and lectures on Dianetics and Scientology have been distributed.  (During the Church’s first 50 years a total of 39 million copies of L. Ron Hubbard’s works on Dianetics and Scientology were in circulation.) With all of these materials available in 15 languages, and the nine basic books now available in 50 languages, the total number of Dianetics and Scientology translations over the last decade is 10 times the previous five decades combined. In recognition of this fact, the Guinness World Records acknowledged L. Ron Hubbard as the world’s most translated author.

In-house digital publishing facilities can print over 500,000 books and 925,000 recorded lectures on CD per week

The demand for L. Ron Hubbard’s materials has grown exponentially in the last year with the numbers of new people coming into Churches and Missions to find out about Scientology growing in the same fashion. Indeed, the Scientology religion is now enjoying its greatest era of expansion in history, with public demand for L. Ron Hubbard books and lectures escalating across more than 165 countries.

To keep pace with the demand, the Church operates two state-of-the-art digital printing and CD manufacturing facilities in Los Angeles and Copenhagen.

In 2009, the Church’s publication arm, Bridge Publications, Inc. in Los Angeles, opened a 274,000-square-foot digital in-house printing and manufacturing facility, thereby increasing its publishing capacity to 500,000 books and 925,000 CDs per week, an increase of 660% over 2007.

State-of-the-art film and audio studios with the most advanced digital recording and editing equipment in the world

In June 2009 the Church celebrated the 21st Anniversary of the Maiden Voyage of the Freewinds religious retreat and annual religious convocation for advanced Scientologists. During this week-long series of events and seminars, Mr. Miscavige announced “the single most momentous advance in Dianetics technology” since the original publication of Dianetics on May 9, 1950.  The project, four years in the making and personally directed by Mr. Miscavige, resulted in 32 films totaling 4 ½ hours.  The films have been translated into 15 languages.  They put Dianetics fully into visual form, making the subject universally accessible to everyone.

June also saw the release of educational films to support Church-sponsored social betterment and humanitarian programs. The first of these was the new, full-length Truth About Drugs documentary giving addicts and at-risk youth the chance to find out from those who have lived it, exactly how addiction shatters lives. The second was The Story of Human Rights, an educational film which provides a short, concise and powerful lesson in the history and necessity of human rights and the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

October marked the completion and release of the feature-length film, The Way to Happiness. This 2-hour film presents this nonreligious common sense guide to moral living by L. Ron Hubbard.

Church-sponsored humanitarian programs touch the lives of hundreds of millions in 2009.

The Church-sponsored humanitarian programs using the latter three films reached hundreds of millions of people in 2009 and billions since their inception.

The Church-sponsored anti-drug education initiative (“Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life”) is the largest nongovernmental anti-drug campaign in the world and, through the airing of public service announcements, distribution of free drug education booklets and events promoting a drug-free life, it has reached over 853 million people since its inception.

The Church-sponsored human rights education program (“United for Human Rights”) is the largest in the world and based entirely on raising awareness of the 30 articles of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  Through the airing of public service announcements, human rights symposiums and events and distribution of human rights educational materials, the campaign has reached over 943 million people since it commenced.

The Church-sponsored morals program based on the common-sense guide to living, The Way to Happiness, has now reached nearly 800 million people through its public service announcements, educational materials and Set a Good Example contests.

The Church of Scientology’s Volunteer Ministers, over 200,000 strong, have helped over 1.4 million people in times of disaster in 2009 alone.  The motto of Scientology’s Volunteer Ministers is “Something Can Be Done About It.”

Mr. Miscavige is driving a movement now spanning the world with new Ideal Churches of Scientology.

Mr. Miscavige’s vision sets the direction for the acquisition, design and planning of new Churches-quite literally from inception to ribbon cutting.  For the past five years, the Church has dedicated itself to a program to locate, renovate and open new Scientology Churches to service its parishioners and their communities around the world. Since the launch of this program five years ago, over 70 new buildings have been acquired internationally. Real estate holdings have increased from 5.6 million square feet in 2004 to over 11 million in 2009, with over 600,000 square feet of renovations completed in just 2009.

14 March 2009: At the Church’s spiritual headquarters in Clearwater, Florida, the Fort Harrison Hotel opened in March 2009 after a $40 million renovation and restoration. The building was stripped virtually bare and rebuilt from its core, including the installation of new state-of-the-art systems. This landmark still bears its hallmark historical touches, however, including replication of the lobby’s original black wrought iron work and gold leaf moldings. The resurfacing of the entire exterior with added architectural detailing makes this religious retreat even more beautiful than at its legendary beginning in 1926, when she was known as “the Aristocrat of Southern Florida Hotels.”

4 April 2009: Three weeks after the inauguration of the new Fort Harrison, a new Church of Scientology in the Swedish seacoast city of Malmö was formally opened by Mr. Miscavige. European dignitaries and guests from 32 nations gathered to celebrate a historic day: dedication of the 72,000-square-foot landmark Church of Scientology, acquired, designed, renovated and opened in less than six months.

11 April 2009: One week later, in Dallas, Texas, a 41,000-square-foot Church opened its doors. With Mr. Miscavige officiating, the Church of Scientology Dallas was formally welcomed to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex by City of Irving Mayor Herbert Gears.

25 April 2009: The month of April ended with the grand opening of the new 36,000 square-foot Church of Scientology and Celebrity Centre Nashville.  The opening of the new Church building in Music City USA, an historical landmark, was again led by Mr. Miscavige and joined by scores of local dignitaries, residents and visiting artists totaling over 3,000 guests.

24 October 2009:  In October, more than 6,000 people gathered in Rome’s Casalotti de Boccea district to celebrate the grand opening of the new Church of Scientology Rome. The 69,000-square-foot Church, situated on 28 acres of parkland, marks the largest expansion to date for Scientology in its 30-year history in Italy. Mr. David Miscavige welcomed parishioners to their new home. The new Church will serve parishioners of Central Italy and other regions of the Mediterranean.

31 October 2009:  One week later, the Founding Church of Scientology of Washington, DC, originally established in 1955 by Scientology Founder, L. Ron Hubbard, opened its new premises six blocks from the White House and minutes from the Capitol Mall.  Attended by nearly 3,000 Scientologists and guests, the celebration was presided over by Mr. David Miscavige. The newly acquired and fully restored 49,000-square-foot historical building now represents the largest Scientology presence in DC in Church history.  Its grand opening now brings the Church of Scientology’s presence in the nation’s capital to three very important properties:  The new Embassy Building providing all Church services for parishioners of Washington DC; the original Founding Church premises where L. Ron Hubbard personally worked, now fully restored and open to the public as a heritage property of the Church’s history; and the Church’s well-known Fraser Mansion at DuPont Circle which will now become the Church’s National Affairs Office.

The Church of Scientology looks to 2010 for further unprecedented growth, with greater expansion and success in ministering to its parishioners and their communities than ever in its history.

This year has marked the greatest expansion in Scientology’s history. The Church looks to 2010 for even greater success with scores of new Churches and Advanced Organizations on the horizon.  New Churches are scheduled to open in Pasadena, California; Inglewood, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Seattle, Washington; Harlem, New York; Portland, Oregon; Twin Cities, Minnesota; Boston, Massachusetts; Cincinnati, Ohio; Quebec, Canada; Mexico City, Mexico; Tel Aviv, Israel; Melbourne and Sydney, Australia and Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Additionally and most significantly, the doors will open to the newly constructed 375,000-square-foot Church serving as spiritual headquarters for the religion, located in Clearwater, Florida.

Most importantly, 2010 will bring the completion of a decades-long project to restore and make available the complete library of Mr. Hubbard’s works, including hundreds of his over 3,000 recorded lectures never heard beyond his original audience.

For more information, high-resolution still photos and video footage please contact Church of Scientology International Public Relations Department.

Madrid, Spain—The Spanish Tax Agency has recognized the Church of Scientology of Spain as a social non-profit organization, granting a certificate of recognition in Madrid on November 30, 2009.

Since the founding of the first Church of Scientology in 1954, Scientologists have been actively involved in the improvement of their communities and society and have received thousands of awards and commendations for their work in communities all over the world.  Scientologists sponsor a large, effective drug abuse public education campaign and have been conducting anti-drug activities since the early 1980s.  The Church also sponsors an international human rights awareness campaign in coordination with United for Human Rights and Youth for Human Rights International.  This campaign features guidebooks for children and adults, illustrating the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The Church’s most embracive effort to provide help to the world at large is its Volunteer Minister Program, with more than 203,000 volunteers trained internationally.  The value of these services has been recognized by politicians, police, the military, other relief agencies and civic authorities.

Church members support and contribute to the Red Cross, children’s hospitals and numerous other community groups around the world.  This support ranges from broad participation in drug-free blood drives, to citywide collection of holiday toys for needy children, to donations of food and clothing for underprivileged families.

Ivan Arjona, the Public Affairs director for the Madrid Church stated the Tax Agency recognition will assist the Church in furthering humanitarian programs throughout Spain.

Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre International Holds 17th annual fundraiser benefiting the Hollywood Police Activities League.

Jenna Elfman with PAL Marshal Arts students who gave a demonstration of their skills at the 17th annual “Christmas Stories” celebrity performance at the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre International in Hollywood.

HOLLYWOOD - Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre International members Anne Archer, Erika Christensen, Jason Dohring, Jenna Elfman, MC Lyte, Priscilla Presley, Beth Riesgraf and Edgar Winter and film composer Mark Isham performed in the annual Christmas Stories show over the weekend to an audience of over 500.   Created in the theme of a 1930s holiday variety radio show, guests were treated to traditional and original renditions of music, dance, skits and stories.   Since 1993 the Christmas Stories performances have raised more than $245,000 for community youth programs.

This year’s production benefits the Hollywood Police Activities League annual Christmas party and at-risk youth programs and will provide meals, games and toys for children who would otherwise have no Christmas.

LAPD Hollywood Division Captain Bea Girmala presented a city of Los Angeles Certificate of Commendation to the Church for its 17 year-old charity event, which was accepted on behalf of the Church and its volunteer performers by the President of the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre International, Maria Ferrara.  “We are honored to support our police in their efforts to help children in need and give them a better future,” said Ferrara.

The Police Activities League (PAL) is a nationwide youth development program operated by police officers who provide positive role models for youth.  The program includes educational and recreational activities for at-risk youth as an alternative to gang violence, drug use and criminal activities.  Hollywood PAL is staffed by full-time police officers dedicated to programs that serve Hollywood youth, including swimming, street hockey, basketball, martial arts, soccer, computer activities, arts, crafts and educational tutoring.

Thousands attend grand opening of new Church in Rome;
All invited to find out for themselves “What is Scientology?”

More than 6,000 people gathered in Rome’s Casalotti de Boccea district Saturday, October 24, to celebrate the grand opening of the new Church of Scientology Rome.

The 6,400-square-meter Church, situated on 28 acres of parkland, marks the largest expansion to date for Scientology in its 30-year history in Italy. The new Church will serve parishioners of Central Italy and other regions of the Mediterranean.

Signifying the stature and prominence of this new Church, the ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, Mr. David Miscavige, welcomed parishioners to their new home in the historical crossroads of Western civilization.  Speaking of what inspired every Scientologist to make this new Church possible, he stated:

“How on earth can one possibly speak of history without a nod to Rome?  This City of God, this City of Man, this center of the Western world for at least a thousand years - if ever a place was destined for an Ideal Church of Scientology, it’s here.  For what better arena to show what Scientology can do than this age-old religious empire?”

Among those participating in the dedication of the new Scientology Church were Dino De Pasquale, Disaster Manager of the Civil Protection Agency; Professor Silvio Calzolari of the Theological Faculty at the Vatican University in Florence; Professor Luigi Berzano, Professor of Sociology of Religions at the University of Turin; and Ms. Laura Guercio, President of Legal Aid Worldwide.

The new home for the Church of Scientology of Rome is a contemporary building that has undergone extensive remodeling to accommodate all Scientology religious services, the many community activities of Church members, and introductory services for visitors.

An expansive Public Information Center houses a permanent interactive multimedia exhibit containing more than 230 films covering the Church’s beliefs, practices and activities. Along with descriptions of Scientology principles and information on the life and accomplishments of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, the displays also cover the Church-sponsored international social programs that effectively combat drug abuse, illiteracy, criminality, immorality and human rights violations. The Church’s doors are open to anyone to take self-guided tours through the Public Information Center to find out about Scientology for themselves.

The Church of Scientology of Rome will coordinate the social betterment programs of the Church in Central Italy. With two decades of experience in drug prevention, its “Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life” program provides proven solutions to one of the most pressing problems in Italian society.

In his dedication address,  Mr. Miscavige emphasized the importance of the Church’s social mission and stressed to the Scientologists in attendance the vital necessity of taking responsibility for the community in which they live:

“You owe [Rome] our salvage campaigns to eradicate drug abuse, instill a respect for human rights and provide basic technology for living through The Way to Happiness.
“You owe her our learning and literacy programs.
“You owe her a system of criminal reform based not on punishment, but the restoration of self-respect.
“You owe every addict a drug free life and every lost and hopeless soul the chance to discover something can be done about It.
“But most of all, you owe every Roman citizen an opportunity to discover Dianetics and Scientology…”

The new Church of Scientology in Rome represents a milestone for the Scientology religion, which comprises more than 8,000 Churches, Missions and groups in 165 nations.  As part of the continuing program to meet the increasing demand for Scientology services, new Churches have been established in Berlin, Johannesburg, London, Madrid, New York, San Francisco and elsewhere.  This year alone, new Churches have opened in Malmo, Sweden, Dallas, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee.
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Video footage and additional photographs of the Church of Scientology of Rome dedication are available to media upon request. Please call Media Relations at (323) 960-3500 or email mediarelations@scientology.net.

Memorial service at the Church of Scientology of New York looks back on 9/11.

Just blocks from Ground Zero at the Church of Scientology of New York, Rev. John Carmichael held a 9/11 memorial service to honor those who helped in the wake of the terror attacks.

Eight years ago this Church was headquarters for the Scientology relief effort.  Within minutes of the first attack, local Scientologists rushed to the scene to set up and staff disaster centers.  In the months that followed, some 800 Scientologists from the U.S. and around the world contributed thousands of volunteer hours at Ground Zero, distributing food and water, providing one-on-one counseling to rescue workers and working in the community to help New Yorkers cope with the devastation.

A New York Times article on the work of the Volunteer Ministers said, “many religious organizations are supplying assistance for the disaster, few are as well-organized as the Scientologists, or as evident at the scene.”

“9/11 was a wake-up call,” said Rev. Carmichael, “What happened here in New York brought home to Scientologists everywhere that it is our responsibility to help our communities and society.”

Rev. Carmichael pointed out that the work of the Scientology volunteers at Ground Zero marked a turning point in the Volunteer Ministers movement.  In fact since 9/11, Volunteer Ministers have helped nearly 11 million people, at disaster sites, through goodwill tours and in cities towns and villages on 6 continents.

Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard created the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program more than 30 years ago.  Since that time, Volunteer Ministers have responded to some 126 worst-case disasters.   Today they are among the world’s most recognized independent relief organizations.   Their website, www.volunteerministers.org, offers free online courses in the methods they use.

A milestone of Scientology expansion in Canada

Scientology parishioners learned this week of a milestone in Scientology history when Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board Religious Technology Center, announced the acquisition of a 159,400 square feet, 190 acre facility for the future home of the Advanced Organization of Canada. Not only will this provide the advanced training and counseling services for all Canadian parishioners, it will also house the Canadian Scientology national offices that coordinate Scientology expansion and social betterment programs for the country.

First announced by Mr. Miscavige in June, aboard the Freewinds religious retreat, the event was broadcast this week to Scientology churches and missions around the world.

This new facility represents tremendous expansion for the Scientology religion. Canadians used to have to travel to the United States, England, Denmark or Australia to receive the advanced levels of Scientology training and counseling developed by Scientology founder, L. Ron Hubbard. Once the renovation of these facilities is complete, Canadian Scientologists will be able to take advantage of these services in their own country.

The estate, formerly an inn and conference center, comprises five separate buildings in a stunning rural setting less than 30 minutes from the Toronto airport. It will also include full hotel facilities for the Scientology parishioners who arrive from Scientology churches and missions throughout Canada to take advantage of the full gamut of these services right in their own country.

Canadians are proud of their heritage. The new Advanced Organization for this multi-cultural nation of over 33 million residents will cater to French and English-speaking Canadian Scientologists hailing from missions and groups from throughout the 10 Canadian provinces and 3 territories and the central Scientology organization in Edmonton, Alberta; Kitchener, Ottawa and Toronto, Ontario; Montreal and Québec City, Québec; Winnipeg, Manitoba and Vancouver, British Columbia.

Scientology volunteers from D.C. help Washington Nationals fans learn the truth about drugs.

Volunteers from the Founding Church of Scientology in Washington D.C. are committed to help keep D.C. residents from “striking out” through drug abuse.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, cocaine and crack are the most significant drug problems in Washington, D.C. The city also has a large number of long-term heroin abusers. Over the past decade, 49% of those arrested in Washington D.C. have tested positive for a controlled substance.

That’s why a team of enthusiastic Scientologists spent a recent Sunday afternoon at Washington Nationals Park, passing out drug education booklets to baseball fans at the center field gate.

Members of the Church of Scientology bring the truth about drugs to the people of the District, passing out drug education booklets at clubs, sporting events and right on the street to help young people make informed decisions to stay drug-free.

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Scientology founder, L. Ron Hubbard, said, “One has the choice of being dead with drugs or being alive without them. Drugs rob life of the sensations and joys which are the only reason for living anyhow.” These volunteers are urging their fellow D.C. residents to live their lives to the fullest, free from the disastrous effects of drugs.

For more information on the work Scientology churches and their members do to combat the drug problem visit the Scientology site.

The Church of Scientology of Tampa held a new kind of Dianetics seminar. The results were nothing less than spectacular.

The Church of Scientology of Tampa held a Dianetics seminar this weekend, to rave results.  In fact, this was one of the first of an entirely new kind of Dianetics seminar—a kind just announced at an international Scientology event.

Each summer, every Scientology church and mission holds events on four consecutive weekends.  Each features a televised speech by Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center, on Scientology activities, Church expansion and the religion’s humanitarian campaigns.

This year, one of these events featured news about Dianetics, and released a brand new Dianetics Seminar, predicted to bring about a Dianetics boom even greater than the one inspired by the original publication of Dianetics almost 60 years ago.

The word “Dianetics” means “what the soul is doing to the body through the mind,” and traditionally, a Dianetics Seminar is a weekend-long activity by the end of which attendees get their first taste of what Dianetics can do for them and how they can use it to help themselves and others.

Dianetics counseling is called “auditing” from the Latin word “audire”—to listen—and Dianetics seminars involve “co-auditing” which stands for cooperative auditing.  In other words, the attendees are divided into groups of two, and those two people learn how to use Dianetics and go back and forth helping each other with Dianetics procedures all weekend.

But while this seminar followed that same traditional format, and all the attendees paired up to help each other, at that point the similarity to past Dianetics seminars ended, as the new format brings the weekend-long event soundly into the 21st Century.

The centerpiece of the new seminar is a DVD that presents what Mr. Miscavige described as “Dianetics from A to Z in a fashion that was not even conceivable just a few years ago.”

Using the latest audio-visual and special effects technology, in one and a half hours the DVD presents the essential concepts of Dianetics, and gets the person ready for auditing.  Attendees gain so much understand of Dianetics that they know exactly what to do and are ready to do it!

As soon as this new type of Dianetics seminar was announced, people from all around the Tampa Bay area called in and signed up.  And early on Saturday morning, the 18th of July 2009, they started pouring in to the Church of Scientology of Tampa to get their first taste of Dianetics.  Held both in English and Spanish the seminar got its attendees excited from the start.

One attendee said she finally understands why she has always been so fearful.  One man, after four hours of Dianetics counseling, hugged the supervisor on his way out, stating, “I feel like you gave me ‘me’ back.  I am finally able to be myself.” After his first Dianetics session, another man described the experience as “empowering.” He wants to become a professional auditor now, to bring Dianetics to his country in Africa and help his people.

One man discovered the source of his fear of heights and overcame it fully.  A woman found two incidents in her past that were making her feel “crazy” and had ruined her life for the last 26 years.  “All my life I felt like a failure,” wrote another attendee, “but my fears were addressed through auditing.”

In Dianetics: the Modern Science of Mental Health, L. Ron Hubbard described Dianetics as “an adventure.  It is an exploration into Terra Incognita, the human mind, the vast and hitherto unknown realm half an inch back of our foreheads.”  He goes on to say, “Your are beginning an adventure.  Treat it as an adventure.  And may you never be the same again.”

For those who participated in the first new Dianetics seminar at the Church of Scientology of Tampa, that adventure has truly begun.

The Church of Scientology of Quebec urged fellow Quebecois to Say NO to Drugs.

The Church of Scientology of Quebec urged their fellow Quebecois to Say NO to Drugs on Quebec National Day.  This year marks the 401st anniversary of the City of Quebec and on June 23rd, the eve of Quebec National Day, young Scientologists kicked off the holiday by letting the youth of Quebec learn the truth about drugs.

According to the United Nations 2009 Drug Report, Canada is one of the top distributors and producers of synthetic drugs.  This year there were 100,000 drug-related crimes in Canada, with marijuana, ecstasy, crystal meth and cocaine responsible for most of them.

Determined to do something about this and help their fellow Quebecois avoid the tragedy of drug abuse and addiction, a team of young Scientologists gathered to distribute anti-drug booklets to youth arriving at the Parc Plaines D’Abraham to enjoy the traditional concerts there on the eve of the holiday.

The booklets, produced by the Foundation for a Drug Free World, present the facts about drugs, to help youth make informed decisions about drugs.

Scientology churches around the world carry out grass roots activities o help youth make informed choices about drugs. For more information on the anti-drug program of the Church of Scientology visit the Scientology web site.

Los Angeles - More than a thousand Scientologists, their friends and families cheered the lighting of a new state-of-the-art LED sign Friday night atop the Scientology complex on the corner of L. Ron Hubbard Way and Sunset Boulevard.

The updated landmark is three times the size of the previous Scientology sign, which had been in place since the late ’70s and is recognized the world over. The new sign is 5.2 tons, 84 feet long, 16 feet tall and can be seen for miles - from several Hollywood and Los Angeles freeways, and indeed by aircraft from far above.

In May, the Church of Scientology launched a nationwide multi-platformed ad campaign on the Internet and television which has driven hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Church’s massive Web site (www.Scientology.org). Edie Reuveni, president of the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles, said, “With this sign, we tell everyone: we are here, we are open seven days a week and you are welcome to come in and find out for yourself what Scientology is.”

Churches of Scientology on L. Ron Hubbard Way and Sunset Boulevard serve the Los Angeles community and parishioners from throughout the Western United States. Hundreds visit every day to participate in courses or pastoral counseling, as well as volunteer programs ranging from drug prevention to human rights education and disaster relief services.

Author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard founded the Scientology religion. The first Church of Scientology was formed by Scientologists in Los Angeles in February 1954. Los Angeles is home to the largest concentration of Scientologists worldwide.

Scientologist recognized for outstanding contribution to the culture with the Silver Chimera Award for 2009

Scientology Public Affairs Director for the Church of Scientology of Catania, Italy, Ms. Itria Leone, was awarded the 2009 Silver Chimera Award for the impact she has made on the community through her work as coordinator of the Church’s social reform programs.

The 8th annual International Silver Chimera Awards ceremony was organized by dell’Arte Etrusca to raise awareness of social issues and recognize those who have distinguished themselves through contribution that improves the quality of life. With the theme, “Peace in the World,” the ceremony was held this year at the Museo Castello Ursino in Catania, in Sicily.

Ms. Leone, a native of Sicily, has been coordinating the social reform activities of the Church of Scientology of Catania since 2005. At a grassroots level, she has been working to educate children and teenagers on the effects of drugs, to help them make educated choices and avoid the tragedy of addiction. She also coordinates a chapter of Youth for Human Rights International, through which young people learn their rights and help educate their friends and community on the basic rights to which every individual is entitled.

In accepting her award, Ms. Leone acknowledged L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Scientology religion, for inspiring her to dedicate her life to helping others.

Other recipients of this year’s Silver Chimera Award were: in literature, Dr Sandro Distefano; in medicine, Dr. Ennio Roman; in civil service Dr. Domenico Pinzello, chief representative of the Minister of Interior for the province of Catania, for his many years of effectively combating organized crime, professor Giuseppe Adernò, who has distinguished himself an entrepreneur and cultural leader and Concetta Bufardeci, who has carried on a centuries-long family tradition of representing the country of Spain to Sicily.

Hundreds toured the Scientology Volunteer Ministers tent in the Iztacalco District of Mexico City.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers of ITD (the Instituto Tecnológico de Dianética) set up their big yellow tent in the Iztacalco District of Mexico City, and hundreds of people learned why the volunteers say, “something CAN be done about it.”

City and district officials helped cut the ribbon and were among the first to tour through the exhibition, where they learned about the work Scientology Volunteer Ministers (VMs) do all over the world—from Scientology Volunteer Ministers Goodwill Tours that bring effective solutions to third world countries and other remote areas, to the help VMs bring in the wake of disaster.

Inside the tent an exhibition covers the application of Scientology technology to improving life. From study technology to communication skills, conflict resolution to relationship help, the displays show how technology, developed by L. Ron Hubbard, can be applied to improve virtually any condition in life. Right in the tent, visitors can attend seminars or take courses in any of the 19 subjects covered in the Scientology Handbook.

The displays also cover the Scientology Volunteer Ministers disaster relief teams. In the wake of man made and natural disasters—like Ground Zero after 9/11, California brush fires, Australian bush fires or earthquakes—Scientology Volunteer Ministers help serve the search and rescue teams and firefighters so they can cope with the stress and carry on with their work. Hundreds of Scientology Volunteer Ministers flew to Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand to help the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and nearly a thousand VMs helped the victims of Hurricane Katrina and Rita in 2005. In 2008 alone, Scientology Volunteer Ministers administered one-on-one help at 23 separate disaster sites.

For those visiting the tent, demonstrations of Scientology Assists were probably the most popular feature of the day. L. Ron Hubbard developed a body of technology called “Assists”—applications of his discoveries for the mental and spiritual aspects of a person’s physical difficulties. These techniques are effective where tendency to disease or injury exists or is being prolonged, or where unhappiness and worry causes mental or physical upset.

For more information visit the Scientology Volunteer Ministers web site or the official Scientology site.

- The Church’s property holdings internationally have more than doubled in the last 5 years. The combined size of Church premises increased from 5.6 million square feet in 2004 to 11 million square feet in 2009.

- The Church has acquired 66 buildings since 2004 in major population centers around the world.

- The Church has completed 401,003 square feet of construction of new premises in the last 5 months. It currently has under construction another 475,887 square feet, including Churches in Washington D.C., Las Vegas, Quebec, Mexico City, Brussels, Rome and Tel Aviv.

- There are 8,071 Scientology Churches, Missions and groups in 165 nations, double the number five years ago.

- 80 million L. Ron Hubbard books and lectures on Dianetics and Scientology have been sold in the last decade, compared to 5.6 million in the prior decade, and 60 of that 80 million have been sold in the last two years-more than during the first 50 years of Dianetics and Scientology combined.

- The number of individuals completing auditing and training has doubled since 2007.

- Since the Church undertook to publish and reproduce its scriptural materials in-house in 2007, the average price of Mr. Hubbard’s books and lectures sold has decreased dramatically.

- There were 12.4 million visitors to the Scientology website in the last year alone coming from 234 countries, with 23 million video views.

- 4.5 million pages of L. Ron Hubbard’s writings have been translated in the last 10 years alone compared to a total of 359,459 for the prior 50 years, making him the most translated author in history-according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

- Today there are 196,000 Scientology Volunteer Ministers worldwide-there were 45,000 in 2004. Volunteer Ministers helped over 1.4 million people in the last year alone, a 300% increase over the 2004 figure of 550,000 people helped.

Staff and volunteers of the Church of Scientology of Malmö take to the streets to share the good news about Dianetics with their community

Malmö-Since its grand opening in April, staff and members of the Church of Scientology of Malmö have been introducing their neighbors in the greater Malmö area to Dianetics: the Modern Science of Mental Health, and its potential for bringing about important reforms and improvements in the city.

First published in May 1950, this perennial bestseller has even more relevance today than it did 59 years ago. And nowhere more so than in the greater Malmö area.

The people of Malmö face enormous challenges. According to one recent article, unemployment in the Rosengaard district of the city is 70 percent, crime affects one of every three Malmö families each year and the number of rapes has tripled over the past 20 years.

The first step in changing any situation is understanding the underlying causes of the problem. In addition to revealing why people act the way they do and how to dramatically improve the quality of life on a one-on-one basis, Dianetics also “embraces the conditions and processes of leadership and intergroup relations,” explaining how groups, cultures and even nations become irrational. It goes on to state, “There is no national problem in the world today which cannot be resolved by reason alone.”

L. Ron Hubbard wrote Dianetics so that anyone could read it and easily learn techniques to help people overcome the most unwanted conditions in their lives. In addition to making this book broadly available, the Church of Scientology of Malmö offers Dianetics Seminars courses and profession training at its new headquarters at Sockerbruksgatan 2, Arlöv, 23 235 Malmö.

For more information, contact the Church of Scientology of Malmö or visit the Dianetics web site.

Orlando Florida—In preparation for the 2009 hurricane season, members of the Churches of Scientology Disaster Response of Tampa joined members of other faith-based disaster response organizations in a special two-day Points of Distribution (POD) training session conducted by the Florida National Guard in Orlando.

A retired National Guard major instructed the volunteers in the various aspects of setting up and running a central location to care for the needs of those affected by a disaster, from how to establish a POD, to how to organize the distribution of the supplies and direct and control the traffic into and out of the unit.

Points of Distribution or PODs are locations selected where the public can pick up emergency supplies following a disaster. The need for a POD is based on lack of infrastructure to support normal distribution of food, water, or other supplies after a disaster.

According FEMA, the success of a POD is directly proportional to the planning done beforehand. “With a developed strategy and coordinated effort,” FEMA training materials state, “your community will get those lifesaving commodities they need quickly and efficiently.”

Under the calm and orderly conditions of a training session, the volunteers drilled carrying out the various functions they will need to perform at the POD when disaster strikes.

In addition to the training they receive at sessions like this one, members of the Churches of Scientology Disaster Response also train as Scientology Volunteer Ministers, where they learn techniques developed by Scientology founder, L. Ron Hubbard, that enable them to help people with their emotional and spiritual needs during times of crisis.  These courses are available through local Scientology churches such as the Church of Scientology of Tampa which sponsors this particular team. The Scientology Volunteer Ministers program also offers free online courses and disaster response seminars.  For more information, visit their web site at www.volunteerministers.org.