Human Rights News - Church of Scientology Human Rights Department

November 28, 2005

Churches of Scientology in 27 Nations to Mark Human Rights Day With New Education Campaign

Natasha Jain, Ambassador for Youth for Human Rights International, India Chapter, holds a copy of the booklet on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,used in the education program.

The Church of Scientology International’s Human Rights Department in association with Youth for Human Rights International is launching a new campaign called “Making Human Rights a Global Reality.”

Stepping up its global campaign to raise public awareness of human rights, the Church of Scientology International’s Human Rights Department in association with Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) is launching a new campaign called Making Human Rights a Global Reality.

Over one hundred churches of Scientology in 27 countries around the globe are holding launch events in honor of International Human Rights Day on December 10th. The Church’s purpose is to enforce the implementation of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, thus making human rights a fact.

Recent surveys showed that over 90% of people surveyed did not know of the existence of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Yet this is the document which guarantees basic freedoms to all people. Signed into existence in 1948, it has now been adopted by 191 countries.

The UDHR came out of World War II and the Nazi Holocaust, which killed millions. “Never again” means not just the eradication of gas chambers, but the end of all persecution for all time.

“Education is the key to youth understanding their rights,” said Leisa Goodman, Human Rights Director of the Church of Scientology International.

The Church of Scientology and YHRI have also joined forces to create a human rights handbook for teachers to educate their students on the 30 human rights laid out in the Universal Declaration. Accompanying the handbook are three human rights public service announcements, each taking up one article of the Universal Declaration. The PSAs use similar concepts to YHRI’s theme song UNITED, a street-savvy emotionally impacting 5-minute human rights music video that has captured audiences young and old from the United States to Russia and Taiwan.

UNITED was filmed and directed by talented filmmaker, Taron Lexton, then 19 years old. It has now won six national and international film festival awards including the prestigious New York Independent International “Grand Jury” award for best “Short Film,” and has been screened to more than 40 million people.

In August 2005 youth from around the world gathered in Cornwall in the UK to promote human rights through the arts.

“By teaching human rights to our youth, we are equipping them with a tool not only to defend their own rights, but to combat such evils as human trafficking, child prostitution and enforced ignorance,” said Goodman.

“The Scientology religion’s founder, L. Ron Hubbard, stated that ‘Human rights must be made a fact not an idealistic dream.’”

The Church of Scientology International European Office for Public Affairs and Human Rights hosts conferences and seminars to encourage cooperation among human rights groups and advocates.