Human Rights Inspires Works of Art: Contest Winners Awarded at the Church of Scientology Kaohsiung

Sixth Annual Human Rights Unity Art Contest Awards Ceremony marks International Human Rights Day 2020.

In celebration of the 72nd anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Church of Scientology Kaohsiung hosted the 6th annual Human Rights Unity Art Contest Awards, a competition organized by the Church in coordination with the Midi Hotel Group and the China International Human Rights Promotion Association. 

Students competed in four categories based on age. Midi Hotel Group presented the winners with gifts of vacation time at one of their five-star hotels, and award-winning paintings are prominently displayed at the Church of Scientology for the public to appreciate. Youngsters from Kaohsiung, Pingtung, Tainan, Changhua, Keelung and other counties and cities competed for the awards and honors.

One theme prominent in many of this year’s submissions was bullying—an issue that sadly reflects the dark side of today’s social media-dominated youth culture. Cyberbullying is a serious and prevalent form of human rights abuse affecting young people in the country. Nearly 90 percent of Taiwanese youth 7–15 are social media users and a recent survey found 47 percent of teenagers in Taiwan are involved, one way or the other, in cyberbullying—up from 22.2 percent in 2016.

Church spokesman Xue Zhiyuan described how the human rights education initiative the Church supports changes children’s attitudes on this vital subject. 

United for Human Rights and its program for young people, Youth for Human Rights International, bring the subject of human rights to life. They do this by presenting the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with videos that relate these somewhat complex concepts to circumstances that resonate with people of all ages. With these videos and an interactive approach to the subject, young people typically change their attitude about bullying. They become advocates for victims and defend them when they see bullying occur, whether online or in person. The program is available in Chinese and 16 other languages. 

While Taiwan, where the coronavirus pandemic is under control, has resumed full in-person events such as this one, the human rights educational program is available as free online courses through the Youth for Human Rights International website for middle school and below and the United for Human Rights website for high school, college students and adults.

Church of Scientology Kaohsiung is an Ideal Scientology organization whose facilities serve not only Scientologists in their ascent to greater states of spiritual awareness but is also designed to serve as a home for the entire community and a meeting ground of cooperative effort to uplift citizens of all denominations. Since its dedication by Scientology ecclesiastical leader Mr. David Miscavige in December 2013, the Church of Scientology Kaohsiung has hosted numerous community events and programs and has been awarded the Taiwan Ministry of Interior’s annual Excellent Religious Group Award.