INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DELEGATES SPARK HUMAN RIGHTS INITIATIVE AT DAVID STARR JORDAN HIGH SCHOOL
Teen delegates from over 30 countries flew to Los Angeles to attend the Youth for Human Rights International Summit
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A proclamation is presented from California and Los Angeles officials to the David Starr Jordan High School, Youth for Human Rights International and the Church of Scientology International Human Rights Department
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Celebrity Gino Montesinos addresses the youth summit, including high school pupils
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Mr. Tim Bowles, International Executive Director of Youth for Human Rights, presents the principal of the David Starr Jordan High School with a proclamation
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Los Angeles — David Starr Jordan High School hosted the 2nd Annual celebration of Youth for Human Rights Day with an international youth summit in which Jordan students sat alongside youth delegates from nations around the world, including Australia, Turkey, Canada, Vietnam, Italy, Switzerland, South Africa, Ethiopia — a total of 18 countries in all.
More than 40 plus youth tackled pressing human rights issues both locally and around the world. The event was organized by Youth for Human Rights International, www.youthforhumanrights.org (YHRI) with support from the Human Rights Department of the Church of Scientology International.
On the 1st of October 2004 at Los Angeles City Hall more than 600 elementary students from 13 schools participated in an interscholastic summit and is also when Mayor James Hahn first declared Youth for Human Rights Day International. This year, earlier this month, on the 3rd of October 2005, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa also acknowledged this day. In celebration, an International Youth Summit was held at David Starr Jordan Senior High in the Watts district of Los Angeles.
The principal of the David Starr Jordan High School, Dr. Strachan, officially opened the International Youth Summit. During this event proclamations were presented from the offices of California State Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally, LA County Supervisor Yvonne Burke and the City of Los Angeles. LA County Supervisor Yvonne Burke and Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn also made presentations acknowledging the school, Youth for Human Rights International and the Human Rights Department of the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles.
International Executive Director of Youth for Human Rights, Tim Bowles, a practicing attorney in Pasadena, California, reminded those gathered that the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights establishes that freedom from material poverty is a basic human right. He added, “There is a more dangerous and debilitating poverty — a poverty of inspiration, born of apathy — and you must cut through the apathy and hopelessness of your fellows to create a movement of human rights awareness and action. . . . You are the future. It is up to you to create that future.”
Gino Montesinos, a Harvard Drama School graduate and successful film actor, moderated the Summit. He described his childhood in Harlem, New York, dominated by petty crime and purposelessness. He posed the idea that had he known his human rights, his early life would have been very different, and he would not have taken the detours that he took before finally pursuing his own dream of being an actor. From this frame of reference, Montesinos challenged the delegates and the students to find ways to spread the knowledge of the principles covered in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Al Johnson, Counselor at Jordan High who worked closely with event organizers to produce the summit said, "Events such as the one held at Jordan High School are extremely rare. Today our leadership students interacted with student delegates from around the world. Initially they talked amongst themselves and soon it was as if they knew each other very well. They were able to discuss issues that included freedoms, student involvement in making change, their own improvement and that of others. After this summit our students know that they have the task at hand to continue to involve others in the work of making the principles outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights become a reality."
By conference end, four projects were initiated for international implementation by delegates and students. These include a network coordination project, a religious commonalities project, a project to teach children using a YHRI human rights education package and a translation project to reach youth who speak in local dialects.
YHRI President, Ms. Mary Shuttleworth, stated that Youth for Human Rights International is there to back up youth in their efforts, and provide them with tools to carry out their cause. The first tool created to overcome ignorance of human rights worldwide and stop human rights violations is a booklet, “What are Human Rights?” which enables youth to understand that they have human rights and what they are. The award-winning music video, UNITED, has resulted in an international movement for human rights, and has now inspired the creation of a new human rights film festival to give youth a forum to address human rights issues through the medium of film.
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