Scientology Volunteers Gather Signatures on Human Rights Petitions in 21 Countries

On United Nations Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Scientologists call for mandatory human rights education to promote peace and tolerance

LOS ANGELES—Volunteers from Churches of Scientology in 21 countries including Denmark, France, Australia, South Africa and Canada gathered signatures on human rights petitions March 21, on United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Discrimination. The petition drives were done to gain support for mandatory human rights education, and to bring about realization of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights statement that “…recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.”

The Declaration was ratified by the UN General Assembly more than 60 years ago, yet racial and ethnic conflicts fuel wars throughout the world. The Scientologists say the answer is in human rights education.

The United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is held each year on the anniversary of the day in 1960 when police opened fire in Sharpeville, South Africa, on a crowd of unarmed Black South Africans, killing 69 civilians who were protesting the repressive apartheid laws.

In a speech marking the 50 years since the Sharpeville tragedy, UN Secretary General Ban Kid-moon said, “The United Nations marks the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on this solemn anniversary to reaffirm our commitment to guard against a repeat of the horrors rooted in racism - from slavery to the Holocaust, from apartheid to ethnic cleansing and genocide.”

In addition to petition drives, Churches of Scientology partner with Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) to carry out a human rights awareness campaign to educate people of all ages on human rights.

“Most people don’t know the rights covered in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” said Tracie Morrow, Youth Coordinator for the Los Angeles-based Church of Scientology International Human Rights Office.

“Without an understanding of these rights as covered in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights people will not demand their own rights, let alone defend the rights of others. Through human rights education we have found young people become much more tolerant and understanding and many are inspired to become human rights advocates,” said Morrow.

The Church of Scientology has championed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for more than 50 years and sponsors the largest non-governmental information campaign to make the Universal Declaration of Human Rights known the world over. The Church’s human rights initiative sponsors groups and activities and provides its materials to individuals, groups and government agencies in 82 nations. For more information on the human rights initiative of the Church of Scientology visit the Scientology website.

A good, stable adult with love and tolerance in his heart is about the best therapy a child can have.~~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion

Scientology Volunteer Minsiters help Haiti Orphans

Felix Kunze is a seriously good photographer. He just got back from his second trip to Haiti where he worked alongside the Scientology Volunteer Ministers, documenting their work. One of the worst horrors of Haiti is the orphans. Even before the earthquake the UN estimated there were nearly 400,000 orphans in that country. Of course there, as in other poverty areas, that is a loose term. How many of them are really children whose parents simply couldn't provide for them and sent them to orphanages where they might hope to eat.

But with some 300,000 estimated killed by the earthquake, the orphan problem is nearly inestimable. Just another of the many situations Haiti needs to deal with.

The Scientology Disaster Relief Team provides food, water and trauma relief to kids in orphanages in and around Port-au-Prince.

To keep updated visit the Scientology Volunteer Ministers Blog.



A good, stable adult with love and tolerance in his heart is about the best therapy a child can have.~~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion

Scientologists in the Tampa Bay Community

In 1961, Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard wrote, “…a being is only as valuable as he can serve others.” This is a precept that inspires the work of Scientologists around the world including those in the Tampa Bay area. The following is a brief description of some of the community outreach groups and organizations local Scientologists have founded and participate in. Membership is not limited to Scientologists and people of all faiths are welcome to volunteer to provide needed services to the people of the community.

Say No to Drugs Race

Twenty years ago, Clearwater resident and world-class runner Sandra Johnson started the Say No to Drugs Holiday Classic to promote an anti-drug message. Now under the direction of local resident, Chris Alexander, a team of 200 volunteers ensure the race comes off each year without a hitch. It has become one of the premier races in the Tampa Bay area, drawing up to 1,000 runners with athletes competing from all over the world.

The Community Learning Center (CLC)

Holly and Brendan Haggerty, parents of four, founded the Community Learning Center in 1998 to provide a safe place for kids for afterschool arts and sports programs. The Haggertys have now expanded their program to include literacy tutoring for adults. Based near downtown Clearwater, their afterschool tutoring programs also run in Pinellas, Dade, Hillsborough, Alachua, Broward-Deerfield and Broward-Ft. Lauderdale counties. Their 89 volunteers have tutored some 500 students in the past year alone.

Criminon—Florida

Clearwater resident Susan Broughton runs Criminon Florida, a chapter of Criminon International that offers character-building criminal-rehabilitation programs through correspondence courses to more than 2000 inmates in 85 percent of the 75 Florida state prisons. Courses address a wide range of subjects from character building and drug education to study and communication skills. This activity is 100 percent volunteer-based.

Narconon—Florida

Narconon provides substance abuse education and rehabilitation in three Florida locations: Clearwater-based Narconon Florida, Narconon Destin and Narconon Spring Hill on the Florida Panhandle. Spring Hill and Destin are residential facilities, and the Clearwater operation offers help to addicts who can carry on with their work and their day-to-day lives while participating in the program. At each of these centers the addicts not only withdraw from drugs, they also address the underlying cause of their addiction by working out and resolving the problems they were trying to “solve” with drugs. Life skills courses are key to the success of the program. Narconon Florida is a part of Narconon International, a world-wide network of 188 drug education and rehabilitation facilities in 46 countries.

The Way to Happiness

Written by L. Ron Hubbard in the early 1980s, The Way to Happiness is a non-religious, common-sense moral code designed to help young and old alike make decisions that enable them to live happier and more productive lives. In Tampa Bay, the Way to Happiness Club, led by Clearwater resident Betsy Cramb, distributed 62,800 free booklets and held 52 events last year to educate children in the application of this non-religious moral code to improve their survival and the survival of those around them.

The Clearwater Community Volunteers (CCV)

What originally started as the Women’s Auxiliary of the Church of Scientology, the Clearwater Community Volunteers holds fundraisers and events throughout the year to benefit local charities. These include Winter Wonderland in downtown Clearwater, the Easter Egg Hunt in Coachman Park, and Fashions-with-Flair fashion show at the Belleair Country Club. With the funds raised from these events, CCV contributes tens of thousands of dollars each year to worthwhile local charitable organizations. Pamela Ryan Anderson now heads a team of more than 800 CCV volunteers.

Foundation for a Drug-Free World, Florida

Led by Julietta Gil, this group was founded to educate people about the dangers of abusing harmful drugs. A chapter of the international Foundation for a Drug-Free World, members of the local group gave 30 drug education lectures in schools throughout Pinellas and Hillsborough County to about 3,500 people last year. They also distributed 75,000 drug education booklets over the last two years. They partner with many local groups including the Dunedin Blue Jays, the Clearwater Downtown Partnership and the Sunscreen Film Festival. The program includes a local chapter of the “Drug Free Marshals,” youth who pledge to be drug-free and encourage others to do the same.

Human Rights Awareness

The protection of basic human rights has been a hallmark of the Church of Scientology since its earliest days. In Tampa Bay, Scientologists participate in two groups that educate people about their rights—the Tampa Bay Chapter of Youth for Human Rights and the Human Rights Group. Members of Youth for Human Rights give presentations on the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights in schools throughout Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. They pass out thousands of booklets and arrange the airing of public service announcements depicting the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Headed by Linda Drazkowski, the Human Rights Group held its third annual Human Rights Walk-a-Thon in March at St. Petersburg’s Straub Park. More than 1,000 local residents from many different faiths and backgrounds marched in support of human rights.

A good, stable adult with love and tolerance in his heart is about the best therapy a child can have.~~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion

New Scientology church in DC

I just had to pipe up about the grand opening of the new Founding Church of Scientology in Washington DC. What an incredibly beautiful building. And it is so set up to service Scientologists and the community. The new address is 1424 16th St. NW.

Open houses, film showings, self-guided tours through the information center. All welcome!

David Miscavige was there for the grand opening too. What a day!


A good, stable adult with love and tolerance in his heart is about the best therapy a child can have.~~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion

The Scientology Religion Helping Children

Scientology ministers are often called upon to help the child. Children today are not only beset with the problems that have always troubled young people—nightmares, squabbles with friends, difficulties with their studies—but face a whole new host of ills as a consequence of our ailing society. Drugs and sexual abuse steal the happiness of children at an increasingly young age, while gang violence and rampant criminality endanger their lives; and one need only glance at an inner-city school to appreciate just how badly our society has served their welfare.

L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Scientology religion, wrote: "Save the child, and you save the nation." Yet, not only has today’s society sadly neglected children, but even where efforts are made to help, too often it comes to nothing.

Long concerned with the well-being of man’s future, L. Ron Hubbard developed many of techniques to enhance the welfare of a child. As a basic orientation, L. Ron Hubbard points out that the child is not an enfant terrible who must be forcefully molded or broken if he is ever to behave as a responsible adult. Rather, the child must be seen for what he is: a fully aware individual in a body that has not attained full growth, Scientology ministers recognize this fact.

The ill or injured child, and even infants, may be assisted. The young student suffering through his studies will find relief through the application of L. Ron Hubbard’s study technology. The student who cannot get along with his friends can quickly resolve the matter with communication skills learned on a course specifically designed for him. And even very young children may receive auditing.

Possessing all these tools and more, Scientology ministers are well equipped to counsel parents so that their children grow up happy, confident and able. They recognize that the child is often wonderfully sane, that his values and sense of reality are acutely sharp, and if only adults around him would refrain from attempts to manage and fashion him into their image, he will become a fine, successful person.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers Help Parents
to Help their Children

Raising children should be a joy. A lot of parents know it can be one of the most rewarding of all human experiences. For those that don’t and struggle with day-to-day problems such as misbehavior, poor grades, drug problems and such, something can be done about it. Volunteer Ministers through the application of Scientology principles can help parents with tools to make bringing their children up the pleasure that it should be. Every parent wants to ensure their children are happy, loving and productive, and that they grow up to become valuable members of society—sometimes you just need the right tools.

“Life with my three kids was a living hell. What happened? Those beautiful babies and cute kids were now out of control monsters. I wondered how it got so bad. I blamed myself. A good friend of mine saw me ‘drowning’ and threw me a lifesaver. It was the phone number of a Volunteer Minister. I called her up. She understood what I was going through and calmly and smoothly helped me put order into my life and got my children taking responsibility for the situation. It wasn’t me against them anymore. We became a team—a family. She gave me a booklet called ‘Children’ and said I’d find the answers to happy children inside it. She was right! Because of this I recovered 3 ‘best friends’ and made another one—a wonderful and caring Volunteer Minister. Thanks for all the love and help!” S.C.

“Becoming a Volunteer Minister has fulfilled my lifelong goal of being able to really help children. It never ceases to amaze me how easy it is to bring about change in any child. One instance I recall vividly was helping the parents of a small boy who was an absolute terror to the family, his school and himself. He was out of control and they were in despair. My training as a Volunteer Minister gave me the tools to tackle such a situation. But I wasn’t going to do the job of the parents. Instead, I coached them on exactly what they should do, using the data in the ‘Children’ booklet from my training. Well, the child came straight and the parents now have something they can use to create a happy future for their child and themselves.” A.D.

A good, stable adult with love and tolerance in his heart is about the best therapy a child can have.~~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion

Scientology Kids

Nice web site on Scientology kids. Lots of information on what Scientology says about raising kids. Success stories of Scientologist parents and kids who use Scientology in their lives.

A good, stable adult with love and tolerance in his heart is about the best therapy a child can have.~~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion

Youngest Scientology Basics Completion

I just have to share this totally wonderful video of a 14-year-old girl who just completed studying all the Scientology and Dianetics basics at the Flag Service Organization (the religious headquarters of the Scientology religion). It's quite amazing.

I'm having tremendous wins from the Basics myself, and boy am I glad L. Ron Hubbard took the time to write these books and record the lectures, and that David Miscavige put the needed resources into getting them perfect and releasing them with a price anyone can afford.

A good, stable adult with love and tolerance in his heart is about the best therapy a child can have.~~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion

Scientology Kids

I recently met a guy who has an 8-year-old daughter who is the center of his universe. He had a bad marriage that ended in divorce and his wife got primary custody. He lives away from the city where they live, on an island off the coast. But he goes to visit his daughter whenever he can.

They have a very special relationship, and since he got into Scientology a couple of years ago that relationship has become even more special and his daughter is thriving with what he's shared with her about what he's learned.

But what he is most excited about now is that she is starting to study the Scientology basic books. When David Miscavige described how easy it is to read these books now, with the errors corrected, the new formatting so that it is just easier to read and the extensive glossaries, I had no idea the difference it would make. But this young lady is living proof as at the age of 8 she is able to read and understand some of the beginning books.

This is great, because when you real L. Ron Hubbard's books, they help you so much in your life, setting and accomplishing goals, just plain being happy. It's remarkable and simply great!

A good, stable adult with love and tolerance in his heart is about the best therapy a child can have.~~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion

The Rights of Children

The human rights of children are among those most seriously abused, and in honor of "blogging for human rights" I would like to promote that no matter where they are, children should have the right to be treated with the same respect, courtesy and right to self-determinism as any adult. To drug children against their will with dangerous psychiatric drugs that can cause violence, and which are tremendously addictive, must stop. It is a practice to be found in every public school in America and in many schools around the world.

Parents shoudl treat their kids with respect and grant them the dignity of their spiritual heritage.

How we treat our children has everything to do with how our children will control and lead the world when we are old.

L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Scientology religion, once wrote: “Children are not dogs. They can't be trained like dogs are trained. They are not controllable items. They are, and let's not overlook the point, men and women. A child is not a special species of animal distinct from man.”


A good, stable adult with love and tolerance in his heart is about the best therapy a child can have.~~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion

Dianetics Video

There is a really interesting segment on the Dianetics video (the first video that comes up on the Dianetics video site) -- that some of the most important mental incidents occur before you are born. The image they show with this is "ooohhhh!"

Watch it and see what I mean.

A good, stable adult with love and tolerance in his heart is about the best therapy a child can have.~~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion