Thursday 31 August, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Church of Scientology International
Ms. Leisa Goodman
Human Rights Director
humanrightsdir@scientology.net
Phone: (323) 960-3500
HISTORIC PRESENTATION OF WORLD’S FOREMOST HUMAN RIGHTS CHARTER RELEASED AT UNITED NATIONS
Fifty-eight years after its adoption, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights comes to life in 30 new public service announcements.
United Nations officials, representatives of different embassies and celebrities joined actress Anne Archer and 120 delegates from 25 nations from across the globe at an international youth summit honoring human rights heroes. This event featured a new tool for teaching people what their human rights are with 30 public service announcements, each portraying a different article of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The “Summit on Making Human Rights a Global Reality” was held at the United Nations headquarters, in Assembly Room One. This summit drew human rights activists from countries all over the world including the United States, Britain, France, Uganda, Liberia, Nepal, Egypt, Guyana, Colombia and Mexico.
Organized by the Church of Scientology International in coordination with Youth for Human Rights International and the International Foundation for Human Rights and Tolerance, the event featured the presentation of International Human Rights Hero awards at a ceremony hosted by Anne Archer.
The Delegates at the summit were welcomed by Mr. Enzo di Taranto of “United Nations Action Two” and Mr. Hans Janischek, the President of the United Nations Society of Writers.
The new public service announcements, produced by the Church of Scientology International and Youth for Human Rights International, directed by 22-year-old Taron Lexton, they received a standing ovation from the 450 people attending the summit.
Honored with International Human Rights Hero Awards were Iranian-born Nazanin Afshim-Jam, former Miss Canada, who has become a prominent advocate for the rights of the disadvantaged; Joseph Jay Yaseriah, founder of the Youth for Human Rights Liberia Chapter who grew up during the horrific genocides of the 1990s and was twice forced to flee his country before returning to bring reconciliation and reconstruction to his fellow Liberians; Luse Berking, a native Samoan who works with at-risk youth in New Zealand; Chinese-born Teresa Chung, a writer and advocate for women’s rights; and Maxim Weithers who works toward human rights education in Canada.
“L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Scientology religion, stressed the importance of human rights, writing: ’Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream,’” said Leisa Goodman, Human Rights Director of the Church of Scientology International. “With the tremendous popularity of these PSAs, the work of Human Rights Heroes such as those who were awarded here today and the grassroots movement to implement human rights education for all youth around the world gaining such momentum, we know we will make this ’dream’ come true.”
Sign the petition promoting the implementation of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights by governments on-line.
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