PRESS RELEASES
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY •
Budapest’s Ideal Scientology Church opens July 23, 2016, to mark a milestone for spiritual freedom in Hungary.
BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA •
Scientologist Michelle Bessudo loves delighting her customers with her beautiful and delectable creations. Michelle Bessudo is a baker and a pastry artist. Her passion for her work began when she was three when she and her grandmother cooked together.
SOUTH LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA •
The Church of Scientology Community Center was the site of a historic summit of gang leaders held Sunday, July 17, in the name of peace. Now a new video and weekly conflict resolution meetings are giving a future and substance to the dream shared by the 2,500 people who attended the summit.
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA •
In 2014, more than 180,000 men, women and children underwent “involuntary examination” in Florida, some 17 percent of them children. This is an increase of 82 percent over the previous decade.
PUERTO ESPERANZA, COLOMBIA •
Scientology Volunteer Ministers Amazon Goodwill Tour brings help to another indigenous Amazon community. On the banks of the Amazon River in Colombia in the village of Puerto Esperanza (Port of Hope), a bright yellow tent is attracting a lot of attention and visitors.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI •
Understanding human rights is the first step to gaining these rights for oneself and others. According to the Human Rights Watch World Report , a form of human trafficking is still widespread in Haiti: Use of child domestic workers—known as restavèks—continues.
ROME, ITALY •
Youth for Human Rights was proud to participate in a human rights film competition and festival for local youth organized by the Film Theatre Academy of Rome. Young filmmakers from Rome schools competed in a human rights film festival.
SOPHIATOWN, SOUTH AFRICA •
Tackling drug abuse in Sophiatown, South Africa One of the infamous and flagrant abuses of the Apartheid government was the destruction of Sophiatown.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA •
In support of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights article 18—freedom of thought, conscience and religion—the Los Angeles chapter of United for Human Rights hosts a 3-part conference on religious tolerance at the Church of Scientology Los Angeles.
BRESCIA, ITALY •
Bringing the truth about drugs to the youth of the Northern Italy town of Brescia.
CHATILLON, ITALY •
Running for a better life in Northwest Italy with the common sense moral code, The Way to Happiness. The Way to Happiness Association of Turin took part in The Mount Zerbion Alpemarathon , a race through mountain trails from Chatillon to Saint Vincent in the Aosta Valley of the Italian Alps.
ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA •
Volunteers from the Church of Scientology St. Petersburg, Russia, hand out thousands of copies of The Truth About Drugs to counter drug abuse with the cold, hard facts. The Brookings Institution reports that according to official figures, almost 6 percent of the Russian population, or 8.
KAOHSIUNG, TAIWAN •
Taiwan Scientologists mark International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking with an all-out drug education and prevention campaign.
MANGERE, NEW ZEALAND •
A video published July 13, 2016, on Scientology.org shows the impact of common endeavor to eradicate drug abuse among Maori youth. “We have a lot of suicides. We have a lot of families being broken apart,” says Thomas Henry, whose is dedicated to helping Maori youth live better and happier lives.
SOUTHERN HIGHLAND PROVINCE, PAPUA NEW GUINEA •
Scientology-supported human rights campaign educates people on the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA •
St. Petersburg volunteers share The Way to Happiness with those celebrating Russia Day. Volunteers from The Way to Happiness Association celebrated Russia Day in St. Petersburg by sharing copies of the nonreligious common sense moral code The Way to Happiness . And for good reason.
TOKYO, JAPAN •
The Church of Scientology Tokyo hosted an International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking drug prevention forum to look at the issue and successful programs to curb drug abuse.
MILAN, ITALY •
International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking—an action-packed day of drug prevention launched by the Church of Scientology Milan.
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA •
Active in drug education and prevention throughout the year, Drug-Free World chapters in South Africa marked the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking as the culmination of a concerted drive to bring an end to the country's drug epidemic.
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM •
Committed to drug prevention throughout the year, volunteers from the Brussels branch of the Churches of Scientology for Europe marked International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking with a series of drug prevention events that flanked the UN's message for the year—"Listen first.