Scientologists attend Muslim Festival

Toronto, 24 January 2006:
Members of the Church of Scientology attended the Association of Progressive Muslims of Ontario (APMO) annual Eid-ul-Adha celebration, this year held at Toronto City Hall. The guest of honour was Toronto Mayor David Miller who accepted on behalf of the City the First Annual City Hall Award from APMO.

 

Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Montreal, 16 January 2006:
Representatives from the Church of Scientology of Montreal participated in the annual City of Montreal interfaith breakfast to commemorate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Presided over by Reverend Darryl Gray of Imani Full Gospel Church at Montreal City Hall, with a number of the City's Executive Committee attending, the breakfast brought together Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Scientologists and others in the spirit of Dr. King to work for peace, racial justice and human rights for all.

 

YHR Canada at Mosaic Peace Dinner

Toronto, 16 January 2006:
Youth for Human Rights Canada was represented at the Mosaic Interfaith Annual Peace Dinner held at the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple in Mississauga. 400 individuals attended and represented a wide diversity of faiths from Hindhuism to Islam to Christianity to Buddhism to Judaism to Sikhism to Zoroastrianism. Maxim Weithers, Vice President for Public Relations for YHR Canada, gave a 5 minute presentation to the gathering on Youth for Human Rights and the human rights video “UNITED.” Mosaic Interfaith is a gathering of communities for interfaith dialogue and cooperation since 1980. Dedicated to the promotion of mutual respect and understanding amongst religions, with the hope that all may co-exist in peace.

 

Church Briefing to Community Leaders Held

Toronto, 12 January 2006:
The Department of Public Affairs and Human Rights held a special briefing to Toronto community leaders on Church human rights, drug awareness and Volunteer Minister programs and how they could participate. The briefing held at the Toronto church attracted twenty-five leaders from the community. The attendees were informed about the new drug awareness booklets that are being produced to reach individuals of all ages about the dangers of various harmful street drugs including marijuana, cocaine, “kiddy” cocaine (methylphenidate), crystal meth and heroin. On human rights front, the new public service announcment ads and TV-spots based on the Universal Declaration on Human Rights produced by Youth for Human Rights and the Church of Scientology were announced and previewed. A briefing on the community work of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers including the work of the VMs in diaster relief around the world and actions being undertaken to address the out-of-control gang violence in Toronto.

 

Vancouver World Peace Forum

Vancouver, 10 January 2006:
The Church of Scientology has been invited to participate in the City of Vancouver's World Peace Forum to be held in late June. Reverend Susan Kerr, Director for Public Affairs and Human Rights, will be sitting on a panel with three other religious leaders to discuss “Spiritual Paths to Peace.” Last May, the Vancouver City Council endorsed the staging of a World Peace Forum which advances its commitment to establish Vancouver as a city of peace and justice. More information on the World Peace Forum is available from their website.

 

Volunteer Minister Seminar Held

Toronto, 7 January 2006:
A seminar was held this weekend for Volunteer Ministers in Toronto. The day-long affairs went over the basic duties of a Volunteer Minister in bringing aid to those in need through the various technologies contained in The Scientology Handbook and developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. As a result of the seminar, a number of Volunteer Ministers went out and conducted a survey in St. Jamestown about what help was needed in the community. One of the individuals surveyed said that they were glad that “Scientologists were there and asking what was needed.”

 

Scientology Representative to Gandhi Celebration

Edmonton, 6 January 2006:
Ms. Deborah Jurt, the Director of Special Affairs for Edmonton, has been invited to participate in the upcoming January 30th Mahtma Gandhi Celebration and to light a candle for peace. Ms. Jurt is a member of the Edmonton Interfaith Centre for Education and Action.

 

Quebec Human Rights Day Forum

Quebec, 10 December 2005:
Ms. Johanne Plourde, Director of Public Affairs and Human Rights hosted a human rights forum at the new building of the Church of Scientology of Quebec. Participating were Mr. Louis-Michel Cote, a lawyer with interests in human rights and Mr. Andre Guay, a member of the Commission of Droit and Liberte. The forum centred on the need for various groups involved in the protection of human rights to work together. As a result the panel members decided to form a committee to facilitate this in Quebec. There was also a presentation of the “United” human rights video and the new public service announcements promoting each of the individual rights set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights produced by Youth for Human Rights. The meeting was reported on in the Quebec daily Le Soleil.

 

Human Rights Day in Vancouver

Vancouver, 6 December 2005:
The Church of Scientology of Vancouver commemorated United Nations Human Rights Day on December 6th by holding a multifaith human rights forum in their chapel. Keynote speakers for the event were Farouk Elesseily, Chairman of the B.C. Muslim Association and Education Director of the Muslim Canadian Federation, Barry Cooke, Executive Director of the B.C. Multifaith Action Society and Amy Eustergerling, a First Nations Elder and board member of Multifaith Action Society. Reverend Susan Kerr, Public Affairs and Human Rights Director for the Vancouver church after speaking about the Church of Scientology's role in promoting human rights showed the highly acclaimed and award winning human rights music video “United” produced for Youth for Human Rights. Reverend Kerr is also the organizer of the Youth for Human Rights British Columbia chapter.

 

17th Annual Drug-Free Marshals Christmas Street Festival

Toronto, 26 November 2006:
The 17th Annual Drug-Free Marshals Christmas Street Festival was held today in cold, wintry conditions on St. Mary Street outside the Church of Scientology of Toronto. Over 500 people attended the festivities which included children's activities such as face painting and a drug awareness poster contest, hot chocoloate and other Christmas goodies, entertainment on the street and as always Santa Claus. Many community leaders attended including Mr. Derek Lee, Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Rouge River, Imam Abdul Hai Patel, a past Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission and current head of the Council of Imams in Toronto; May Chow, chair of the Community Police Liaison Committee for 52 Division, and Eshwar Doobay and Maria Karasonova of the Ontario Multifaith Council on Spiritual and Religious Care South Central Region.

Derek Lee in a speech on the stage praised the work of the DFM by saying:

“I drove down here this afternoon from Scarborough to pay tribute to our Drug-Free Marshals. I want you to know how important that is to our country. We all know the scourge of drug dependency the taking of illegal drugs and this is a very serious issue for our youth. And the Drug-Free Marshals have learned a whole lot about this social problem and they are part of the solution because one of the simplest and easy way to avoid the problem of illegal drug-taking is just to say “No”. The other thing that the Drug marshals do, among all the other community things that you do, is that you share your knowledge with your friends at school and within your community and that’s another good thing. So let me congratulate you. I really want to commend you for that, what you do as Drug Marshal – Drug-Free Marshal, all year long.”

Mayor David Miller also sent a warm letter congratulating the DFMs for their youth-driven drug prevention program and the long history of the street festival associated with it. A similar letter was received from Markham City Councillor Khalid Usmann.

Santa Claus was very popular again this year, handing out toys to children. In fact, some parents who brought their kids, were so impressed with the theme and message of the festival that they called their friends to tell them to come. As one parent commented, “I just called five people in my building to tell them to come. This is amazing!”

 

Launch of Youth for Human Rights Canada

Toronto, 19 November 2005:
Youth for Human Rights Canada blasted into orbit at Toronto City Hall on November 19th with its inaugural launch event. Highlighting the afternoon was the presentation of a plaque by Youth for Human Rights International founder Mary Shuttleworth to Dorothy Peterson recognizing the accomplishments of her father John Humphrey in drafting the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. The foundation of the Youth for Human Rights movement is based entirely on promoting and popularizing to youth an understanding of the human rights outlined in the UDHR as the solution to war and violence throughout the world. Stephen Haschemi whose journalist mother Zahra Kazemi was brutally tortured and murdered in Iran was also a featured speaker. Several hundred people were in attendance.

The afternoon opened with the Red Aboriginal Singers and Dancers who were followed by youth entertainers Sarah Melody and Jah Beng. Canadian Youth for Human Rights spokesperson, Ottawa actor Tyler Hynes, sent a video message as he was unable to attend due to commitments in Los Angeles. Other featured speakers included Nicole Crellin, Human Rights Director for the Church of Scientology of Toronto, Canadian race relations pioneer Bromley Armstrong and Ghulam Sujam of the Ontario Human Rights Commission. A special presentation of the award winning human rights video produced by Youth for Human Rights, “United,” was also shown.

Khadija Mustapha-Ali, Vice President for Public Relations and Maxim Weithers, Vice President for Marketing of Youth for Human Rights Canada were instrumental in organizing and generating public interest and support for the launch event.

 

Scientology Lecture at Orchard Multifaith Spirituality Centre

Peterborough, Ont. 22 November 2005:
Reverend Earl Smith, Church of Scientology of Toronto Interfaith Director, lectured on “Understanding Scientology” to members of the Orchard Multifaith Spirituality Centre in Peterborough. Reverend Smith was invited to the Orchard Centre to talk about Scientology by Rabbi Jordan Cohen, who met Reverend Smith at a recent meeting of the North American Interfaith Network (NAIN). Reverend Smith is a long-standing member of NAIN and has attended its conferences for over a decade.

The Orchard Centre is a non-profit centre for people of all faiths and spiritual traditions to learn more about their own spiritual paths and those of others.

Reverend Smith's lecture on Scientology included a video presentation of the “This Is Scientology” DVD, a very special presentation about Scientology and its address to world problems delivered by the leader of the Scientology religion, Mr. David Miscavige. This historic address occurred at the 35th anniversary celebration of the Church's Celebrity Centre International in Los Angeles. This wide-ranging presentation to over 2,000 leaders in the fields of the arts, entertainment, commerce and government covers many of the basic questions on the Scientology religion, L. Ron Hubbard as well as the most current information on the incredible growth of Scientology around the world.

 

Drug-Free Marshals “Poochie” helps Santa

Ottawa, 19 November 2005:
For the past seven years, the Ottawa Drug-Free Marshals have participated in the annual “Help Santa Toy Parade”. This major community event attracts a crowd of over 100,000 people to the parade route in downtown Ottawa and is televised throughout Eastern Ontario. This year's Drug-Free Marshal entry is “Poochie” – a car that has had a personality change and is now a large, friendly drug-free dog. Poochie attracted the attention of many young children on the parade route who ended up signing the Drug-Free Marshals pledge, a 7-point promise to stay drug-free and help their friends and family do so as well. Comments from parents included “That's great what you're doing with your kids, important - shows the kids who you can talk to & helps keep them away from drugs.” One group of 12 year-olds wanted to sign the pledge but one had a question: “What if it's too late?” He was told that you could take the pledge if he agreed not take drugs from then on. He liked the idea and signed it.

 

Drug-Free Marshals “Race Against Drugs”

Barrie, Ont. 20-22 September 2005:
The Toronto Drug-Free Marshals participated in three days of “Racing Against Drugs” held in Barrie, coordinated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Simcoe-Muskoka Department of Health. “Racing Against Drugs” is a drug awareness campaign that brings community groups and law enforcement together on the theme of “car racing” to interest youth in the problem and abuse of street drugs. The DFMs had their own`pit-stop’, along with fourteen other community and government organizations which included the RCMP and the Ontario Provincial Police. A total of 1,500 students moved through the various pit-stops over the three days. All students at the DFM pit-stop were given a lecture on drugs and were sworn in as Drug-Free Marshals, with each getting a badge. Their teachers also received copies of the “Truth about Joints” booklet that was specially produced for the Drug-Free Marshals and were to be given out to the students back in class. “Racing Against Drugs” was covered by the New VR as well as the Barrie Advance.

 

Scientology Minister Chairs Interfaith Group

Toronto, 8 September 2005:
Reverend Earl Smith, Interfaith Director of the Church of Scientology of Toronto, today chaired his first meeting of the South Central Regional Committee of the Ontario Multifaith Council on Religious and Spiritual Care. The meeting held at the Church of Scientology of Toronto was attended by representatives of eight different faith groups. Reverend Smith was recently elected Chairman of the South Central Regional Committee which is responsible for providing multifaith guidance to chaplains in provincial government institutions such as hospitals and jails in the Greater Toronto area.