The Church of Scientology has since its very inception been a promoter of fundamental human rights. Therefore, for December 2021, the Church and its members launch a series of celebrations in the different churches in Europe and the world over to celebrate the Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, supporting the United Nations slogan “All Human. All Equal”.
Written in 1954 by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, The Creed of the Church begins by describing the immortality of humans as spiritual beings and that all people of any race, color, or creed are created with equal and inalienable rights.
Scientologists have been active in promoting the rights of people, including exposing slave labor camps in apartheid-era Africa, spearheading Freedom of Information laws in the U.S. and other countries, exposing violations of rights in the mental health field from the nazi era and its perpetrators, as well as establishing the most prominent mental health rights organization known to date, the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, to clean up these violations in the field of mental healing, and publishing Freedom human rights journal since 1968.
“It is vital that all thinking men urge upon their governments (for the governments’ own sake if no other) sweeping reforms in the field of human rights,” stated Mr. Hubbard in 1969.
“It is vital that all thinking men urge upon their governments (for the governments’ own sake if no other) sweeping reforms in the field of human rights”
L- RON Hubbard in 1969
To that end, today, the Church sponsors the world’s most extensive non-governmental human rights information campaign, aimed at raising awareness and calling for governments to meaningfully support and ensure human rights.
As stated at the website of the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights “The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the world to a major crossroads: either we take the route of collective action and concretely address the pervasive inequalities that have risen across the globe, or we continue on the route filled with deep-rooted injustices and pervasive inequalities.”
With this view, Scientology has made possible the distribution of millions of educational booklets and the creation of a series of 30 public service announcements(PSA), broadcasted numerous times at events in the UN system. The PSAs depict each article of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Church was also crucial in producing The Story of Human Rights film, which is currently being used in many schools worldwide as a short yet complete documentary of how Human Rights came about.
According to the UN, “At the heart of human rights lie the principles of equality and non-discrimination. Equality has the power to help break cycles of poverty; it can give young people the world over the same opportunities; it can help in advancing the right to a healthy environment; it can help tackle the root causes of conflict and crisis.” And continues to say that Equality “means that we embrace our diversity and demand that all be treated without any kind of discrimination,” says UN Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet.
On Human Rights Day, the UN calls, and Scientologists join, for a new social contract. This means addressing pervasive inequalities and structural discrimination with measures grounded in human rights. It requires renewed political commitment, the participation of all, especially the most affected, and a more just distribution of power, resources and opportunities.
“Human rights have the power to tackle the root causes of conflict and crisis, by addressing grievances, eliminating inequalities and exclusion and allowing people to participate in decision making that affects their lives,” says the UN. Scientologists are increasingly active in this regard and participate in consultations and statements at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, identifying situations that need correction and defending the rights of Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, Sikhs, and of course, Scientologists.
Societies that protect and promote human rights for everyone, states the website of the UN, are more resilient and sustainable and stand better equipped to weather unexpected crises such as pandemics and the impacts of the climate crisis.
