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.

In 1961, Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard wrote, “…a being is only as valuable as he can serve others.” This is a precept that inspires the work of Scientologists around the world including those in the Tampa Bay area. The following is a brief description of some of the community outreach groups and organizations local Scientologists have founded and participate in. Membership is not limited to Scientologists and people of all faiths are welcome to volunteer to provide needed services to the people of the community.

Say No to Drugs Race

Twenty years ago, Clearwater resident and world-class runner Sandra Johnson started the Say No to Drugs Holiday Classic to promote an anti-drug message.  Now under the direction of local resident, Chris Alexander, a team of 200 volunteers ensure the race comes off each year without a hitch.  It has become one of the premier races in the Tampa Bay area, drawing up to 1,000 runners with athletes competing from all over the world.

The Community Learning Center (CLC)

Holly and Brendan Haggerty, parents of four, founded the Community Learning Center in 1998 to provide a safe place for kids for afterschool arts and sports programs. The Haggertys have now expanded their program to include literacy tutoring for adults.  Based near downtown Clearwater, their afterschool tutoring programs also run in Pinellas, Dade, Hillsborough, Alachua, Broward-Deerfield and Broward-Ft. Lauderdale counties.  Their 89 volunteers have tutored some 500 students in the past year alone.

Criminon—Florida

Clearwater resident Susan Broughton runs Criminon Florida, a chapter of Criminon International that offers character-building criminal-rehabilitation programs through correspondence courses to more than 2000 inmates in 85 percent of the 75 Florida state prisons. Courses address a wide range of subjects from character building and drug education to study and communication skills.  This activity is 100 percent volunteer-based.

Narconon—Florida

Narconon provides substance abuse education and rehabilitation in three Florida locations: Clearwater-based Narconon Florida, Narconon Destin and Narconon Spring Hill on the Florida Panhandle. Spring Hill and Destin are residential facilities, and the Clearwater operation offers help to addicts who can carry on with their work and their day-to-day lives while participating in the program.   At each of these centers the addicts not only withdraw from drugs, they also address the underlying cause of their addiction by working out and resolving the problems they were trying to “solve” with drugs.  Life skills courses are key to the success of the program. Narconon Florida is a part of Narconon International, a world-wide network of 188 drug education and rehabilitation facilities in 46 countries.

The Way to Happiness

Written by L. Ron Hubbard in the early 1980s, The Way to Happiness is a non-religious, common-sense moral code designed to help young and old alike make decisions that enable them to live happier and more productive lives. In Tampa Bay, the Way to Happiness Club, led by Clearwater resident Betsy Cramb, distributed 62,800 free booklets and held 52 events last year to educate children in the application of this non-religious moral code to improve their survival and the survival of those around them.

The Clearwater Community Volunteers (CCV)

What originally started as the Women’s Auxiliary of the Church of Scientology, the Clearwater Community Volunteers holds fundraisers and events throughout the year to benefit local charities. These include Winter Wonderland in downtown Clearwater, the Easter Egg Hunt in Coachman Park, and Fashions-with-Flair fashion show at the Belleair Country Club. With the funds raised from these events, CCV contributes tens of thousands of dollars each year to worthwhile local charitable organizations. Pamela Ryan Anderson now heads a team of more than 800 CCV volunteers.

Foundation for a Drug-Free World, Florida

Led by Julietta Gil, this group was founded to educate people about the dangers of abusing harmful drugs. A chapter of the international Foundation for a Drug-Free World, members of the local group gave 30 drug education lectures in schools throughout Pinellas and Hillsborough County to about 3,500 people last year. They also distributed 75,000 drug education booklets over the last two years. They partner with many local  groups including the Dunedin Blue Jays, the Clearwater Downtown Partnership and the Sunscreen Film Festival.  The program includes a local chapter of the “Drug Free Marshals,” youth who pledge to be drug-free and encourage others to do the same.

Human Rights Awareness

The protection of basic human rights has been a hallmark of the Church of Scientology since its earliest days. In Tampa Bay, Scientologists participate in two groups that educate people about their rights—the Tampa Bay Chapter of Youth for Human Rights and the Human Rights Group.   Members of Youth for Human Rights give presentations on the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights in schools throughout Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. They pass out thousands of booklets and arrange the airing of public service announcements depicting the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Headed by Linda Drazkowski, the Human Rights Group held its third annual Human Rights Walk-a-Thon in March at St. Petersburg’s Straub Park. More than 1,000 local residents from many different faiths and backgrounds marched in support of human rights.

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.

Slovakian youth march for human rights

Bratislava, Slovakia—The Slovakia chapter of Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) celebrated the 61st Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) with the launch of a new web site and a human rights walk from Old Town in Bratislava to Grassalkovich Palace, the residence of the President of Slovakia.   This was part of the “International Walk for Human Rights,” where youth from countries around the world, including Australia, Austria, Barbados, Cameroon, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Germany, Holland, India, Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Somalia, South Africa, United Kingdom the United States and Zambia, walked to raise awareness of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The new YHRI Slovakia web site at www.MladezZaLudskePrava.org features 30 public service announcements, one illustrating each of the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration, available for the first time with Slovakian subtitles.  The short films were produced by Youth for Human Rights International in partnership with the Church of Scientology International.

Scientology Churches on six continents called attention to human rights issues on Human Rights Day, with dozens of events including rallies, human rights walks, round tables, concerts and petition drives.  To raise awareness of human rights and bring about much needed reforms, Scientologists are calling for human rights education in all schools as the first prerequisite to guarantee human rights internationally.

Human Rights Day is the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the UN General Assembly in 1948.  The document was drafted by a committee of scholars and humanitarians chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt to prevent a repeat of the atrocities of World War II. The Preamble to the Declaration proclaimed the UDHR “as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations,” and stated that “every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms.”

Now 61 years later, human rights education is not part of most schools’ curriculums, and human rights violations rival those of the past.  According to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, there are an estimated 27 million enslaved today.  Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro reported that an estimated 2 million or more women are trafficked across borders every year.

“Education is vital to guarantee human rights,” said Tracie Morrow, Youth Coordinator for the Human Rights Department of the Church of Scientology International.  “L. Ron Hubbard said, ‘human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream,’ and ensuring the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is broadly understood is a vital first step.”

To raise awareness of the UDHR, Scientology volunteers in Munich, Germany helped produce an event featuring educational video presentations on the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration, accompanied by musical performances, and speeches by young activists on the impact of human rights violations on their own and others’ lives.  In Sweden, Scientologists set up a booth on a walking street in the seaport city of Malmö where they collected hundreds of signatures on their petition calling for human rights education. In Florida, Scientologists participated in a walk for human rights and a human rights poetry workshop.

In Russia, the Church of Scientology in partnership with Youth for Human Rights and the Moscow chapter of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights held a Human Rights Day celebration at the Central House of Journalists in Moscow.  More than a hundred human rights advocates, including representatives of a wide variety of religious groups, the country’s Human Rights Committee, the Moscow Police Department and a former ombudsman of the Russian Federation participated and coordinated their activities for the coming year.

Dozens of other events and petition drives were held across the United States and in Canada, Europe, India, Japan, South Africa and Kenya.

For more information on the human rights initiative of the Church of Scientology, visit the Scientology site at www.scientology.org.

Scientology Youth in France in partnership with Youth for Human Rights International work to give new meaning to human rights education.

Scientology volunteers across France are promoting human rights education, in support of the United Nations International Year of Human Rights Learning that began on December 10, 2008.   The day is also marked as Human Rights Day, in honor of the United Nation’s adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948, a document drafted by a UN Committee chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Champions of human rights for decades, Churches of Scientology have spearheaded human rights reforms since the 1950s and in partnership with Youth for Human Rights International have distributed over 1.5 million human rights educational publications and obtained over 200,000 signatures in support of human rights education.

In France, volunteers of Scientology Churches are gearing up for Human Rights Day 2009 after a year of weekly human rights education events in Paris, Lyons, Marseilles, Vannes, Clermont-Ferrand, and Nice.   Dedicating more than 5,000 man-hours to the cause over the past year, the young activists estimate they have promoted the UDHR to more than 48,000 people in France in 2009.

In addition to gaining support from individuals for human rights education through petition drives, the youth have distributed human rights booklets at music concerts, discussed actions to counter racial discrimination on a radio program and created their own song and dance performances demonstrating the UDHR article on Freedom of Expression.   The volunteers also supported UN General-Secretary Ban Ki Moon’s call for a global ceasefire on the International Day of Peace, by distributing booklets at the Esplanade des Droits de l’Homme (Esplanade of Human Rights) where a monument commemorates the UN General Assembly’s adoption of the Universal Declaration.

“Human rights are something everyone needs to know,” said one volunteer.  “Then you make sure everybody’s human rights are respected, including your own.”

Scientology Volunteer Minister provides seminars to Kenya groups to help them cope with a changing environment.

As Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga was speaking to a regional forum on the economic and social ramifications of global warming Monday, Scientology Volunteer Minister David Dempster had just arrived back in Kenya to deliver a weeklong training session to Scout Leaders in Nairobi.

An active Volunteer Minister of the Church of Scientology of Tampa, Dempster first visited the country in September when he was asked to fly there to deliver a series of Volunteer Ministers seminars.   Based on practical technology developed by L. Ron Hubbard, these seminars help people cope with the issues of a changing society.

For ten days, together with staff of the Church of Scientology Mission of Nairobi, Dempster delivered seminars to a wide variety of groups and organizations in the city of Nairobi and neighboring towns and villages.  These seminars helped the attendees improve their communication and organizational skills as well as their ability to resolve problems.

Now back in Nairobi at the invitation of the Scouts of Kenya, Dempster is helping Scout Leaders accomplish their purpose for the entire country with courses aimed at developing good citizenship, character and self-reliance.

“It is a particular pleasure to work with this group and help them add to their scouting skills.”said Dempster.  “These dedicated leaders are working hard to help their fellow Kenyans and improve conditions in their beautiful country.”

For more information about the Scientology Volunteer Ministers, visit their web site at www.volunteerministers.org.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers India Goodwill Tour Leader, Ms. Marion Whitta, originally from Australia, is interviewed on what the Tour has accomplished over the past four years and their plans for the future.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers India Goodwill Tour Leader, Marion Whitta, a native of Australia, has become something of an institution in India.  For the past four years she has been traveling throughout the country bringing help to cities, villages and townships, and training tens of thousands in spiritual technology developed by L. Ron Hubbard.

Whitta shares her thoughts about India and the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program.

Scientology Newsroom: How did you get the assignment to lead the Scientology Volunteer Ministers India Goodwill Tour?

M.W.:  I had always wanted to go to India.  I was drawn by the spiritual heritage of the country, which is the oldest religious tradition on Earth. I was also inspired by Mahatma Gandhi—the man himself, his courage and his commitment to human rights and freedom.

So in 2005 when I was given the opportunity to go to India, I was thrilled  with the opportunity to reach out to people who were already aware of their spiritual nature and bring Mr. Hubbard’s spiritual technology to more than a billion people.   And I had the perfect means to do so—the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program and its purpose to bring help everywhere and anywhere.

Scientology Newsroom: Tell us about the Goodwill Tour?

M.W.:  Since arriving in September 2005 we have visited Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore, Mysore, Ooty, Pondicherry and Ahmedabad.  We’ve also visited many villages and townships, and we even spent a few weeks in neighboring Nepal.

In each city we visit, we contact government, religious and community leaders and find out what they see as the most pressing needs that we can assist with. We then tailor our work to fit the needs of the people in each region.

In every area we visit, we train as many people as possible to administer Scientology Volunteer Ministers techniques.  We deliver these courses in our big yellow tent and seminars and workshops in universities, schools, government offices, police departments, military camps, even in apartment complexes—wherever people want to learn how to help, and wherever help is needed.

Once people learn this technology virtually  everyone wants to be a Scientology Volunteer and we help them set up their own groups.  These groups in turn reach out to those in need.  For example, our Kolkata group mobilized a team of volunteers last year to assist survivors of the floods in Bihar. After the Mumbai terror attacks, Scientology Volunteers from throughout India poured in to help in our disaster response activities.

Scientology Newsroom: What is the Scientology Volunteer Ministers movement?

M.W.:  I think Mr. Hubbard described it perfectly when he wrote, “…if one is going to find fault with something, it implies that he wishes to do something about it and would if he could. If one does not like the crime, cruelty, injustice and violence of this society, he can do something about it. He can become a Volunteer Minister and help civilize it, bring it conscience and kindness and love and freedom from travail by instilling into it trust, decency, honesty and tolerance.”

Scientologists work to guarantee human rights for all children

Scientology Churches and their members, from Australia to Zimbabwe and Canada to the Ukraine  celebrate the rights of children by demanding action by private citizens and governments on International Children’s Day. Twenty years ago the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child, yet millions of children still die each year from preventable causes.

Scientologists ask:

·    If the Convention on the Rights of the Child guarantees freedom from want, why do almost 16,000 children die of malnutrition—one child every five seconds?

·    If children have the right to life, why did nearly 10 million children die in 2006 before they reached their fifth birthday?

·    Why did an estimated 2 million children lose at least one parent to AIDS in southern Africa in 2003, a number expected to rise to 18 million in the year 2010?

·    Why have an estimated 20 million children been forced to flee their homes because of conflict and human rights violations?

·    How could 10,000 children be killed or maimed last year by landmines? Why have more than 2 million children died and 6 million been permanently disabled or seriously injured through armed conflicts?

·    How come 300,000 boys and girls under the age of 18 have been pressed into service as child soldiers?

·    And why do one million children suffer from sexual exploitation every year?

Churches of Scientology believe the answer lies with each of us, that only when people know their rights and freedoms will they insist on their enforcement, not only for themselves but for others.

That is why Scientology Churches partner with Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) and United for Human Rights (UHR) in distributing the documentary The Story of Human Rights.

Released in June 2009 The Story of Human Rights is an educational tour de force, making the subject of human rights, its history and ramifications understandable to a very broad audience, used to getting their information as entertainment in this multimedia age.  The film lays the responsibility for implementing human rights where it belongs—with each one of us, to fight for our own rights and the rights of others.

The Story of Human Rights explains that although the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, “…it did not have the force of law.  It was optional. And despite many more documents, conventions, treaties and laws, it is still little more than words on a page.”

The film ends with a hard-hitting appeal to the individual:  “Those who fight today against torture, poverty and discrimination are not giants or superheroes.  They are people—kids, mothers, fathers, teachers—free-thinking individuals who refuse to be silent, who realize that human rights are not a history lesson, they’re not words on a page, they’re not speeches or commercials or PR campaigns.  They are the choices we make every day as human beings.  They are the responsibility we all share, to respect each other, to help each other and to protect those in need.”

Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard once wrote, “Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream.”  Understanding human rights is the first step in bringing this about.

To sign a petition to mandate human rights education in schools in your country or to watch The Story of Human Rights online, visit www.humanrights.com.   To learn more about the human rights education initiative of the Church of Scientology, visit the Scientology site.

Scientology volunteers in Amsterdam demand full implementation of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  Netherlands must live up to its reputation as human rights champion.

Members of the Church of Scientology of Amsterdam participate in petition-signing events throughout the year to educate the community on the importance of full understanding and implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Amsterdam—Scientology volunteers, determined to end blatant disregard for human rights, circulated a petition on the International Day for Tolerance November 16 to demand education on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in all Netherlands schools.  In fact, Scientologists from Australia to Zimbabwe and Canada to Taiwan work in their communities to educate people on human rights and their responsibility for implementing them, not only for themselves, but for others as well.

“Despite The Universal Declaration of Human Rights having been adopted by the U.N. General Assembly more than 60 years ago, human rights are still infringed upon daily in nations the world over,” said Merel Remmerswaal, Public Affairs Officer for the Church of Scientology of Amsterdam, who helped organize the petition-signing event.

Last week, 20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Nicola Duckworth, Europe and Central Asia Program Director at Amnesty International, expressed her concern that human rights are once again under attack.  “Rights fall victim to the views of states with even the most basic human rights, such as protection from torture, are sacrificed to fight terrorism.”

Ms. Remmerswall, whose Church holds educational programs and human rights petition-signing events throughout the year, deplores human rights violations extant in the world today. “Young women are trafficked from Russia for sexual exploitation, African parents look on as their children die a slow death from starvation, people are tortured for their political beliefs,” she said.  “These and so many other human rights abuses run completely counter to the values enshrined in the 30 articles of the UDHR.”

The petition, circulated by Scientology volunteers in partnership with the Amsterdam chapter of Youth for Human Rights International, calls upon the Dutch government to “make human rights education mandatory in schools and to conduct human rights education campaigns for all.”

The Church of Scientology of Amsterdam volunteers partner with a chapter of Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI), which provides booklets, audio-visual materials and other educational materials that broadly raise awareness about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  The booklets and series of 30 short films, one for each article of the UDHR, bring this otherwise formidable document into the grasp of young people.

The preamble of the UDHR calls for “education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms.”  It also states, “…it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law.”

These values are held in common by the Church of Scientology whose founder, L. Ron Hubbard, wrote, “Human Rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream.”

Scientologists from Australia to Zimbabwe and Canada to Taiwan work in their communities to educate people on human rights and their responsibility for implementing them, not only for themselves, but for others as well. For more information on the human rights education initiative of the Church of Scientology visit the Scientology web site.

Scientology volunteers demand effective action to knock out modern slave trade.  Australia is the destination country for victims trafficked from East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe, says U.S. State Department.

Scientology Volunteers in Sydney circulated a petition at Sydney Town Hall November 16, calling for mandatory human rights education in Australia to eliminate human rights abuses.  One of the worst abuses is the criminal practice of human trafficking in the country. As many as 27 million are enslaved in the world today according to the United Nations, earning perpetrators upwards of $34 billion Australian annually. Some estimate half of those trafficked come from Asia-Pacific and that at least half of all victims are children.

According to the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report for 2009, despite major strides by law enforcement, Australia is the destination country for many of the victims trafficked from East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe, particularly the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, and Thailand.

Members of the Church of Scientology of Sydney held Monday’s petition signing because they believe Australians would never stand for human trafficking and other human rights abuses in their country if they knew of it.

Scientology Churches around the world sponsor the largest non-governmental information campaign the world over, which has made the Universal Declaration of Human Rights known to more than 900,000 people through public service announcements, booklets and petition drives.

For more information about the Church of Scientology human rights initiative visit the Scientology web site at www.scientology.org.

Scientology Churches work to make human rights a fact by pressing for human rights education.

Scientology Churches in cities around the world observe the United Nations-designated International Day for Tolerance Monday, November 16 with petition drives calling on their countries to mandate human rights education.

When 50 nations signed the United Nations Charter on June 26, 1945, “to save future generations from the scourge of war,” they expressed their belief that such a dream requires we “practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors.”

In that spirit, Churches of Scientology are marking the International Day for Tolerance by asking people in communities worldwide to sign the petition calling for human rights education.  Tracie Morrow, Human Rights Youth Coordinator for the Church of Scientology International Human Rights Department, said “Article 1 of the Universal Declaration states that we are all born free and equal.  It is tolerance of the differences in people that makes such a belief possible and brings about Article 3, freedom from discrimination, Article 11, the right to equality under the law, and so many other basic concepts expressed in this document.”

In the Creed of the Church of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard wrote: “We of the Church believe that all men of whatever race, color, or creed were created with equal rights.” “Because the Church of Scientology was founded on a belief in human rights and tolerance,” said Ms. Morrow, “it is a natural progression to support tolerance in all forms.”

The human rights petition states that the fundamental rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) are not yet a reality, as human right abuses constitute a worldwide problem and give rise to ethnic, racial and religious conflicts.  The petition calls on the governments of the world to mandate human rights education as the first step in bringing about tolerance, which the visionaries who crafted the UDHR recognized as the crucial element in a lasting peace.

To learn more about the human rights initiative of the Church of Scientology, visit the Scientology site at www.scientology.org.  To sign the human rights petition online, visit  www.humanrights.com/#/petition.

Youth for Human Rights Tampa Bay took on a project that brought the Universal   Declaration of Human Rights home to all who participated, specifically Article 3—The Right to Life.

Tampa, Florida—Sponsored by the Church of Scientology of Tampa, Youth for Human Rights of Tampa Bay helped guarantee a vital human right to an entire camp of refugees in Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of Congo—the Right to Life.  They did this by raising enough money to provide bed nets for some 200 refugees.

Why bed nets? Every year nearly one million people die of malaria—the number one killer of African children. Malaria strikes more than 500 million people each year and kills more than a million. In fact, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, every 30 seconds someone dies of malaria somewhere in the world.

Mosquitoes are the leading cause of the spread of malaria and inadequate protection from these insects makes refugees in camps the most vulnerable to infection. Insecticide-treated bed nets provided by the United Nations Foundation’s Nothing but Nets campaign protect potential victims from mosquitoes when these insects are most likely to strike, while their victims sleep.  The Nothing But Nets campaign, created in 2006, has raised more than $27 million for bed nets to save children’s lives.

Asking their friends, “Would you save a life for $10?” the Youth for Human Rights volunteers raised enough funds to send nets to the Bukavu refugee camp that will protect more than 200 refugees from contracting this killer disease.

In 1948, the United Nations called upon member countries to cause the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to be “disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories.”  Article 3 of the Universal Declaration is the Right to Life.

Programs such as this which involve young people with real-life examples of human rights are the best form of education, and they teach youth another lesson, as expressed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard: “Human Rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream.”

For more information on Youth for Human Rights, visit their web site at www.youthforhumanrights.org or the Scientology site.

Recognized at the 6th Annual Youth for Human Rights Summit in Geneva last week, race car driver Niki Lanik explains why he promotes human rights to racing enthusiasts.

Austrian-born race car driver Niki Lanik, 22, uses his sport to champion human rights.  Recognized with a Human Rights Advocate Award last week at the 6th Annual Human Rights Summit in Geneva, Switzerland, Lanik has been an advocate since December 2006. It was then he decided to use his high profile as a successful driver to raise awareness about human rights.  Says Lanik,  “Athletes have fans and followers who read about us or see us on TV.  Youngsters see us and musicians and artists as role models.  It’s important to me that I live up to that trust.”

Lanik’s dedication to promoting human rights awareness and education came after meeting Los Angeles-based film director Taron Lexton in London three years ago.  Lexton directed a series of Public Service Announcements (PSAs) which brings the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to life.  Lexton also created “United,” an award-winning music video about a young boy from the inner city who unites people from around the world to defend the rights of his friends. These films are part of the human rights awareness campaign of Youth for Human Rights International.

“I thought I knew what human rights are, but I really had no idea until I watched the PSAs and read the booklet that goes with them,” says Lanik.  “Human rights education works, and it changes countries and cultures.  I want to see every village, city and state around the world, poor or rich, black or white, with human rights education as part of their educational curriculums.”

Once he got the point he took on the issue with the same energy that made him a double UK Clio Cup Winter Champion in 2006 and 2007 and won him a place three months ago in the FIA GT3 Championship with the six-man Belgium-based Prospeed race team.

Lanik displays the Youth For Human Rights International logo on his race car, gives out booklets and DVDs to fans and sponsors and plays the PSAs at the race track.  “I promote human rights because I strongly believe every kid has the right to education; I believe that slavery should not exist and that everybody should have the same opportunities.  I insist on a fair world where people of all races can unite and work together, live together and have no quarrels and wars.”

With some 18 million people each year seeing the logo on his car when they watch races on TV, Lanik wants them to ask themselves, “What are human rights?” and go to www.youthforhumanrights.org to find out.

“By our insisting that human rights be part of the curriculum for youth in every country on Earth, we can really make a difference,” says Lanik.  He draws his inspiration from these words of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard: “Human Rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream.”

For more information, visit Youthfor HumanRights.org.

A spectacular flag display performed by youth delegates representing 26 countries opened the 6th Annual International Human Rights Summit in Geneva, Switzerland, home of the United Nations Office of Human Rights.

Attended by human rights advocates, officials, diplomatic corps and NGOs, the three-day Summit was opened by president and founder of Youth for Human Rights International, Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, key organizer of the three-day conference, and co-organizer Mr. Adalbert Nouga of non-governmental organization Village Suisse. Both highlighted the purpose of the Summit aimed at youth representatives: to increase awareness of human rights and the use of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the tool to resolve human rights violations.

The Summit premiered the international release of “The Story of Human Rights,” a striking new short film produced with the support of the Human Rights Department of the Church of Scientology International. The documentary defines in simple terms the subject of human rights. Shuttleworth said the film is “a gift to the millions on all continents, out to the far corners of the world, as was the vision of Eleanor Roosevelt.”  Roosevelt was one of the authors and chief proponents of the 30-article Declaration, spearheading its adoption by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948.

The roster of speakers included ambassadors, academics and religious leaders, pointing to the vital necessity of improving human rights worldwide in the face of statistics such as some 800,000 people trafficked across international borders each year with annual profits as high as $7 billion, and children as young as 13 sold into forced labor, prostitution, pornography, organ removal, or even as child soldiers.

In a moving address, Ms. Allida Black, project director and editor of the Eleanor Roosevelt Papers and Research Professor of History and International Affairs at George Washington University, said that failure to implement the Universal Declaration of Human Rights would be like “spitting on the grave of Martin Luther King, spitting on the grave of Mahatma Gandhi, or betraying Nelson Mandela.”

Ms. Anne Archer, Academy-award-nominated actress and founder of the international Artists for Human Rights, presented the Youth for Human Rights Activist Awards for 2009. Awardees include Georgi Naydenov, director of Help the Needy Foundation, Bulgaria; Petar Grigorov Gramatikov, from Dialogue Center, Bulgaria; Niki Lanik, a champion race driver from the United Kingdom;  and Tony Mathipa, a young human rights activist from South Africa.

The Summit also included a Human Rights Education interactive workshop and  an interreligious service uniting and challenging people of many faiths to pursue peace.

Rukshan Fernando, 17, delegate from Sri Lanka stated: “Youth for Human Rights International is a beacon for hope in a sea of darkness and will be the voice of the future when other voices are lost in the past.”

Ms. Ndioro Ndiaye, Deputy Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) cited Youth for Human Rights’ call for empowerment and responsibility of all people as exemplary of  “Ghandi’s maxim ‘you must be the change you want to see in the world.’ ”

The first Human Rights Summit was held in August 2004 at United Nations Headquarters and UNICEF House in New York City and has alternated with Los Angeles every year since then. In 2005 the Summit was held in Los Angeles; in 2006 in New York again, at United Nations Headquarters; in 2007 at the University of California-Los Angeles, and in 2008, at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Youth for Human Rights International is a non-profit, secular organization founded in 2001 by educator Mary Shuttleworth to teach human rights to young people. YHRI brings awareness and knowledge of the United Nations Universal Declaration for Human Rights to youth through essay and art contests and by providing materials for students and teaching guides for schools.

Members of Los Angeles-area Scientology Churches launch petition drive for human rights education on International Youth Day

Members of Scientology Churches in greater Los Angeles held a petition drive at the Santa Monica Pier this month on International Youth Day, to raise public awareness of shocking human rights violations involving children, including child labor and sex trafficking.

The group gathered signatures on a petition calling for mandatory human rights education in U.S. schools, and for government and the private sector to work together to ensure that the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are implemented and become a living reality everywhere.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, signed by member nations of the United Nations on December 10, 1948, lists 30 rights that all human beings inherently possess.  Article 4 of the Universal Declaration reads: “No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.” Yet 60 years later:

• Nearly 250 million children in all parts of the world are exploited as child labor.
• Many of these young people are injured or exposed to hazardous materials.
• An estimated 1.2 million children are trafficked internationally each year.
• Girls as young as 13 years of age, primarily from Asia and Eastern Europe, are trafficked as “mail-order brides.”
• In several Asian countries, young people constitute over 60 percent of sex workers.
• Some 10,000 children ages 6 to 14 are enslaved in brothels in Sri Lanka.
• The estimated 27 million enslaved persons worldwide is more than double the number deported in the 400-year transatlantic slave trade to the Americas.

“We have a responsibility to our youth,” said a Scientologist at the petition drive who has been a middle-school teacher for over 20 years. “If we do not take responsibility, then we will not have human rights. Education about this precious document is vital.”

The Church of Scientology was founded on the principles of human rights. In 1954, when the first Church of Scientology was formed, humanitarian and Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard wrote the Creed of the Church of Scientology, the first point of which is “We of the Church believe that all men of whatever race, color, or creed were created with equal rights.”  Since then, the Church and its members have fought for the human rights of all people in many parts of the world.

For more information on the human rights campaign of the Church of Scientology visit the Scientology web site.

Scientology recognized for its work to improve the community

The Ministry of Interior of Taiwan recognized the Church of Scientology for its humanitarian and social betterment activities with its Excellent Religious Group Award.  Mr. Liao-Yi Liao, Minister of Interior of Taiwan, presented the award at the NTUH International Convention Center in Taipei.  This was the sixth such acknowledgment received by the Church for its work to improve conditions in Taiwan.

Dedicated to helping the next generation avoid the tragedy of drug abuse and addiction, over the past year the Church of Scientology conducted 99 drug education events in Taiwan and distributed 45,150 anti-drug booklets.

To promote human rights and ensure students know their rights and stand up for the rights of others, last year the church delivered 144 human rights lectures to 4,780 students.

Scientology missions in Kaohsiung, Taichung and Ping-Dong did volunteer work in local prisons, helping over 2,500 inmates with a program that promotes morality and helps the individual regain his or her self-respect.

The President of the Church of Scientology Taiwan, Dr. Mei-Tsu Lee, accepted the award from the Minister Of the Interior on behalf of the Church.  Scientology and the other religious groups honored by the Ministry were acknowledged for their charitable contributions to social programs or their direct participation in activities that improve the community.

L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion, once wrote “A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.”  Through their service, Taiwanese Scientologists have truly proven their value to their community.

Church of Scientology Mission of Redwood City participated in the 71st annual Redwood City Independence Day Parade with a float depicting the human right, Freedom of Expression.

The Church of Scientology Mission of Redwood participated in this year’s Redwood City Independence Day Parade, carrying out the parade’s theme “all things musical” with a float representing the freedom of expression.

The Scientology float sported bright red musical notes and a scrolled-up piano keyboard.  For the entire one and a quarter miles, a team of energetic dancers performed alongside, while other young Scientologists played drums or danced aboard and waived at the thousands of onlookers lining the parade route.

More than 80 groups, clubs and churches participated in the 71st annual Redwood City parade, with bands, floats and equestrian performances.  The parade kicked off a daylong celebration that included a July 4th fun run, a pancake breakfast benefiting the Redwood City Firefighters Association and a battle of the bands.  The celebration culminated with a high aerial fireworks display launched over water from the Port of Redwood City.

The concept of the Scientology float comes from human right number 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  The Church of Scientology Mission of Redwood supports a human rights education group called Youth for Human Rights International, dedicated to providing easy-to-understand human rights education to adults and children so they are able to grasp what fundamental human rights are as aligned with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and to effectively combat violations of human rights.

For more information visit the Scientology site.

Scientology missions throughout Taiwan conduct human rights education programs in local schools.

As Scientology churches and missions are committed to human rights, staff and volunteers throughout Taiwan are carrying out a human rights education campaign so children and teenagers learn what human rights are and what they can do to ensure these rights exist for everyone.

Although the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed and adopted more than 60 years ago by all member nations of the United Nations, human rights abuses abound in countries throughout the world.

The first step in eradicating abuses in human rights is education in what these rights are, as it is impossible to enforce these rights without knowing what they are.

Using a series of short films that convey the essence of each of the articles of the Universal Declaration, these volunteers bring human rights to life to children throughout the nation.

The work they did in just one recent week shows how determined Taiwanese Scientologists are to bring about human rights reforms.

One volunteer held a petition-signing event in the area around the Taichung Primary School, where 107 students signed a petition to support the implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

That same week, another volunteer held a workshop at the Zing-Mei Elementary school where she trained 15 teachers on how to teach their students about human rights.

Yet another Scientologist gave a human rights lecture at the Shia-Ying Junior High School to 600 students. The mother of a student at the Wen-Fu Elementary school lectured 27 students on the subject and a Scientology staff member lectures 123 students at the Chong-Yi Elementary school on the 30 rights laid out by the Universal Declaration.

The work of these Taiwanese Scientologists is part of an international human rights education campaign. Scientology founder, L. Ron Hubbard wrote, “Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream,” and Scientologists in Taiwan and in countries around the world are working to make this dream come true.

For more information on the work Scientology is doing to promote human rights visit the Scientology video channel.

Members of Scientology churches and missions throughout France are making human rights a fact.

Scientology churches and missions in France sponsor a human right initiative called Youth for Human Rights (YHRI), to help make human rights known and bring about important human rights reforms.

Last year’s blockbuster film, “Taken” brought to light a Paris you won’t find in the tourist brochures—an international hub for sex trafficking.

Despite freedom from slavery being one of the 30 rights mandated by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which was ratified by the member nations of the UN 60 years ago, an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 men, women, and children are trafficked yearly across international borders. Of these, 70 percent are female and 50 percent are children, the majority of whom are forced into the commercial sex trade.

With this in mind, Scientology Churches in France have intensified their work to educate people on the basics of human rights.

The Church of Scientology is founded on the principle of human rights.  In fact, the Creed of the Church of Scientology, written by L. Ron Hubbard in 1954, begins with the words, “We of the Church believe: That all men of whatever race, color or creed were created with equal rights.”

For this reason, the Scientology churches and missions of France held a weekend-long human rights education and petition drive to inform people in their communities of their rights and responsibilities, believing that education in the subject is a vital first step in making human rights a fact.

In Paris, 24 teenagers and children converged on the Beaubourg Centre in the heart of Paris and collected 3,000 signatures on a petition mandating human rights education for all youth in France, and insisting that the French government fully implement the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Six members of the Church of Scientology Mission of Marseilles set up a booth at the old harbor.  With a large banner telling people, “know your rights,” they distributed hundreds of booklets that clearly present the 30 basic human rights covered in the Universal Declaration.

In the center of Bordeaux, Scientologists set up a display, and throughout the afternoon they played educational videos produced by the Church of Scientology that inform people of about Universal Declaration.  In Angers and Vannes, eight Scientologists held their own petition drive collecting more than 400 signatures to support the UDHR.

“We believe in our country, and if everyone in France were aware of human rights and the kinds of violations that occur here and in other countries, and if we all demanded the implementation of the Universal Declaration, sexual trafficking and other gross violations would cease,” said Françoise Morel, Scientology Human Rights Director for France. “We simply wouldn’t tolerate it.”

For more information on the human rights initiatives sponsored by the Church of Scientology visit the Scientology video channel.

Scientologist Brings Message of Human Rights to the World

For eight weeks, members of Youth for Human Rights International carried out the Sixth Annual Human Rights World Tour, led by Scientologist and International Association of Scientologist Freedom Medal Winner, educator Mary Shuttleworth. The Scientology Press Office interviewed Mary on what inspired her to undertake this project and what results were accomplished.

Scientology Today: You are not only the President of Youth for Human Rights, you also founded it in 2001. Why did you decide to do this?

Mary: As a young girl growing up in apartheid South Africa I saw firsthand the devastating effects of discrimination and the lack of the most basic human rights. Traveling abroad I realized that discrimination and slave-like conditions could be found far beyond the borders of my country. Children who do not know that they have human rights are vulnerable. As an educator I knew that teaching learners about human rights would be the first step for them to defend and protect not only their rights but also those of their peers.

Scientology Today: In less than a decade you have turned this idea into an international organization — Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI). What are you most proud of having accomplished?

Mary: Taking the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), an excellent but scholarly document, and depicting those rights in simple literature and videos so that anyone can quickly learn and teach the 30 articles enshrined in that document. We have brought the UDHR, a document for the people, to the people.

Scientology Today: You have just completed the 6th annual Youth for Human Rights World tour. In less than two months, you visited twelve countries. Why did you decide to do human rights world tours?

Mary: Human rights cannot be taught at people-it has to be with people. Because those rights need to relate to the people where they live, study, work and dream.

Nothing replaces meeting people and interacting with them where they live.By traveling to different countries I can see the issues people face and the outstanding efforts individuals are making to improve conditions. One face-to-face meeting accomplishes more than months of e-mails, phone calls or faxes.

This year our World Tour started in the US and wound its way through twelve countries: From Mexico to Barbados, Colombia and Argentina in the Americas, on to the Pacific and Australia and Timor-Leste (East Timor). From there we went to Jordon in the Middle East and Russia and Switzerland, and finally to Africa with Uganda and South Africa. Within the space of a couple of months, with the help of dedicated volunteers around the world, we spoke with hundreds of leaders, met thousands of students and reached millions through the media resulting in exponential expansion of global knowledge about human rights.

Scientology Today: What stands out about this year’s tour?

Mary: It was an inspiration to see how much support there is for human rights, and how many public-spirited leaders and dedicated individuals are adopting our program. United Nations officials, heads of state, ministers of education and so many other political and community leaders took it on themselves to teach human rights to the next generation as soon as they realized how easy it is to do so.

We learned the most profound lessons from the many wonderful people working hard to improve conditions with incredibly limited resources and under the poorest and most devastating conditions.

Scientology Today: What kind of impact is your campaign having on the world today?

Mary: When we started nine years ago, few people had even heard of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Even high-level officials whom I interviewed did not know what their human rights were.

Today millions of people are learning about human rights through community groups, religious groups, schools and the media. Thousands of groups have incorporated the YHRI materials into their own programs.

We are making “Human Rights” buzz words!

Scientology Today: You are a Scientologist — what does this have to do with why you chose human rights as the project you wanted to create and support?

Mary: What I believe is beautifully expressed in The Creed of the Church of Scientology, which states that “Man is basically good; That he is seeking to survive; That his survival depends upon himself and upon his fellows and his attainment of brotherhood with the universe.”

I have witnessed extreme poverty and I have met children who are raising their brothers and sisters after their parents, families and even societies turned their backs on them. I have seen children dying of preventable diseases.

I have seen the effects of widespread illiteracy in the information age and I have listened to scholars discussing human rights with cold disconnect from the harsh realities faced by so many millions.

So I was inspired by L. Ron Hubbard who wrote, “Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream.”Scientology Today: Is there something that stands out about this year’s tour?

Mary: I was so impressed with the grassroots level work of local YHRI teams. Watching them in action in their own communities was amazing. During one of our meetings with top officials I listened to one of the YHRI youth leaders discussing human rights. He talked about the issues and the vital role that informed youth can play to help officials handle their local problems. That country has a majority youth population -more youth than adults. I watched the profound impact he created with his insight into the situations at hand and his clear explanation of solutions that can be brought about by teaching human rights to the youth. I was so incredibly proud!

Scientology Today: Where do you plan to go from here?

Mary: We are planning our sixth annual YHRI International Summit to bring together youth from around the world to discuss human rights issues and the important role of human rights education in raising the quality of life for young and old alike. And we are already planning the YHRI World Tour 2010. The exact route is not yet set but the countries are lining up with outreach and meetings that promise, once again, to expand YHRI exponentially!

Scientology Today: Do you have a message for people reading this interview?

Mary: It’s easy to teach Human Rights. Tell your friends, your family and your neighbors. Inspire them to teach Human Rights. As a non-profit organization we need the help of likeminded people, groups and organizations to help reach people in all corners of the world so that everyone has the opportunity to learn about the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and our human rights.

Children at the starting line of the third annual Human Rights Walkathon in St. Petersburg.

Tampa Bay, March 7, 2009—More than a thousand people from all over the Tampa Bay area participated in the Third Annual Human Rights Walkathon at North Straub Park in St. Petersburg on March 7, 2009, supported by the Mayors of St. Petersburg, Tampa and Clearwater and officially co-sponsored by the City of St. Petersburg.  All three mayors issued proclamations officially announcing March 7, 2009, as Human Rights Walkathon Day.

“I am pleased with the diversity of the groups who joined to raise awareness of human rights—those rights we all have simply because we are human,” said Linda Drazkowski, founder of the Human Rights Group and the Walkathon. Co-sponsors also included the Tampa Tribune, Youth for Human Rights, Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking, Tampa Bay Academy of Hope, and Community Tampa Bay.

Several other groups also lent their support to the Walkathon including Great Explorations Children’s Museum, Jamba Juice, Best Buy Pride Group, Citizens Commission on Human Rights Florida, Foundation for a Drug-Free World, Community Learning Center, Animal Rights Group, Artists in Action International, Delphi Academy, and Amerisure. The United Nations officially lent its logo to the Human Rights Walkathon website, demonstrating its support for the group.

Hundreds of walkers circled Straub Park, earning a rubber band for their wrists each time they completed a lap. At the post-walk event, Ms. Drazkowski was joined by speakers including James Evans, Founder of Tampa Bay Academy of Hope; Giselle Rodriguez from Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking; Stacie Blake, Executive Director of Community Tampa Bay; and Mary Shuttleworth, Founder of Youth for Human Rights International. The crowds enjoyed entertainment from the Dundu Dole African Ballet and Drummers, the Alumni Singers and the Empyreal Chinese Acrobats.

For more information:

e-mail: info@HumanRightsWalkAThon.org

phone: (727) 657-7026

Young members of the Seattle chapter of Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) are working to make human rights a fact in their city, with a human rights education campaign and petition drive to support the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Last month, on the Martin Luther King Day of Service, members of the group came out in force to show their commitment to the purpose of this special holiday and to bring their human rights message to people in their city.

In 1994 Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act, designating the King Holiday as a national day of volunteer service. Instead of a day off from work or school, Congress asked Americans of all backgrounds and ages to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy by turning community concerns into citizen action. Youth for Human Rights Seattle members spent the day talking to neighbors, and informing them of their rights. They collected 581 signatures for their petition in Seattle Center and at Pike Place Market.
The YHRI Seattle chapter is sponsored by the Church of Scientology of Seattle. For the past five years, member of the group have been educating people of all ages on the rights covered in the Universal Declaration by distributing copies of a booklet called What are Human Rights? They also deliver lectures in local schools and get air play for their public service announcements that bring all 30 articles of the Declaration to life.

Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) is a non-profit organization headquartered in Los Angeles, California, with chapters around the world. Its purpose is to educate youth about human rights so they become valuable advocates of tolerance and peace.

Marking the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Church of Scientology of South Africa teamed up with the national chapter of Youth for Human Rights International to raise awareness of human rights and secure commitments from community leaders to make 2009 a better human rights year for all South Africans.

Youth for Human Rights (YHR) gave a presentation to teachers representing 14 schools in the Durban township of Kwa Mashu, one of the oldest black urban settlements in the region, with a population of 1.5 million and an estimated 80% unemployment rate among youth.

Prior to the presentation the teachers were asked what are the greatest problems they face in their classrooms. The answers were peer pressure, bullying, violence and crime, with the underlying problem of lack of self-esteem and opportunity for many otherwise bright students.

The teachers’ response was very positive after viewing YHR’s (Youth for Human Rights) powerful audio-visual Public Service Announcements that bring to life all 30 rights of the Universal Declaration. Accompanying illustrated booklets of these rights were distributed to the teachers and YHR’s volunteer team was invited back to give presentations to all teachers of the 24 schools in the township. The teachers further committed to work with YHR and see that human rights education is delivered to all their students throughout 2009.

In Johannesburg a forum was held at the Civic Center attended by 50 youth representing the various regions of the city. The President of the Church of Scientology of Johannesburg opened the event, followed by a speaker from the Department of Youth & Development, an agency of the city’s Social Services, who spoke about the importance of human rights education and the need for youth to take on activist roles to raise awareness of human rights. The second speaker was the head of the Soweto chapter of YHR. He outlined the activities of YHR throughout the year and the plans for 2009, pointing out that widespread teaching of human rights can combat rampant rights violations depressing every sector of the society.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted and proclaimed on December 10, 1948, by the General Assembly of the United Nations. Following this historic act the Assembly called upon all member countries to publicize the Declaration and “to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories.”

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is very clear — education is a basic human right. Yet an education was only a dream to some 300 elementary school children in Acra, Ghana. Now, thanks to the work of the people of Milano, Italy, spearheaded by the Church of Scientology of Milano and the Milano chapter of Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI), this dream has become a fact. They are now attending classes at the UNTOMA Oxford International School in Acra.

This story began when members of the Church of Scientology of Milano decided to take the message of human rights to heart. Sponsor of the Milano chapter of Youth for Human Rights International, the Church was already dedicated to human rights education. YHRI educates youth on the subject of human rights using a music video called UNITED, which tells the story of a young boy from an American inner city who unites children from around the world to fight for the human rights of his friends.

It was through their human rights education events that these Italian Scientologists learned about a man who had a dream of helping children in his native Ghana. He had a very small school that was sorely lacking in facilities and space to help the children in his area. His dream was to create a place where poor children could get an excellent education and join the job market with the skills they would need to survive. The Scientologists took on this project and raised the funds to create this new school. Working with other churches and groups in their city they organized fundraising activities including charity concerts, where many different artists contributed their talents, performing for free to raise fund for the school.

The owner of the school went to Italy to meet these volunteers. While there, he visited with local government officials and agencies which, in turn, joined in the cause.

Throughout the project, the music video was the watchword—”UNITED.” People from different cultures, countries, religions and ways of life—artists, politicians and business people—united to help make this project succeed.

The donations raised by the Church of Scientology of Milano, Youth for Human Rights and the other groups that joined in this project has paid not only for the renovations of the new school, but also has provided chairs and tables, blackboards and equipment for the children including exercise books and pens.

L. Ron Hubbard wrote that “Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream.” The groups that worked together to make this school in Acra a fact have proven that by being united, people can make dreams come true.