Former Miss World Canada Receives Human Rights Hero Award at United Nations

Canadians were well-represented at the Youth for Human Rights International Summit this weekend in New York and two took away awards

New York, 25 August 2006: Nazanin Afshin-Jam, former Miss World Canada 2003, received the Human Rights Hero Award from Youth for Human Rights International and the Human Rights Department of the Church of Scientology International Friday for her human rights actions and particularly her courage and persistence in assisting a young woman in Iran seek justice. The award was presented by Academy-award nominated actor and human rights activist Anne Archer at the "Making Human Rights a Global Reality" Summit held at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Ms. Afshin-Jam was recognized for her efforts in fighting the death penalty against an 18-year-old woman in Iran who was sentenced to hang for stabbing one of three men who tried to rape her and her niece. Starting a petition three months ago which has now gained over 210,000 signatures world-wide, international pressure she generated helped the woman gain a new trial which observers hope will now be just.

With over 500 attendees from forty countries around the world in attendance, Canada was well-represented as Ms. Afshin-Jam and fellow Canadian Maxim Weithers were two of the five individuals presented with the Human Rights Hero Awards for their exceptional dedication to human rights. Other awardees were Joseph Jay Yarsiah, a teenager from Liberia, Teresa Cheung, from Hong Kong and Luce Berking, a young native Samoan from New Zealand. Mr. Weithers received the award for his dedicated work in promoting human rights in Canada through publicizing the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights which is the basis of the Youth for Human Rights campaign.

The pinnacle of Summit was the international premiere of thirty dramatic public service announcements, produced in 17 languages, each one illustrating one of the thirty articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The PSAs had so much impact that they brought the crowd to its feet with attendees beginning to enthusiastically discuss how to use and promote these learning tools in their countries to make human rights a reality.

The creative force behind the public service ads, 22-year old award-winning director and filmmaker, Taron Lexton, spoke about his vision in creating these human rights messages. Mr. Lexton said, “I know a film maker can change the world. I poured everything I had into these PSAs, because people everywhere have a right to know their human rights.”

The Summit attendees were welcomed to the United Nations by Mr. Enzo Di Taranto on behalf of the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights. Keynote speakers included Hans Janitschek, President of the UN Society of Writers who described the vital role of artists in bringing about reform and in implementing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Reverend John Carmichael, President of the Church of Scientology of New York, who explained why his church put such emphasis on the urging of its founder L. Ron Hubbard that "human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream."

Tim Bowles, Executive Director of Youth for Human Rights International, who opened the weekend, summarized the importance of the United Nations and human rights education globally.

"Imagine how different this world would appear if member nations had implemented real human rights education from the late 1940s. We would not care to imagine how our global civilization might appear if we fail now to take effective action on teaching human rights universally to our next generation."

Co-organized by Youth for Human Rights International, the Human Rights Department of the Church of Scientology International, the International Foundation for Human Rights and Tolerance, and Artists for Human Rights, the Summit was preceded by a human rights art exhibit at the prestigious Westwood Gallery in New York City's Soho district. A concert entitled, “Artists Taking a Stand for Human Rights,” entertained 2,000 in Union Square Park after the Summit's conclusion.

Higher resolution photo of Ms. Afshin-Jam and Anne Archer is available.

 

City of Montreal Awards Church Volunteer Efforts

Montreal, 24 August 2006: Operation Montreal.net, a section of the City of Montreal, notified the Church of Scientology that it will be awarding Church Volunteer Ministers who participated in a recent city-wide cleanup with their "Golden Broom" award.

In correspondence, Jennifer Maduro of Operation, Montreal.net thanked Church volunteers for participating in the lane cleanup in the Plateau Mont-Royal area in mid-July. Eighteen Church volunteers in their distinctive yellow t-shirts tackled areas normally done by about 100 individuals. Ms. Maduro in informing Church presentatives of the award stated that the Scientologists "certainly deserve the award of the Golden Broom for your efforts... I wish you the best and thanks again for your care about the environment and the neighbourhood."

A date for receipt of the award is being set.

 

Information and Facts about Mr. David Miscavige Available On-Line

Toronto, 19 Aug 2006: A weblog has been established to provide facts and information about Mr. David Miscavige, the Chairman of the Board of the Religious Technology Center, the Scientology religion's most senior position.

An active Scientologist for most of his life, Mr. Miscavige has been involved with nearly every aspect of the Church's activities for many years and worked closely with Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. He has worked tirelessly to protect the religion. He authored the early 1980s reorganization of Church corporate and management structures which have given the religion years of sustained growth and stable leadership. Mr. David Miscavige has served as RTC's Chairman of the Board, its most senior position, since 1987.

As the driving force behind the worldwide program to expand all of the churches of Scientology to better serve their communities, Mr. David Miscavige has traveled extensively addressing hundreds of thousands of Scientologists and non-Scientologists at international Scientology celebrations and events. For example, on August 7, 2004, Mr. Miscavige presented a global overview of the Scientology religion to over 2,000 leaders in the fields of the arts, entertainment, commerce and government. An extract from this definitive address spanning the state of Earth today and the role of the Scientology religion in solving planetary decline — from social reform organizations to volunteer ministers, from grass-roots programs to Scientology Churches themselves is available.

The weblog can be accessed here.

 

Church Continues Largest Non-Governmental Drug Awareness Campaign on Earth

Los Angeles CA, 18 Aug 2006: To counter the scourge of drugs, and the torrent of messages promoting them, the Church of Scientology has long sponsored the largest non-governmental, anti-drug campaign on Earth—“Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life”—a community drug education and drug prevention program to educate children and adults about the dangers of drugs. Already to-date, over 8 million booklets exposing the truth about drugs have distributed world-wide along with some 48 million drug information fliers and some 89,000 drug awareness events staged planet-wide.

The Church has produced 10 new drug information booklets - marijuana, cocaine, crack, prescription painkillers, ecstacy, crystal meth, heroin, LSD and "kiddie cocaine" or Ritalin as well as an overall booklet - with the straight facts about drugs for both youth and adults and millions of copies are now in printing for distribution at the start of the school year. Experience has taught that people in general, and youth in particular, when they understand the destructive effects of drugs, and when they are provided with activities to interact with positive role models, and when they have the support of their peers to remain drug free, they inevitably come to the conclusion: “I don’t want to take drugs” —which is of course the ultimate purpose of the program.

Drugs destroy millions of lives every year. Popularized in the 1960s by music and mass media, they invade all aspects of society. The problem has many faces—from the college student partying for three days straight in an ecstasy or methamphetamine-fueled rave, to the school child addicted to Ritalin (methylphenidate); from the mother who cannot get through a day without taking pills for depression, to the CEO addicted to cocaine

Parents, teachers, employers and civic leaders are all in a position to help keep young people from taking drugs. Moralizing about the evils of drugs doesn’t work. Neither do scare tactics. Answering the inevitable questions with frank, honest data, provides a young person with the information he or she needs to make the intelligent choice to remain drug free.

The straight facts about the drugs and illegal substances most frequently abused by youth and adults alike, empower the individual and enable him to make his own informed decision about drugs, their risks and the role they should or should not play in his life. In this society, one is bombarded by falsehoods and mixed messages about drugs and so it is important to be armed with the truth. A person is then able to chart his own course through the morass of misinformation.

To obtain more information on the campaign or copies of the booklets, contact the Church of Scientology Public Affairs office at 416-925-1779 or publicrelations@scientology-tor.ca

The following provides a direct link to the on-line version of the booklets for anyone to use.

Facts About Marijuana (Cannabis and Hashish)

The Truth About Joints dispels the false propaganda that cannabis is “not as bad” as other drugs and provides accurate information about the real dangers of marijuana and hashish.

Facts on Ecstasy
The Truth about Ecstasy reveals the dangers of this “new” designer drug. Its dangers have been known for decades, only its name changed.

Facts About Cocaine
The Truth about Cocaine describes this drug, once the favorite of corporate executives and entertainment personalities, now a deadly street killer.

Heroin Facts
The Truth about Heroin details the countless ways people can fall into the trap of this deadly substance.

Crystal Meth (Methamphetamine)
The Truth about Crystal Meth describes this drug’s devastating effects and how, in as little as one weekend, it can destroy a life.

LSD Facts
The Truth about LSD: Popularized in the 1960s, this drug is making a comeback among younger abusers, and this site shows why youths must say “No” to it.

Oxycodone (Painkillers) Facts
The Truth about Painkillers: these medicinal drugs trap tens of thousands seeking relief from pain and discomfort.

Ritalin Methylphenidate Information
Called “kiddie cocaine” when sold on the streets, prescription stimulants destroy young lives daily.

 

Scientology Representatives Support Montreal Interfaith BBQ

Montreal, 12 August 2006: Participating with a number of other religious groups in Montreal, representatives of the Church of Scientology of Montreal attended a special interfaith BBQ held at the residence of Lutheran minister, Reverend Samuel King Kabu and his wife Susan. Reverend Monique Deneault and Jean Larivierre attended the gathering to represent the Church of Scientology.

 

Senator Mobina Jaffer Receives YHRI Human Rights DVD

Vancouver, 12 August 2006: Senator Mobina Jaffer, who just returned to Canada from Afganistan and visiting Canadian troops, received today a copy of Youth for Human Rights DVD containing all 30 of YHRI's public service announcements promoting the human rights articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Senator Jaffer is a very active member of the community and a supporter of a vast array of community-based organizations. She currently serves as the immediate past President of the YWCA of Canada; and, a member of the Aga Khan National Conciliation and Arbitration Board.

YHRI BC representative Susan Kerr met with Senator Jaffer regarding human rights issues and to inform her about YHRI's pioneering work in promoting the UDHR as a solution to world-wide human rights abuses.