PRESS RELEASES
Church of Scientology Activities
AROUND THE WORLD •
A new brochure on The Way to Happiness was released by the Church of Scientology on International Happiness Day to help accomplish the goal of this new United Nations Day.
HAWAII •
A resolution passed by the Hawaii House of Representatives March 14 commended the Church of Scientology “for its humanitarian work and community service around the globe.”
The Hawaii House of Representatives awarded Certificates of Commendation to the Church of Scientology and Hawaiian Scientologists March 14, 2013, in recognition of the dedication of individual members to helping in the community and the Church’s work to “support human rights and social betterment programs around the globe.”
TAMPA, FLORIDA •
Fair-trade clothing and accessory designers and manufacturers invited to participate in the third annual Colors of the World Fair-Trade Fashion Show.
WASHINGTON, D.C. •
National Action Network Black History Month event held at the Fraser Mansion in Washington, D.C.
The National Action Network held a tribute to Rosa Parks February 28, 2013, at the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office in Washington, D.C. Organized by Pastor Lennox Abrigo of the Seventh-Day New Covenant Church, in coordination with National Affairs Office staff, the event was the culmination of Black History Month observances.
WASHINGTON, D.C. •
The Church of Scientology National Affairs Office released a new brochure March 6 at a Study Technology seminar for D.C. community activists, officials and educators.
The literacy crisis in Washington, D.C., was the focus of concern to the community activists, officials and educators attending a seminar at the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office March 6.
HUDSON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY •
A new brochure released in March 2013 spotlights Applied Scholastics. Lars Risdal is an example of why the Church of Scientology supports the program.
Lars Risdal, 28, is a confident, extroverted redhead—in a wheelchair.
“I was born like that,” he says. “People ask me about my wheelchair or my disability. To me, it’s not really a big deal.”
CAP HAITIEN, HAITI •
Released in March 2013 by the Church of Scientology, the brochure Scientology: How We Help—Applied Scholastics: Achieving Literacy and Education describes Applied Scholastics at work to provide quality education to underserved children. This is the story of Susi Tschupp and 150 children in Haiti.
Today, in Cap Haitien, Haiti, 150 children attend classes in a new schoolhouse, thanks to educator Susi Tschupp of Clearwater, Florida.
HONOLULU, HAWAII •
A new brochure was released by the Church of Scientology in March 2013 on the subject of Applied Scholastics. The parents of Amanda Barefoot’s students can testify to the value of the program.
Amanda Barefoot, 28, didn’t always live in Honolulu—but she always wanted to be a teacher.
CHENNAI, INDIA •
The first annual South Asia Regional Human Rights Summit has launched teams of young human rights advocates back to their homes in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka empowered with the knowledge and resources to raise awareness of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
MITCHELLEVILLE, MARYLAND •
A corps of leaders committed to empowering the community and providing opportunity to at-risk youth learned of a program that can keep kids off drugs.
Community leaders, officials and mentors at the fourth annual Community Day Breakfast of the Maryland-based nonprofit Men Aiming Higher came away from the February 16 event with tools to fight teen drug abuse.
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA •
More than 4,500 Scientologists from 40 nations gathered for the annual gala celebration of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard’s birthday (March 13) held in Clearwater, Florida, home to the Church of Scientology’s spiritual headquarters. The weekend of events commemorated Mr. Hubbard’s enduring legacy in an era of unprecedented growth for the religion.
ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA •
The 10th annual Youth for Human Rights International World Educational Tour returns to Russia.
St. Petersburg, Russia, hosted the fourth stage of the 10th annual Youth for Human Rights International World Educational Tour February 20-25, 2013. The Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) team, led by the group’s president Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, held meetings with leaders in education and human rights and assisted with the filming of a new human rights video, We Have Rights No Matter Who We Are.
NEPAL •
In the brochure released in March 2013, the Church of Scientology features the work of an educator from Nepal who increased passing averages from 30 percent to 80 percent by implementing the technology of study developed by L. Ron Hubbard.
WASHINGTON, D.C. •
Circling the globe by bike in the name of a drug-free world
The Church of Scientology National Affairs Office in Washington, D.C., hosted two Russian athletes February 11 who are raising awareness of the need for drug education. The cyclists, Alen Khairullin, 26, and Pavel Grachev, 47, have already cycled for 4,660 miles and are circling the globe by bicycle.
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.