ADVANCING UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS
In a world where people are barraged constantly by troubling media reports of human rights violations—ranging from deadly poison gas attacks to human trafficking, poverty and man-made famine—few understand their rights and even fewer know how to exercise them.
In its longstanding tradition of championing the cause of freedom for all, the Church of Scientology and its members seek remedies through sponsorship of one of the world’s broadest human rights education and public information initiatives, United for Human Rights, and its program for young people, Youth for Human Rights.
The aims of these nonprofit, nonreligious organizations are twofold: Teach young people their inalienable rights, thus significantly increasing awareness in a single generation; and petition governments to implement and enforce the provisions of the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the world’s preeminent human rights document, and mandate human rights education in schools.
United for Human Rights and Youth for Human Rights support myriad activities and provide educational resources in 17 languages that advance this initiative at all levels of society. These programs are widely embraced and used by schools and churches, civic and community groups, human rights organizations, police forces, armed forces, and governmental organizations worldwide.
BRINGING HUMAN RIGHTS TO
The struggle for human rights reform in Mexico is a deadly serious business. Cartels dealing in the trafficking of drugs and humans run the gamut of human rights violations—forced labor, kidnapping, torture and murder.
Youth for Human Rights Mexico was formed in 2004 by Mexican Scientologists and others determined to bring radical change to their country’s ignoble human rights record. YHR launched its broad-based “What Are Human Rights?” campaign on every available grassroots channel—rock concerts, marathons, petition drives, and hundreds of seminars held in schools at every level. They also aired public service announcements on state television to millions, and broadly distributed human rights booklets with Mexican celebrities promoting human rights awareness.
In addition to their own implementation of the program, YHR offered their assistance and materials to the United Nations, state and federal agencies, educational institutions and human rights groups.
The National Commission on Human Rights used YHR materials in more than 300 seminars attended by 15,000 teenagers. Youth for Human Rights resources have been a key component of the civil liberties education program sponsored by the Ministry of Environment.
In the Mexican state of Chiapas, Youth for Human Rights trained 1,000 students and educators for the Agency of Family Development. Legislators then incorporated the full text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights into the Chiapas Constitution, rendering human rights education mandatory.
Youth for Human Rights and others soon brought the issue to the attention of the Mexican National Congress. In a climate of increased awareness, the protection of the rights articulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is now enshrined in the nation’s constitution. The event signaled a renaissance of human rights for Mexican citizens, supplying long-overdue recognition that protecting the basic rights of its citizens is essential in building and maintaining a strong, modern, and free nation.
“It is my honor to recognize Youth for Human Rights Ecuador for their valuable contribution to the training and dissemination of human rights in Ecuador, promoting a national culture of respect for human rights.” –Coordinating Minister for Heritage, Ecuador
“I wish to congratulate you for having produced the film UNITED, which has the merit of not only being addressed to young people, but also of having been made by youngsters who have understood the importance of fighting together against racism, discrimination and intolerance. We also congratulate all the participants in Youth for Human Rights International.” –Minister Counselor, Permanent United Nations Mission of Guatemala
“This is to commend you for your vital actions on behalf of human rights education, in particular to make better known the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I can think of no more important action for peace, and for aiding the respect we must each have for one another, than making these rights known and applied. The youth that are part of your organization deserve all possible help and encouragement in their work in their home countries. To them and those who help organize them, may they continue and increase their efforts, and may those efforts bear the sweetest fruit possible: peace between individuals, among groups, and among nations.” –United Nations Development Programme Evaluation Office
PROPELLING A HUMAN RIGHTS CRUSADE
Nowhere on the globe is the fight for human rights a settled issue. Even where the rule of law predominates, there remains a clash between the forces of the citizenry and those who would deny or disregard inalienable rights. But as there is great strength in numbers and unity, the Youth for Human Rights education campaign provides materials and programs to organizations in well over 150 nations working toward full implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These countries include South Africa, Colombia, Japan and the United Kingdom, Greece, Italy, Mexico and Taiwan—which, even in their diversity, are united around the common reality that human rights is the vital imperative to maintaining a free society.
“I am proud to offer my encouragement and support to the members of the Youth for Human Rights International Leaders of Tomorrow Club. In teaching youth around the world the importance of human rights, you and your colleagues are creating valuable advocates for the promotion of tolerance and peace…I commend your Club as well as the youth of the Church of Scientology for working to increase respect and dignity of all people in the furtherance of world tolerance and peace.” —Office of International Religious Freedom United States Department of State