PRESS RELEASES
JUAREZ, MEXICO •
Juarez, Mexico, was known as the murder capital of the world. But the homicide rate has declined by 45 percent since the broad distribution of The Way to Happiness, a booklet featured in a new brochure published by the Church of Scientology.
Twenty-year-old Juan Carlos Martinez looked out across the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez and wondered what had happened to the place where he was raised.
ROME, ITALY •
The Church of Scientology of Rome and Association for Human Rights and Tolerance of Italy co-hosted a human rights conference and open house May 30, 2013, that spotlighted plight for the people of Tibet.
Tibetan exile and human rights advocate Mr. Gelek Yakar, president of the Mandala Project Center, was the special guest speaker at a human rights conference and open house May 30, 2013, at the Church of Scientology of Rome.
CARACAS, VENEZUELA •
Venezuela educators gained valuable tools to help their students at the first The Way to Happiness Educators’ Convention in Caracas.
More than 400 educators participated in the first The Way to Happiness Educators’ Convention at Santa Maria University in Caracas, Venezuela, June 1, 2013, where they learned to conduct character education classes based on The Way to Happiness.
MILAN, ITALY •
The Venerable Tenzin Bagdro, Tibetan monk and champion of Tibetan independence, was recognized with an Association for Human Rights and Tolerance Italy Human Rights Hero Award at a conference hosted by the Church of Scientology of Milan.
The Association for Human Rights and Tolerance of Italy held a human rights conference and awards ceremony May 24, 2103, to honor the Venerable Tenzin Bagdro, Tibetan monk and champion of Tibetan independence.
LONDON •
The Church of Scientology of London held a drug education and prevention forum to tackle the epidemic of drug abuse.
Representatives from law enforcement, community groups and NGOs gathered in the Chapel of the Church of Scientology of London on May 29 to discuss, coordinate and plan actions to tackle the epidemic of drug abuse.
GERMANY •
The Church of Scientology has published its latest video June 17, 2013, on www.scientology.org and the YouTube Scientology video channel, “Meet a Scientologist” Thomas Maib.
Thomas Maib was still attending university when he heard about Scientology—a friend brought it to his attention.
NEPAL •
Youth for Human Rights, a program supported by the Church of Scientology, is bringing human rights awareness to Nepal.
Motivated by the May 2012 findings of the U.S. State Department Human Rights Report, over the past year Youth for Human Rights Nepal has introduced human rights education to Nepalese security forces.
The State Department report stated the country’s “most significant human rights problem were abuses committed by the security forces (including members of the Nepal Army, Nepal Police, and Armed Police Force).”
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA •
A nonreligious moral code that helps prisoners take stock of their lives is the subject of a new brochure published by the Church of Scientology.
The average cost of incarcerating one inmate in the United States in 2010 was $31,286. In a study conducted in 40 American states and published by the Center on Sentencing and Corrections, the cost to taxpayers was $39 billion annually.
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL •
More than 100 youth attended human rights lectures at the Scientology Center of Tel Aviv.
More than 100 teens from the city of Ramla learned of the 30 rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights through seminars provided by the Public Affairs Department of the Scientology Center of Tel Aviv.
UNITED KINGDOM •
The Marathon for a Drug-Free UK completed a grueling 26-day, 965 km (600 mile) race from the tip of England to Edinburgh, Scotland, to promote drug-free living in the United Kingdom.
A team of runners spent the better part of May 2013 on a 965 km (600 mile) run to promote drug-free living—the Marathon for a Drug-Free UK.
The initiative was held under the banner of the Truth About Drugs, a program supported by the Church of Scientology that raises awareness of drugs and their effects.
VENEZUELA •
Venezuela violent crime rate prompts massive distribution of The Way to Happiness funded by donations from Scientologists around the world.
TIBET •
New brochure, Scientology: How We Help—United for Human Rights, Making Human Rights a Global Reality, released at a conference honoring Tibetan monk the Venerable Tenzin Bagdro, a Tibetal monk and champion of Tibet independence.
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA •
Deserving Tampa Bay area volunteers were presented with the President’s Volunteer Service Awards at the National Volunteer Week celebration at the Fort Harrison religious retreat of the Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization.
In celebration of National Volunteer Week, Tampa Bay volunteers were recognized April 24 at the Fort Harrison religious retreat of the Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization.
PASADENA, CA •
Pasadena leaders at the Truth About Drugs Prevention Forum at the Church of Scientology of Pasadena April 20 joined forces in fight against drug epidemic.
More than 80 civic, community and religious leaders representing over a dozen groups and associations attended a Truth About Drugs Prevention Forum April 20 at the Church of Scientology of Pasadena. The purpose: to tackle rising teen drug abuse in the Pasadena area.
FLORIDA •
Gracia Bennish, President of United for Human Rights Florida, is an active proponent of human rights education and the care of victims of human trafficking. Her 640 hours of volunteer service last year earned her a President’s Volunteer Service Award.
Gracia Bennish received a well-deserved acknowledgement April 24, 2013, for her 640 hours of volunteer service last year—a President’s Volunteer Service Award, presented at a National Volunteer Week celebration at the Fort Harrison religious retreat of the Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization.
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICAN •
Introducing the Truth About Drugs to government, community, and religious leaders in South Africa’s capital
To make effective drug prevention broadly available in every sector of South African society, the Church of Scientology of Pretoria invited government, community and religious leaders to attend an open house and presentation April 13, 2013, on the Truth About Drugs, the drug prevention initiative the Church supports.
PADOVA, ITALY •
New Scientology Church in Padova, Italy, promotes aligned community action to lower crime and improve moral values
At a conference and open house April 27, at the new Church of Scientology of Padova, Italy, Church officials released a new brochure aimed at uplifting the community and lowering crime rates.
The brochure, Scientology: How We Help—Creating a World of Honesty, Trust & Self Respect, describes The Way to Happiness, a nonreligious moral code that is improving the quality of lives the world over.
UKRAINE •
Logos, an Applied Scholastics tutoring program in the Ukraine featured in a new brochure published by the Church of Scientology, raised passing rates on state exams to 94 percent from the previous 40 percent average.
MILAN, ITALY •
The Church of Scientology Milan hosted an open house and conference May 3, 2013, to release a new brochure, Scientology: How We Help—United for Human Rights, Making Human Rights a Global Reality.
Officials, NGO representatives and community and religious leaders gathered in the Church Chapel where host Antonella Russo, from the public affairs office of the Church, spoke of the work of two Church-supported human rights initiatives—Youth for Human Rights and the Association for Human Rights and Tolerance of Italy.
WASHINGTON, D.C. •
At a conference at the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office in Washington, D.C., solar energy pioneer Dr. Richard Komp described his program for making affordable energy available to impoverished villages in Africa, Latin America, India and the Carribean.
Washington, D.C.—Solar energy pioneer Dr. Richard Komp of Skyheat Associates, Harrington, Maine, called for a reform in international energy practices at a conference May 15, 2013, at the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office.