PRESS RELEASES
JAMAICA •
David Chen returned to visit his native Jamaica from London in February 2013 with a burning desire to empower his countrymen by educating them on the importance of preserving and protecting human rights. Chen arrived to join the 10th annual Youth for Human Rights International World Educational Tour.
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND •
As home to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva, Switzerland, is a fitting venue for the 10th Annual Youth for Human Rights International World Educational Tour.
For a week in mid February, Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, President of Youth for Human Rights International, and volunteers of the Youth for Human Rights Geneva chapter held a series of meetings with staff of various diplomatic missions to the United Nations and representatives of the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the Office’s Palais Wilson headquarters.
TOKYO, JAPAN •
75 percent of Japanese schoolchildren oppose use or possession of quasi-legal drugs
A poll conducted and released February 19 by Japanese news agency Kyodo Tsushin reported more than 75 percent of Japanese junior high school and high school students feel possession or use of “dappo habu” (quasi-legal drugs) is bad, while the remaining students think there is nothing wrong with possession or possession and use of these substances as long as they are not banned.
ULAN BATOR, MONGOLIA •
A new brochure, Scientology: How We Help—Achieving Literacy and Education, describes a worldwide movement to revert the educational decline through the technology of study.
The brochure Scientology, How We Help: Applied Scholastics, Achieving Literacy and Education, was released in March 2013, to describe the tools to make quality education available anywhere, as a recent project in Mongolia illustrates.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE •
In honor of Black History Month, the Church of Scientology Nashville hosted a program on the roll of Black athletes from the early years of basketball, and launched a new community initiative—City Hoops—aimed at engaging youth through sports.
The Church of Scientology of Nashville and the Black Legends of Professional Basketball Foundation co-organized a Black History Month program to honor African American athletes of the 1950s and to launch a new citywide sports initiative—“City Hoops.”
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC •
Helping to raise standards of education and literacy throughout the Czech Republic through Study Technology
Released March 2013, the brochure Scientology, How We Help: Applied Scholastics, Achieving Literacy and Education features the Czech Republic, where the Ministry of Education has officially accredited The Basic Study Manual, a text published by Applied Scholastics International, for use in teacher training.
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI •
The Church of Scientology spotlights Applied Scholastics in a new publication. Applied Scholastics provides tools to reverse declining educational trends through the technology of study developed by L. Ron Hubbard.
In March 2013 the Church of Scientology released a new brochure—Scientology, How We Help: Applied Scholastics, Achieving Literacy and Education.
Illiteracy costs government, business and taxpayers trillions of dollars and the cost in human terms is incalculable.
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA •
In Argentina and in countries around the world, volunteers from Scientology Churches use The Truth About Drugs program to educate youth so they can make informed decisions not to take drugs.
February is summertime in Argentina, and volunteers from the Church of Scientology of Buenos Aires are out on the street, letting youth know the truth about drugs.
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM •
Belgian Scientologists promote human rights awareness on the 64th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA •
The Right to Education was the focus of a fundraiser hosted by the Church of Scientology January 13 at the Fort Harrison Hotel in Clearwater, Florida.
The Church of Scientology hosted a benefit concert on behalf of Men of Vision, an organization of some 100 young men in the Hillsborough County school system grades 6-12.
LONDON, ENGLAND •
The Jive Aces, UK’s number one Jive and Swing Band, are leading proponents of The Truth About Drugs—the drug education program supported by the Church of Scientology.
The Jive Aces were recently featured in the London Evening Standard as the cure for the blues.
ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA •
Volunteers from the Church of Scientology of St. Petersburg bring the truth about drugs to the youth of the city.
Each month, Truth About Drugs volunteers of the Church of Scientology of St. Petersburg conduct lectures in schools, hold scores of street events and distribute thousands of booklets and flyers to reach the youth of their city with factual information about drugs.
PRETORIA, GAUTENG •
On Saturday, February 23, more than a thousand Scientologists and their guests assembled to celebrate the opening of the new Church of Scientology Pretoria. National, provincial and city dignitaries as well as South African royalty joined Church officials for the dedication ceremony.
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS •
Merel Remmerswaal is determined that all Dutch youth learn the truth about drugs.
TRUCKEE, CALIFORNIA •
Working to clean up the environment and help the community live drug-free
Scientologists Dick and Diane Hilly were honored in January 2013 as Volunteers of the Year by the Tahoe Truckee Future Without Drug Dependence coalition for their work to counter prescription drug abuse.
MEXICO •
Youth for Human Rights International began its 10th annual human rights world educational tour with a week of meetings, training sessions and conferences, coordinating with human rights advocates in Mexico to tackle that nation’s major issues. The Youth for Human Rights initiative is supported by the Church of Scientology
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA •
The tally is in—youth in 31 countries participated in the fourth annual International Walk for Human Rights December 10, a project conceived and nurtured for the past four years by singer/songwriter Dustin McGahee, president of Youth for Human Rights Florida.
On the fourth anniversary of the International Walk for Human Rights December 10, Dustin McGahee had every right to be proud. His work to promote the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has reached millions in what has become a grassroots movement that circles the globe.
VALENCIA, VENEZUELA •
A human rights art exhibit in December, organized by Scientologist Heidi Fajardo of Valencia, Venezuela, raise awareness of human rights through art
In observance of the 64th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in December, the Venezuela Youth for Human Rights Foundation held an art competition and exhibit. The purpose of the project was to raise awareness of human rights through the arts, and human rights was the theme of the works of art submitted.
TEL AVIV-JAFFA, ISRAEL •
Civic, cultural and religious leaders cooperate in the name of peace at the Center for Scientology in Israel
More than 100 guests representing a broad panorama of civic, community and religious groups filled the Alhambra Auditorium at the Center of Scientology in Tel Aviv-Jaffa December 20 for a forum held in observance of Human Rights Day.
PARIS, FRANCE •
A team of Scientologists took to the streets December 10 in support of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
French Scientologists took heed of the motto the United Nations selected for Human Rights Day—“My voice counts”—and the message of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon: “Everyone has the right to be heard and to shape the decisions that affect their community.”