Online Conference Reaches Out Across Borders to Promote Human Rights

A Zoom conference organized by the Church of Scientology Hamburg brought together speakers and guests who shared their perspectives on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its importance to people the world over.

A two-hour human rights conference hosted by the Church of Scientology in Hamburg, Germany, featured Youth for Human Rights International and focused on the relevance of human rights education no matter the country. 

The event included speakers from Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Mexico, Colombia and Pakistan. Those attending shared what they do to promote education on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to make the rights contained in the document a reality. They also gained greater insight into just how pertinent these 30 rights are in the lives of people, no matter their location or cultural background.

Speakers included a school counselor from Mexico, a sustainable engineer from Switzerland, and the founder of nonformal digital schools providing education in remote areas of Pakistan, founded on the anniversary of the 2014 Taliban terrorist attack on a school in Peshawar. 

Among the human rights activists who presented their activities were two who are featured in episodes of Voices for Humanity on the Scientology Network: 

• Raul Arias, who has created a movement throughout Latin America through education on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and
• Filipe Poveda, President of Youth for Human Rights Colombia, who, with his sister, Youth for Human Rights Colombia Founder Sandra Poveda, helped broker peace in their country through use of the Youth for Human Rights International campaign.

Arias ended the conference by discussing human rights violations including human trafficking which is rife in his country and the importance of broad human rights education to generate concerted action to bring about social change.

Youth for Human Rights International is a secular nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring youth to become advocates for tolerance and peace through educating them on the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.