CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY INTERNATIONAL CO-SPONSORS 9TH ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS YOUTH SUMMIT

The Human Rights Office of the Church of Scientology International co-sponsored the annual human rights summit of Youth for Human Rights International, providing youth the opportunity to assume their roles as human rights leaders of tomorrow.

Brussels—The Human Rights Office of the Church of Scientology International co-sponsored the 9th Annual International Human Rights Summit September 7–9, 2012, at the International Auditorium in the heart of Brussels.

Co-organized by Youth for Human Rights International, Youth for Human Rights Belgium and the Human Rights Office of the Church of Scientology International, the summit was attended by youth delegates from 30 countries.

Although the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was ratified in 1948, human rights remains an urgent issue in the world today. According to the United Nations World Food Program, under-nutrition contributes to five million deaths of children under five in developing countries each year. UNICEF estimates 150 million children ages 5-14 in developing countries are engaged in child labor. The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates 2.4 million people were victims of human trafficking in the decade from 1995-2005.

Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) was founded on the principle of increasing awareness of human rights through education as the first step toward accomplishing meaningful human rights reforms, and educational ideals and programs were emphasized in the three-day summit. YHRI also raises awareness through distribution of human rights education materials, and human rights world tours.

In recent years, the summit has been held at the United Nations in New York and Geneva. This year’s summit was held in Brussels, the official seat of the European Commission, Council of the European Union, European Council, and one of the two seats of the European Parliament.

Delegates were selected from some 1,000 applicants based on their record of contribution to the cause of human rights, and the three day event afforded many opportunities to expand the scope of their work. Youth delegates met and networked with their counterparts from other countries and with adult leaders in human rights. They honed skills necessary to accomplish their purposes, including communication, organization and public speaking, and they planned their activities for the coming year.

A highlight of the summit was the presentation of four “Human Rights Hero” awards. Recipients of this year’s awards are:

• Ashan Pushpakumara Perera, youth delegate from Sri Lanka and founder of a youth organization which provides opportunities to talented youth in the field of the arts. His work has included motivational workshops in colleges, the organizing of the highly successful “Human Rights Walk” in Sri Lanka on UN Human Rights Day in 2011, and establishment of “The Smile Project” to raise the quality of education through distribution of books to rural schools.
• Ruslan Khusainov, youth delegate from Russia, is active in human rights education throughout the year. His Youth for Human Rights chapter in St. Petersburg, Russia, is one of the largest and most active in the world. He sees that human rights information distribution events take place nearly every day of the year. He participated in the organizing of the Marathon for Peace and Human Rights 2012, an entire month of daily human rights conferences, symposia and street events throughout Russia, Belarus and the Ukraine, to promote the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• Alberto Vásquez accepted an award on behalf of Youth for Human Rights Ecuador. This chapter has reached more than 100,000 students in Ecuador schools with human rights education in the past three years, has held workshops for teachers and executives of the country’s educational institutions, organized student human rights clubs around the country, and seen to the airing of the Youth for Human Rights informational videos on 58 TV channels reaching an estimated 4 million people with information about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• Bishop Dr. Chidiebere Anelechi Ogbu founded Impact Africa Network to improve the lives of African communities and uphold Christian literature and values. Impact Africa Network is an association of gospel ministers of African descent in Africa and the Diaspora. Through this network he reached ministers of the gospel in Nigeria, throughout Africa and around the globe to provide human rights education.

The three-day summit also included human rights education workshops and an interfaith conference. Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, Founder and President of Youth for Human Rights International and recipient of the International Association of Scientologists Freedom Medal in 2007, was master of ceremonies. The summit was co-sponsored by Youth for Human Rights International, Youth for Human Rights Belgium, Youth for Human Rights Switzerland, the Human Rights Department of the Church of Scientology International, Village Suisse ONG, the Ariel Foundation International, and Grain de Sable ASBL.

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The Creed of the Church of Scientology, written by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard in 1954, begins with the statement of belief that “all men of whatever race, color or creed were created with equal rights.” For more than 50 years, Scientologists have championed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Today, the Church of Scientology sponsors the largest international human rights non-governmental information campaign to make the Universal Declaration of Human Rights known the world over.

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

Church of Scientology Opens National Office in Washington, D.C., Landmark

On Wednesday, September 12, national dignitaries joined more than a thousand Scientologists and guests to celebrate the grand opening of the Church of Scientology’s National Affairs Office in Washington, D.C.

Located in the historic Fraser Mansion at Dupont Circle, the new National Affairs Office stands as the central point from which the Church coordinates its many social and humanitarian initiatives on a national and international level.

The establishment of the National Affairs Office is necessitated by the Church of Scientology’s unprecedented worldwide growth and commensurate demand for Church-sponsored programs. In the past several years, dozens of new Ideal Churches of Scientology (Ideal Orgs) have opened in major cities across the world. In the United States, new Churches now stand in Washington, D.C., New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Seattle, Denver and Phoenix, to name but a few. While internationally, they also now stand in Rome, London, Madrid, Brussels, Berlin, Hamburg, Mexico City, Johannesburg, Melbourne, Moscow and Tel Aviv. Ideal Orgs are designed to both serve the needs of parishioners as well as the community at large, while the National Affairs Office serves to facilitate implementation of the Church-sponsored programs both nationally and internationally.

These programs include a worldwide human rights initiative; equally far-ranging drug education, prevention and rehabilitation programs; a wide-reaching criminal reform program; a global network of literacy and learning centers; a moral education movement restoring the brotherhood of Man; and the Scientology Volunteer Ministers, the world’s largest independent relief force providing emergency response at major disaster sites for more than a decade.

Underscoring the importance of the new National Affairs Office to the Church’s greater social and humanitarian mission, Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board Religious Technology Center and ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, led the dedication. In honoring the occasion, he said: “Here is an Office designed to give back to a United States government that steadfastly guaranteed our religious rights—the very freedom that allows us to do what we are doing today. And with that, we extend our reach by invoking what we hold to be the greatest of all rights, the one right which must be invoked if one is to fight for the freedom of others—the right to help. And yes, that’s what we pledge today with the inauguration of this new Church of Scientology National Affairs Office.”

Dignitaries joining in the opening ceremony included Members of U.S. Congress Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) and Danny Davis (D-IL); as well as Liz Gibson, Senior Program Manager, Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The Honorable Dan Burton spoke to the Church’s signal contributions in the protection of children from psychotropic drugging and preservation of the rights of families: “I applaud you for taking the time to pursue this issue, and for helping make the Child Safety and Medication Act the law of the land. Working together we have been part of a course of correction to safeguard America’s youth while promoting and protecting liberty.”

Acknowledging the Church for its abiding commitment to human rights, the Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee, Member of U.S. Congress, said: “I want to thank L. Ron Hubbard for recognizing that courage is not rewarded but it is valued. And to be able to have the wonderment of people coming together and ensuring that people come together for peace. That’s what I see in the Church, that you have come together for peace. I welcome and support that.”

The Honorable Danny Davis thanked the Church for its commitment to improving one of today’s most pressing social problems—criminal reform: “Since 2004, the Church has been part of the broad coalition that has tirelessly worked with us in Congress to get the Second Chance Act passed into law, which is a monumental first step in reforming our criminal justice system nationwide. I am extremely grateful for the work you do to help those individuals who are most in need.”

Ms. Liz Gibson, Senior Program Manager, Federal Emergency Management Agency, highlighted the effectiveness of Church volunteers in all forms of disaster response and community need: “You have consistently come to the aid of major and many minor disasters around the country. You arrive, help, then help some more and stay on after others have gone home. All our work from the policy level down to the local level depends on groups like the Churches of Scientology Disaster Response—these partnerships are and will be in the future the strength of our work here in this country.”

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The Church of Scientology National Affairs Office houses an array of facilities for meetings, conferences, seminars, workshops and events to promote collaboration on solutions to society’s greatest challenges. In particular, its Chestnut Hall is configured to host a wide range of functions, from human rights symposiums and drug education workshops to panel discussions, press conferences and awards ceremonies.

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The Church of Scientology acquired Fraser Mansion in 1994 to serve as home to the Church of Scientology of Washington, D.C., now located in expanded quarters on 16^th Street Northwest’s historic Church Row. The mansion, dating from 1890, is a nationally registered historic landmark. Under the Church’s custodianship, the combination Beaux-Arts, Renaissance and Romanesque building has been meticulously restored to its original glory. Fraser Mansion also stands just two blocks from the historic Founding Church of Scientology at 1812 19^th Street NW, established in 1955 by Founder L. Ron Hubbard.

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The dedication of the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office follows the opening of a series of Ideal Churches of Scientology (Ideal Orgs) in 2012, including the new Center of Scientology in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, August 21; the Churches of Scientology of Los Gatos, California, July 28; Buffalo, New York, June 30; Phoenix, Arizona, June 23; Denver, Colorado, June 16; Stevens Creek in San Jose, California, June 9; Orange County, California, June 2; Greater Cincinnati, February 25; Sacramento, California, January 28; and Hamburg, Germany, January 21.

For a complete list of new Churches of Scientology, visit Scientology.org.

In total, the Scientology religion today comprises more than 10,000 Churches, Missions and affiliated groups, with millions of members in 167 nations.

^{Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard}, founder of the Scientology religion A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

AUSTRALIAN SCIENTOLOGISTS MARK TWO DECADES OF EFFECTIVE DRUG EDUCATION

The Church of Scientology in Australia conducts drug education activities to help the community.

According to the most recent Australia Crime Commission Illicit Drugs Report, clandestine drug laboratory detections in the country have risen by 245 percent in the last decade. The urgency of dealing with the drug problem was brought to the fore last week when Western Australia enacted its new drug policy, described by the media as the nation’s toughest drug laws, designed to target the growing number of drug labs manufacturing methamphetamine and other substances—177 busted last year and 44 found so far in 2012.

For the past two decades, the Church of Scientology has taken a practical and proactive approach to drug abuse, educating youth on the physical and mental effects of drugs. In that time, Australian Scientologists have:

• Distributed 2.5 million drug education booklets and fliers containing factual information about marijuana, Ecstasy, painkillers and other drugs of choice, in markets, fairs and through street events.
• Inspired 300,000 Australian youths to pledge to live drug-free lives.
• Translated drug education materials in Japanese, Indonesian and Korean to make this information available to Australian youth who speak these languages. They have also arranged for the translation of these booklets into Samoan, Tagalog and Malaysian.

To learn more about the drug prevention initiative sponsored by the Church of Scientology or to participate, visit the Scientology website.

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The Church of Scientology sponsors one of the world’s largest nongovernmental drug education and prevention campaigns. When young people are provided with the truth about drugs—factual information on what drugs are and what they do—usage rates drop commensurately.

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

Scientology Volunteer Ministers: Update from Haiti

More that 300 Volunteer Ministers groups in Haiti trained more that 20,000 in simple VM techniques and helped some 12,000 in the month of September 2011. We continue delivering seminars throughout the country.

Some of our recent activities include:

Twenty-four Volunteer Ministers groups in Bon Repos, Sarthe, Lilavois, Meillet and Cotard delivered seminars to more that 2,000 people.

A team of VMs arrived in Cap Haitian, met with local ministers and officials to find out what they need and want, and began Volunteer Minister delivery throughout that area. Working with the six groups in the area they provided 16 seminars to more than 500 people, and formed up another new 15 VM groups.

Another tour spent 10 days in Port de Paix in the north of the country. They worked with the more that 30 groups in the area, providing them with any help they needed to provide assistance in their areas, and they helped form up 15 new Volunteer Ministers groups. They delivered 12 seminars and trained nearly 500 people in VM technology.

One person who studied the Volunteer Ministers assist booklet said:

“I got many things from the Assists for Illness and Injuries booklet and I learned what to do to help somebody who is sick or in pain. Now I know that I cannot let somebody suffer, saying that I’m not a doctor, because I can use what I’ve learned from the assist booklet to him help him get relief. From now on, I have to do my best to help people in the streets and hospitals.”

Another, who studied the Integrity and Honesty booklet wrote:

“It showed me how important it is to respect the moral code…. These things give me another way of living my life and also make me a honest woman.”

A student who completed the Communication booklet wrote:

“This is the best book that I’ve ever read. It shows me how and why to communicate. It also shows me how important it is to listen to people and how important it is to have their attention. Thanks to L. Ron Hubbard for this great technology and also to supervisors who makes great efforts to share it to all the others.”

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

ANNOUNCEMENT: International Volunteer Minister Week! 20-27 August 2011

August 20—27, 2011, has been designated International Volunteer Ministers Week in honor of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers whose work has become synonymous with unconditional help.

What happened over the past 10 years

Over the past 10 years, since 9/11/01, the bright yellow t-shirts and tents of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers have become established symbols of hope in times of need.

While no one could have predicted the violence with which the events of 9/11 would rip our culture from its social veneer, Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center and ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, saw clearly that it was time for Scientologists to redouble their efforts to aid Mankind in reversing society’s dwindling spiral that the cataclysm so suddenly and dramatically brought into focus.

A now legendary, internationally-issued Wake-Up Call inspired unprecedented response. On September 11, 2001 there were 6,000 Volunteer Ministers internationally. Today there are more than 350,000 trained in the technology and skills of Scientology Volunteer Ministers.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers program was born in 1976 when Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, noting a tremendous downturn in the level of ethics and morality in society, and a consequent increase in drugs and crime, wrote, “If one does not like the crime, cruelty, injustice and violence of this society, he can do something about it. He can become a VOLUNTEER MINISTER and help civilize it, bring it conscience and kindness and love and freedom from travail by instilling into it trust, decency, honesty and tolerance.”

Throughout the last 35 years, Scientology Volunteer Ministers have provided service in their communities and worldwide, volunteered in cavalcades and Goodwill Tours on five continents, and responded to 187 natural and manmade disasters including:

• Earthquakes in the United States, Japan, Greece, Peru, Chile, Russia, Italy, China, Turkey, El Salvador and Indonesia from 1995 to 2011, with major participation in the South Asian earthquake and tsunami of December 2004, the L’Aquila earthquake of 2009, the Haiti earthquake of 2010 and the Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011.

• Yearly and seasonal hurricane, cyclone and typhoon relief throughout North and Central America and the Caribbean, Indonesia and Thailand. Some 900 volunteers aided victims of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina. Volunteer Ministers also routinely rescue people and property from floods throughout the U.S., Europe, Mexico, Pakistan and India.

• Crisis zones, including displaced persons camps in Chechnya 1997, the 1999 Moscow theater siege, Zimbabwe during civil unrest in 2000, Ground Zero in New York and the Pentagon after 9/11, London after the bombing of 2005, Mumbai in the wake of terrorist attacks in 2006.

• In Australian bush fires, Southern California brushfires and at the site of the massive 2009 fire on Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa.

This year Volunteer Minister across 185 nations will honor this year's celebration with events, seminars and tours. Regular updates will be posted on http://blog.volunteerministers.org

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

Working in the shelters in Northern Japan

Today the Scientology Volunteer Ministers were asked to expand their activities in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture (see below). With almost 6,000 reported dead and 6,675 people still missing

the region of Miyagi is leading the list of severely affected areas.

More than 200 additional Volunteer Ministers are preparing to leave for Japan to fulfill the demand for help. However more logistical support is needed and there are many more shelter where we can serve.

Please support the activities on the ground by doing the following:

1. Keep yourself briefed by regularly reading this blog.
2. If you can volunteer in Japan (at least for one month) please download and fill out our application form and email it to us.
3. If you can't leave for Japan right now, please donate to the IAS. Your help will be very much appreciated.
4. At this time only very specific material donations are needed. Please contact us at disasterresponse@volunteerministers.org if you have any questions.

Letter from Onagawa Town Disaster HQ/translation:

24 March 2011

TO: International Scientology Volunteer Disaster Relief

Thank you for the work the Scientology Volunteer Disaster Relief Team is doing at the shelters in Onagawa Town.

I have heard many disaster victims say they feel good, relaxed, relieved from body pain, and healed from the trauma of this disaster after this group delivered the technology called "Assists" developed by L. Ron Hubbard.

The disaster victims were relieved of mental and physical pain and restored to positive thinking, which is the first step for recovery of this town.

I would like others to support this group in creating relief for disaster victims.

Please arrange for this group to work in all areas. We request relief and support actions from this group for Onagawa Town and other cities, towns and villages of this region. This is a very reliable group and they work hard to bring relief in the shelters.

Therefore, I hope that many cities, towns and villages will support them in expanding their activities.

Onagawa Town Disaster HQ
Head of HQ

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

Scientology Volunteer Ministers Helping Haiti Orphans

Before the earthquake there were estimates of over 300,000 orphans in Haiti. There is no way to accurately estimate how many there are now, but it is a tremendous social problem.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers visit orphanages, bringing food and supplies. Every VM who does so comes back with the same impression--the children of Haiti are amazing. Despite what they have been through they are so resilient, so open and so spiritual. They deserve all possible help.

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

Scientology Volunteer Ministers in Haiti - What Medical Professionals Have to Say

Since 17 January 2010 Scientology Volunteer Ministers are helping the Haitian population in every way needed. More than two months after the disaster there are still more than 100 Scientology Volunteer Ministers in Haiti, arranging logistics and supplies while helping to build shelters and improving living conditions. Their contribution has been received well by medical professionals and other aid workers.



A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

21st Annual Say No To Drugs Holiday Classic Draws 55% More

Tampa Bay Informer

The 21st Annual Say No to Drugs Holiday Classic 5K, 10K and Children's 1 mile fun-run drew an extensive crowd on December 19th, exceeding all expectations with the number of participants running to forward the message – including myself, a first time 5K runner.

I arrived early, the crisp morning air jolting me out of my weekend sleepiness. I knew the event would be popular, but I did not expect the sea of people assembled in front of the Harborview Center. According to an event coordinator's estimate, 1,700 runners participated this year, 600 more than in previous years – an increase of nearly 55%.

With a final turn-out of nearly twice the number that early-registration figures had suggested, it was understandable that I found myself among the few runners still receiving their numbers even as Hana Li Winters sang the Star Spangled Banner and a small army of runners waited for Lt. Dimmer of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office to blow the starting whistle. Event coordinators Chris Alexander and Sue Minkoff assure me that with this year's experience, they will be fully prepared to handle the enormous crowds next year – including the opportunity to pre-register and receive numbers the day before the race in addition to the morning of.

This being my first race, I paced myself along the course, from the starting line in Coachman Park to the steep incline of the Memorial Causeway leading to Clearwater Beach. Pushing myself up the arch of the Causeway was a challenge; it is no surprise that it features in many other races throughout the year, including both Ironman and Iron Girl. The course doubled back just after the bridge for the 5K runners, while the 10K continued out to the beach.

Participants represented all levels of the running scene: From the professional competitors leading the pack, to amateurs like myself who enjoy running for fun and fitness, to those who chose to walk the course, many coming out just to support the Say No to Drugs theme of the event. I found it to be an excellent race for a first-timer like myself, with a friendly and very supportive field. As the first of the 10K runners overtook some of us just rounding the bend on the 5K, words of encouragement met the athlete: “Finish it man! Finish it!”

Crossing the finish line, we were greeted with an all-you-can-eat breakfast of homemade organic spelt pancakes courtesy of volunteers led by Kitty Magness, and complimentary massages from Sun State Massage Academy and adjustments by Family Life Chiropractic – welcome rewards after the morning's exertion.

As the name implies, the Say No to Drugs Holiday Classic aims to raise awareness and spread a drug-free message. At the post-race breakfast in the Harborview Center, children pledged to live their lives drug-free and were sworn in as Drug-Free Marshals by the Youth for a Drug Free Florida, while runners viewed the DVD “The Truth About Drugs” or read the accompanying educational pamphlets.

Nathan Holden from Jacksonville and Melissa Todd from Kansas City won the men's and women's 10K, respectively. Daniel Geilman and Christa Benton of St. Petersburg took the men and women’s 5K races. Awards were also presented to top finishers in a range of age groups; including 90 year old Jane Bussman of Clearwater, in the 5K.

The Say No to Drugs Holiday Classic was started 21 years ago by world class runner and local resident Sandra Johnson, member of the Dianetics Athletics Association of the Church of Scientology. The idea was to promote an anti-drug message by raising awareness through a road race. From there it has become one of the premier races in the Tampa Bay area.

For more information, including race-times and results, visit www.saynotodrugs.com.

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

Scientology Volunteers Attack Drug Abuse in Sydney

Scientology youth attack drug abuse at 26th annual Glebe Street Fair.

Members of the Church of Scientology of Sydney, Australia, who belong to the Drug-Free Ambassadors were out in force Sunday, November 15, distributing thousands of fliers at the 26th annual Glebe Street Fair. Their purpose: to inform kids about drug abuse and the truth about drugs so they make informed decisions to stay drug free.

Concerned about a new drug called Mephedrone, or “MM-Cat,” that Sydney students and club goers buy over the Internet, the Drug-Free Ambassadors spent the day talking to kids and teens, swearing them in as Drug-Free Ambassadors. New Drug-Free Ambassadors take a pledge to be drug free and to help their family and friends do the same.

“The drug-free message is really important to get out in times like these,” said Drug-Free Ambassadors spokesperson Cyrus Brooks. “People are bombarded with bad news in the media and they look for escape, especially young people. Unfortunately there is a lot of false propaganda around that drugs and alcohol provide that escape. We need to attack these lies as it’s just not true.”

Brooks and his Drug-Free Ambassador team inform youth of the short-term effects of drugs such as Mephedrone and Ecstasy, which include paranoia and depression, and that users risk even more serious long-term effects such as kidney failure and cardiovascular collapse.

Cocaine, another popular “party drug,” has similar effects but can also cause tactile hallucination, with some kids talking about having the sensation of bugs burrowing into their skin. This drug can also cause reproductive damage and infertility. “Drugs like these ruin lives,” says Brooks. “The best solution is to not get caught in the drug trap in the first place.”

At the Glebe Street Fair the Drug-Free Ambassadors distributed a brochure explaining what drugs are, how they destroy creativity and why drugs don’t actually bring happiness, but quite the opposite. Dixon Restaurant in Chinatown and the Church of Scientology of Australia funded the printing of the brochure, which is being translated into Chinese and Korean to get the word out to Sydney’s Asian population too.

Drug-Free Ambassadors, founded by the Church of Scientology in 1993, helps communities all over Australia fight the scourge of drugs. For more information on the Drug-Free Ambassadors of Sydney visit their web site at www.drugfreeambassadors.com.au.

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

For Tom Cruise... Not Even the Sky is the Limit with Study Technology

Actor-producer Tom Cruise told the audience that Applied Scholastics holds the key to understanding and applying what one reads and studies. His goal as international ambassador for L. Ron Hubbard’s Study Technology: making it available to all who reach for it.

What better time to learn how to be a pilot than in preparation for ‘Top Gun,’” he told more than 2,500 educators and guests gathered at the opening of Applied Scholastics’ new international teacher training facility near Saint Louis. “So one day I went to have a lesson and after one day I gave it up — I couldn’t do it.”

There was just one problem, he admitted: he could not understand what he was reading in his training manual — and to make matters worse, a decade earlier he had been convinced of a label he found impossible to shake at the time. “I had been diagnosed with a false label — dyslexia,” he said. “With that I had been told I had a ‘learning disorder.’”

Thus, his immediate reaction to failure as a pilot student was, “’I’m dyslexic — damn!’ I’ve got to figure this out.”

He tried everything to unsnarl his study troubles — “different tutor groups, different speed reading courses, I hired people to come in and read with me.”

Then, the breakthrough:

“Shortly after that I discovered ‘the study technology,’” he said, referring to discoveries by author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard that teach people, young or old, how to learn anything.

Today, the producer and star of The Last Samurai, says he hasn’t seen his learning difficulties since he began using Mr. Hubbard’s revolutionary study technology.

“Now, I am a licensed pilot — twin engine, instrument rated, which means I can fly through any weather by flight instrument alone; commercial rated, which means I can carry passengers as a profession if I so desire; and just for fun, I’m a highly trained aerobatic pilot.

“I am a film producer, I have my own film company, I own and run three companies and I continue to act in movies in addition to all that. And I learn every single day,” he stressed. “I use this technology each and every day in my life, at my work, with my children, in every area of life. Because of what study technology did for me, I started helping others.”

Mr. Cruise has done so as a founding board member of the Hollywood Education and Literacy Project (HELP), a highly-effective community-based learning program utilizing the study technology to open the doors of learning to thousands. This year, he was recognized by the National Mentoring Partnership with its Excellence in Mentoring Award.

(More from Freedom Magazine)

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

Building for the Future of the Scientology Religion

Mr. Miscavige is the Driving Force of a Movement Now Spanning This World With Ideal Churches of Scientology.

To exactly that end, he sets the direction for the acquisition, design and planning of new Churches—quite literally from inception to ribbon cutting. In consequence, the horizons of Scientology are filled with scores of new Churches in the making for 2009 and beyond.

Just since the launch of the Ideal Churches program five years ago, 70 new buildings have been acquired in major population centers around the world. Church premises have increased from 5.6 million square feet in 2004 to over 11 million in 2009, with half a million square feet of renovations completed in 2009.

Meanwhile, another half-million square feet are under construction in Brussels, Rome, Tel Aviv, Quebec, Mexico City, Las Vegas and Washington, DC. These are the Ideal Churches of Scientology and they are designed to present the wisdom of Scientology to many millions planetwide.

NEW IDEAL ORG BUILDINGS

Shown here is just a sampling of newly acquired Church buildings, while the listing below includes all new properties now in planning or construction stage to open within the next 12 months.

UNITED STATES

Albuquerque, New Mexico
Atlanta, Georgia
Battle Creek, Michigan
Boston, Massachusetts
Chicago, Illinois
Cincinnati, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Detroit, Michigan
Harlem, New York
Inglewood, California
Kansas City, Missouri
Las Vegas, Nevada
New Haven, Connecticut
Orange County, California
Pasadena, California
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Portland, Oregon
Sacramento, California
San Diego, California
San Fernando Valley, California
St. Louis, Missouri
Seattle, Washington
Twin Cities, Minnesota
Washington, DC

CANADA

Kitchener, Ontario
Montreal, Quebec
Quebec City, Quebec
Winnipeg, Manitoba

LATIN AMERICA

Bogotá, Colombia
Caracas, Venezuela
Valencia, Venezuela
Las Lomas, Mexico
Mexico City, DF

EUROPE

Brussels, Belgium
Budapest, Hungary
Copenhagen, Denmark
Milan, Italy
Padova, Italy
Pordenone, Italy
Rome, Italy
Tel Aviv, Israel
Torino, Italy
Verona, Italy

AFRICA

Cape Town, South Africa
Durban, South Africa
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Pretoria, South Africa
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Harare, Zimbabwe

AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND/ASIA

Auckland, New Zealand
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Melbourne, Australia

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

Meeting the Global Demand for the Scientology Religion

OPENING A NEW BREED OF CHURCH IN MAJOR CITIES, SCIENTOLOGY HAS DOUBLED ITS SIZE IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS.

“You are creating an island of friendliness, decency and succor in the sea of a violent world.... Sometime in the future the islands will become the sea.”
—L. Ron Hubbard

To meet the skyrocketing demand for Dianetics and Scientology throughout the world, and utilizing the technological advances of the 21st century, in 2004 Chairman of the Board Religious Technology Center, Mr. David Miscavige, launched the Ideal Org strategy to transform all Scientology Churches into Ideal Churches of Scientology.

It was the goal L. Ron Hubbard had set for Scientologists—to one day create Churches that were a physical embodiment of the policy and technology he had provided to help all beings attain spiritual freedom.

An Ideal Org (for “organization”) is a Church configured to provide the full services of the Scientology religion to its parishioners and to the community.

“Ideal” status encompasses both the physical facilities and the quantity and quality of the service to its parishioners and community. Such Churches house extensive public information multimedia displays describing all aspects of Dianetics and Scientology and its Founder, L. Ron Hubbard, as well as the Church’s social betterment and community outreach programs.

Religious services are provided in efficient and aesthetic courserooms and spiritual counseling rooms. There are also libraries, bookstores, film and seminar rooms as well as an expansive Chapel for Sunday Services, weddings, naming ceremonies and other congregational gatherings.

Since 2004, more than a dozen Ideal Churches have arisen, including those in such cultural centers as Madrid, New York, London and Berlin.

Just since April 2009, three more opened—first in Malmö, Sweden; then Dallas, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee. As of this writing, 70 more buildings have been acquired and stand in various stages of design and construction. And so it is, Ideal Churches of Scientology will soon literally encompass the world.

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

A Renaissance for Scientology

David Miscavige Recovers Original L. Ron Hubbard
Scriptures and Embarks on the Most Expansive
Publishing Program in History

An article in the new Freedom Magazine, click here.

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

Building for the Future of the Scientology Religion

Mr. Miscavige is the Driving Force of a Movement Now Spanning This World With Ideal Churches of Scientology.

To exactly that end, he sets the direction for the acquisition, design and planning of new Churches—quite literally from inception to ribbon cutting. In consequence, the horizons of Scientology are filled with scores of new Churches in the making for 2009 and beyond.

Just since the launch of the Ideal Churches program five years ago, 70 new buildings have been acquired in major population centers around the world. Church premises have increased from 5.6 million square feet in 2004 to over 11 million in 2009, with half a million square feet of renovations completed in 2009.

Meanwhile, another half-million square feet are under construction in Brussels, Rome, Tel Aviv, Quebec, Mexico City, Las Vegas and Washington, DC. These are the Ideal Churches of Scientology and they are designed to present the wisdom of Scientology to many millions planetwide.

NEW IDEAL ORG BUILDINGS

Shown here is just a sampling of newly acquired Church buildings, while the listing below includes all new properties now in planning or construction stage to open within the next 12 months.

UNITED STATES

Albuquerque, New Mexico
Atlanta, Georgia
Battle Creek, Michigan
Boston, Massachusetts
Chicago, Illinois
Cincinnati, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Detroit, Michigan
Harlem, New York
Inglewood, California
Kansas City, Missouri
Las Vegas, Nevada
New Haven, Connecticut
Orange County, California
Pasadena, California
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Portland, Oregon
Sacramento, California
San Diego, California
San Fernando Valley, California
St. Louis, Missouri
Seattle, Washington
Twin Cities, Minnesota
Washington, DC

CANADA

Kitchener, Ontario
Montreal, Quebec
Quebec City, Quebec
Winnipeg, Manitoba

LATIN AMERICA

Bogotá, Colombia
Caracas, Venezuela
Valencia, Venezuela
Las Lomas, Mexico
Mexico City, DF

EUROPE

Brussels, Belgium
Budapest, Hungary
Copenhagen, Denmark
Milan, Italy
Padova, Italy
Pordenone, Italy
Rome, Italy
Tel Aviv, Israel
Torino, Italy
Verona, Italy

AFRICA

Cape Town, South Africa
Durban, South Africa
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Pretoria, South Africa
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Harare, Zimbabwe

AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND/ASIA

Auckland, New Zealand
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Melbourne, Australia

Scientology Web Site Inspires Personal and Social Change

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers web site provides tools to improve conditions in life.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers web site took on a new dimension last year with free online courses anyone can do. The result is a virtual nexus, where people from all over the world learn simple tools developed by L. Ron Hubbard and use them to improve conditions in their own lives and those of their friends, families and their communities at large. Scientology leader David Miscavige described the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program: “The final word, as regards our front-line work bringing our help wherever and whenever needed is our corps of Scientology Volunteer Ministers — on call, 24 hours a day in scores of nations.”

A student from Senegal in western Africa, who found the web site through Google, said, ” I think that even just reading the information I can achieve my goal: to avoid violence and create peace in my community.”

“I was thinking—How can we actually make a difference in the world?” wrote an industrial engineer from Bolivia, “and I was worried about the things that were happening. How can we face injustice, crime, and totalitarianism? We have to teach people to live by certain rules that ensure that these things won’t happen. We have to conquer darkness with light and develop social networks that bind people together with common principles of mutual caring, respect for law and respect for our neighbors. My country is going though very difficult times. There is violence and racism and hate. My search for peace and a way to make this world more secure led me to your web site.”

From Kenya, a childcare specialist wrote “Your lessons and strategies of dealing with children has really motivated me to join with your network.”

An engineer from Oman said “My interest was drawn to the real life issue assistance that I may attain from your courses. They seem to be the missing something that we very often overlook in life and forget to pass on to our children and peers.”

“What particularly got my attention,” wrote a manager from the Philippines, “is how your organization focuses its assistance on specific concerns and problems with solutions that can be applied immediately. I have been experiencing a great deal of change in myself and how I view others. And I want to learn more.”

The free Scientology courses provide tools to help with such things as marriage problems, trouble in relationships with others, raising children, difficulties on the job and overcoming stress, anxiety and depression. These are self-guided courses, meaning people move through them at their own pace. Each course includes practical exercises where students get hands-on experience in applying the data. The courses are supervised by trained extension course supervisors who ensure the students can use the material and provide feedback, guidance and help where needed.

To enroll on a free course, visit the Scientology Volunteer Ministers web site.

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion