Tag: Religion and Churches

ODISHA, India, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., April 25, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- In the 1880s, to call attention to the plight of the "untouchables" the famous Indian social activist Jyotirao Govindrao Phule coined a term to represent these people: "Dalit." United for Human Rights Odisha has taken on the challenge of restoring fair and equitable treatment to these and all people of India.

LOS ANGELES, Calif., April 24, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Even before Barbie and Ken entered the "real world," rollerblading in their dayglo outfits along its three-mile coastline, Venice Beach was a world-famous, iconic, great place to have some fun. But that wasn't the only reason the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre and its Hollywood Village Team selected Venice Beach for their April cleanup and their annual Earth Day activity.

NASHVILLE, Tenn., and LOS ANGELES, Calif., April 22, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Help is a central concept of the Scientology religion. In a lecture delivered by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard in 1958, he said, "the biggest right there is, is not the right to vote, is not the right to freedom of speech or press or religion or anything else. The biggest right there is in human rights is the right to help."

SYDNEY, Australia, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., April 18, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- The Psychiatry: An Industry of Death Exhibit, produced by Citizens Commission on Human Rights International, was held at Embassy Conference Centre on George Street in Sydney as one of the first phases of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights Psychiatry: An Industry of Death 2024 World Tour. Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) is an international mental health watchdog founded in 1969 by psychiatrist Thomas Szasz and the Church of Scientology.

SEATTLE, Wash., and LOS ANGELES, Calif., April 18, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Public Health Seattle King County reports 1,060 overdose deaths involving fentanyl in 2023 - up nearly 50 percent from 2022. For World Health Day 2024, Seattle's Church of Scientology invited a representative of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to shed light on the crisis.

FLORENCE, Italy, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., April 17, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Forced treatment, threats, restraints, crippling sedation: Despite past reforms, the horrors of the past are still stark facts of life for those caught in Italy's mental health system. This was the theme of a demonstration at the 2024 Congress of the Schizophrenia International Research Society in Florence. Both events were organized by Citizens Commission on Human Rights, a mental health watchdog founded in 1969 by psychiatrist Thomas Szasz and the Church of Scientology.

LOS ANGELES, Calif., April 16, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Some 1,500 guests from the Los Angeles Bangladeshi community gathered on L. Ron Hubbard Way for their annual Chaand Raat celebration. On the eve of Eid ul Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan, Muslims in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh celebrate Chaand Raat. The term means "The Night of the Moon" in Urdu and it signals the sighting of the crescent moon that ends a month of prayer, fasting and spiritual reflection.

ATLANTA, Ga., and LOS ANGELES, Calif., April 15, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- This year's Rx and Illicit Drug Summit highlighted a grim fact of life: "Overdoses and deaths involving synthetic opioids have reached record rates, and every community across our nation is feeling the impact." According to the CDC, more than half of opioid overdose deaths in 10 states studied tested positive for fentanyl. It's time to slam the pedal down on prevention, says Foundation for a Drug-Free World.

MUNICH, Germany, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., April 10, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- In July 2016, an armed shooter killed nine and injured 16, leaving Munich reeling. A team of volunteers from The Way to Happiness Association sponsored by the Church of Scientology of Munich literally took matters into their own hands. They began giving copies of The Way to Happiness to people one-on-one, beginning with those living or working in the district where the shootings took place.

NEW ORLEANS, La., and LOS ANGELES, Calif., April 10, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- United for Human Rights brought its youth-friendly human rights program to NSBA24 - National School Boards Association (NSBA) Conference for 2024 in New Orleans April 6 to 8. The purpose of NSBA is "to ensure each student everywhere has access to excellent and equitable public education governed by high-performing school board leaders and supported by the community." So how does human rights education relate to this endeavor?

WASHINGTON, D.C., and LOS ANGELES, Calif., April 10, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- L. Ron Hubbard joined the Boy Scouts in Tacoma, Washington, in 1923, in the early years of Scouting, a movement founded by Robert Baden-Powell in 1910. By the spring of 1924, Ron had not only earned an impressive 21 badges, he also led Washington, D.C., Troop 10 to victory in the Washington Post-sponsored Scout Advancement Competition and was one of four youths to represent Scouting at President Calvin Coolidge's Presidential Celebration of National Boys' Week. Five days later, two weeks after celebrating his 13th birthday, L. Ron Hubbard became the nation's youngest Eagle Scout.

LOS ANGELES, Calif., April 9, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- L. Ron Hubbard Life Exhibition in Hollywood, California, proudly announces a new permanent display featuring the royal bestowal of Datu and a Kris sword, presented by HRH Sultan Tomas Cabili Jr. and HRH Sultana Remedios Pastor of Mindanao, Philippines, on the anniversary of Mr. Hubbard's birthday.

AUSTIN, Texas, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., April 4, 2024, (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- SXSW EDU is an educator conference in Austin, Texas, "designed for the brightest minds in education to change the future of teaching and learning." United for Human Rights set up a booth at the conference, where human rights was a recurring topic in presentations, conferences and workshops. Educators, entrepreneurs, and members of civil society from across the U.S. around the globe visited the booth to learn about the program.

MIDRAND, South Africa, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., April 3, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- In South Africa, a country where effective education is key to reversing centuries of neglect and oppression, Scientology Volunteer Ministers Educator Empowerment Seminars aim to create significant change.

SAINT HILL, U.K., April 2, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Some 3,000 children, parents, and grandparents gathered at Saint Hill, the Church of Scientology estate in East Grinstead, for an enormously "egg-citing" Easter Egg Hunt. Families traveled from throughout Sussex, Surrey, and Kent for the fun-filled afternoon. Greeting the children, the Easter Bunny was joined by popular children's book, cartoon, and film characters.

LOS ANGELES, Calif., April 2, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Despite predictions of rain over Easter weekend, Sunday's annual Easter Egg Hunt on March 31 proceeded undeterred. Staff and volunteers from the Church of Scientology Los Angeles were prepared no matter the weather, with tents erected in case of a storm. But the afternoon was blessed with blue skies when nearly 7,000 neighbors joined the fun on L. Ron Hubbard Way for the annual Church of Scientology Easter celebration.

VIENNA, Austria, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., March 30, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- This Easter, the Say No to Drugs volunteers of Vienna extend their wish for a bright, healthy future for local children. They've packed their Easter baskets with copies of The Truth About Drugs booklets to give youngsters the information they need to decide for themselves to live drug-free.

LOS ANGELES, Calif., March 30, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- In the wake of the untimely passing of beloved actor Matthew Perry, whose toxicology report revealed elevated levels of ketamine, the Church of Scientology Los Angeles and the Los Angeles chapter of Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) hosted a forum and open house to raise awareness of the dangers of so-called ketamine infusion therapy. Hosting the event was Erin Godley from the Los Angeles chapter of CCHR.

EAST GRINSTEAD, UK and LOS ANGELES, Calif., March 28, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Despite forecasters predicting rain, young Scientologists gathered at Saint Hill in East Grinstead, slipped on their signature teal Foundation for a Drug-Free World T-shirts over hoodies, unfurled their "brollies," and took off for the nearby town of Crawley to share the truth about drugs with local families. They handed out youth-friendly Truth About Drugs booklets to help other kids make the self-determined decision to live drug-free.

MEXICO CITY, Mexico and LOS ANGELES, Calif., March 27, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Members of the Commission of Culture of the LXV House of Representatives of the National Congress of Mexico paid tribute to the enduring legacy of L. Ron Hubbard by presenting a proclamation to the Friends of L. Ron Hubbard Foundation and representatives of the Church of Scientology of Western United States.