Scientologists are tackling the drug problem at its roots with a broad information and education campaign aimed at prevention

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Today, heroin abuse in France is so widespread that some authorities, rather than trying to stem the epidemic, advocate legalization to try to curb crime rates and the devastating health and social ills that go with the drug. Volunteers with the Church of Scientology’s “Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life” campaign are taking a different approach: informing and educating youth and the public at large about drugs to prevent their abuse in the first place. “So much effort is being spent on the symptoms of drug abuse. It’s like trying to stop a train after it derailed,” said Agnes Bron, spokesperson for the campaign in France. “Of course the symptoms have to be dealt with, but the vast majority of the effort should be going to education and prevention.” The Say No to Drugs Association distributes informative pamphlets on drugs. The most recent, “Heroin: Death in the Blood,” is a well-documented publication which presents the truth based on the experience of those whose lives have been shattered by abuse of the highly addictive drug. The “Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life” campaign, which began in French-speaking Switzerland close to a decade ago, has become known throughout France, from Paris to Bordeaux, from Nice to Marseille — and has spread to countries around the world. The campaign is an initiative of members of the Churches of Scientology. Remarkably, amid the sea of chemical “solutions” now available for the problems of living, one group has remained 100 percent drug-free — members of the Church of Scientology. While Scientologists are not opposed to the use of medical drugs and antibiotics for the treatment of physical conditions, they use neither street drugs nor any of the dangerous pharmaceuticals pushed as a solution to everything from depression to overweight. To Scientologists, the reason is simple: drugs not only threaten one physically but spiritually. Churches of Scientology deliver counseling and training services that effectively remove the real reasons people turn to drugs, and they organize and support drug education and prevention campaigns in countries throughout the world. Church members also support the widely acclaimed Narconon drug rehabilitation program, which has more than 70 centers in 29 countries. Volunteers of the Say No to Drugs campaign provide factual information about drugs and meet with teenagers in person to deliver a clear and simple message: Despite what you see on television or in magazines, drugs are not “chic.” They are deadly. “The only lasting way to fight drugs is to provide accurate information which prevents people from turning to them in the first place,” said Bron. “A young person who is unaware of the dangers of drugs may smoke a joint of cannabis in order to be just like their friends, falsely assuming the drugs will do them no harm,” continued Bron. “But would you board a plane knowing your pilot had just smoked a joint before takeoff?” The First Step Towards Prevention Unable to establish an efficient prevention policy, some government officials instead push for “liberalization” of drug laws including legalization of so-called “soft” drugs such as marijuana, as well as even heroin. Show business and media figures have also lobbied heavily to sell the idea to the public. “It’s trying to solve the wrong problem,” said Bron. “We sorely lack enough measures for education and prevention, and rehabilitation programs that get to the root of why a person turns to drugs in the first place.” Few substances are more deadly than heroin. Once the currency of street addicts who injected it directly into the veins, heroin is today touted among the more affluent as a fashionable drug which can be smoked in glass pipes or sniffed like cocaine. Yet many of those who start on the drug soon find themselves gradually increasing their dosage, looking for stronger and stronger trips. Within a short time they are hooked, their lives unraveling out of control. “Heroin: Death in the Blood” describes the consequences of heroin use in stark and sometimes chilling detail. “Heroin cut me off from the world,” said one addict interviewed for the booklet. “My parents shut me off. My friends and my sisters did not want to see me any more. I was alone.” “I am 16, I am on hard drugs and I know that my life is finished,” said another young addict. “Before, I did not know that drugs could kill,” said a grieving mother. “Now my son is dead and I would like to tell my story and help other parents.” The booklet includes precise information to assist parents in keeping their children from succumbing to the trap of substance abuse. It is the third in a series of similar publications which include “Drugs: The Truth About Joints” and “Ecstasy: The Traitor Exposed.” All are distributed throughout France as part of the Church of Scientology’s Say No to Drugs campaign as a public service. “The first step toward preventing addiction is never to start taking drugs in the first place,” concluded Bron.

The Human Rights Department at the Church of Scientology International took part in celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Human rights celebrations were held in more than 28 nations. These events were aimed at bringing about greater awareness of basic human rights and human rights abuses and violations across the globe.

The Department of Education of Taiwan talked about human rights education in Tapei, playing public service announcements depicting the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to elementary school students. Dignitaries and volunteers in Taichung and Kaoshiung pledged to improve human rights education.

In Melbourne and Sydney, thousands participated in concerts celebrating Human Rights Day. In Johannesburg, youth officials held a summit discussing implementing the Universal Declaration in South Africa.

The Church of Scientology European Human Rights Office organized a concert celebration in Brussels composed of European Union officials and members of the diplomatic corps, including eight Ambassadors and concerned civil society organizations. The group also previewed "The Story of Human Rights," an upcoming film that traces the evolution of human rights from 500 B.C.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948 as an expression of the determination of nations that the human rights atrocities and genocide perpetrated during World War II would never happen again. The Declaration, and the recognition of its importance on Human Rights Day, represents a time for all individuals and organizations to renew their efforts to achieve human rights for all.

The Church of Scientology has been a vocal force in international human rights over the past 40 years. Since 2001, Scientology churches have sponsored one of the world's largest non-governmental human rights education campaigns, producing a wide range of multimedia tools including publications, curricula, and award-winning public service announcements to make each article of the UDHR understandable by young people and adults.

To learn more about the Church of Scientology's human rights activities, visit www.scientology.org or www.scientologyhandbook.org.

Find out more about the human rights education campaign supported by the Church of Scientology and its members by going to www.humanrights.com.

Copenhagen - This year's Africa Day celebration in Copenhagen marked
the inauguration of the "Right to Play Cup," a human rights soccer
championship co-organized by the Danish African Soccer Academy (DASAC)
and Youth for Human Rights Denmark". DASAC is the creation of former
professional soccer player Hamid Faiz Junior and the event sought to
encourage young African children in the city to become involved in
sports, not drugs and crime.

The main attraction of the day was a soccer tournament, pitting the
Star Team (Stjerneholdet), former professional athletes including past
members of the national soccer team, against a team of African
players.

The event raised funds to help build a playing field and school for a
soccer academy Mr. Faiz runs for 300 street children in Malindi,
Kenya.

The Copenhagen Football Association (KBU) invited all Copenhagen
soccer clubs to attend and donate equipment for the Malindi, Kenya
project. Among the well-known artists who provided entertainment for
the day were the My Gospel Girls Youth Choir and Charles Kinga and the
Reggaelution

The "Right to Play" cup gets its name from a phrase coined by Youth
for Human Rights International to summarize the concept of article 24
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A video clip about this
right, which appears on the Youth for Human Rights International web
site, inspired this competition.

The Director of Public Affairs of the Church of Scientology of Denmark
was one of the speakers at the event. She said "We support the Youth
for Human Rights education campaign because human rights is a priority
in our religion. Scientology Founder, L. Ron Hubbard, placed so much
importance on human rights that he made it the first point in the
Creed of the Church of Scientology: 'We of the Church believe that all
men of whatever race, color, or creed were created with equal rights.'
We are committed to seeing that all young people can be proud of who
they are and accomplish their dreams."

Scientology Volunteer Ministers helped out behind the scenes at the EU Cup, 2008.Although more than a million fans converged on Austria for the EU Cup last month the entire event came off without incident. Behind the scenes of this and every huge international sports event are the men and women who see to the safety of those attending and handle any emergencies that arise--emergencies that could easily become catastrophes if not cared for quickly and competently.Those attending the EU Cup could relax and keep their eyes on the ball and their favorite teams and players because the emergency response personnel were keeping their eyes on security. And in appreciation for their work, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers European Cavalcade team decided to make their work a little easier by providing food and drinks to the police, firemen and other emergency workers who were looking out for the welfare of those attending the event.The Scientology Volunteer Ministers European Cavalcade arrived in Austria from the Slovak Republic in time for the EU Cup. There, they had spent several months providing one-on-one help and courses and seminars based on technology developed by Scientology founder, L. Ron Hubbard.

In July 2007 all fundamental books and lectures of L. Ron Hubbard had been re-released in a high quality form. I got a set and very soon, had a great win, on page 14 of the Dianetics book (DMSMH), where Ron is talking about perceptions.

I have been Clear for many years. When I read again about the perceptions being the comm lines with the universe, a little bit of invalidation I had picked up from others blew off and I had a great resurgence in certainty that my perceptions are right! And that any invalidation of them has come from the cases of others! Another part of this was reading that "the actual computing ability of Man is never in error..." any person computes perfectly on the data stored and perceived. I never realized how profound this is!


Scientology Basics

Auszug aus german.rtc.org über David Miscavige:

"David Miscavige ist der Vorsitzende des Vorstands Religious Technology Center (RTC), das im Jahre 1982 als gemeinnützige Organisation mit dem Zweck gegründet wurde, die Scientology Religion zu erhalten und zu beschützen.

RTC hat die letztliche Autorität über die standardgemäße und reine Anwendung der religiösen Technologien von L. Ron Hubbard. RTC ist nicht Teil der Verwaltungsstruktur der Kirche und befasst sich nicht mit ihren täglichen Angelegenheiten."

Hier gibt es noch mehr Informationen über ihn.

L. Ron Hubbard There is a holiday unique to the Scientology religion, celebrated in Scientology churches and missions around the world every year: March 13th — L. Ron Hubbard's Birthday. Mr. Hubbard left behind a legacy of technology that anyone can learn and use to accomplish greater happiness, ability and spiritual freedom. It is because of this body of knowledge that The Aims of Scientology can be accomplished: "A civilization without insanity, without criminals and without war, where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights, and where man is free to rise to greater heights." Scientology churches and missions are dedicated to accomplishing these aims and when they gather to honor Ron, part of the celebration is a tradition that dates back to the 1970's called the LRH Birthday Game. Churches and missions around the world compete with one another, and those with greatest expansion and progress toward these aims are awarded as the year's "Birthday Game winners." This event is held each year in Clearwater, Florida, the Scientology "Mecca" — the spiritual headquarters of the religion. And this year is no exception. On March 17th this year, at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida, thousands of Scientologists will gather to honor the founder of their religion, get brought up-to-date on news from around the world and cheer the churches and missions announced as the winners of this year's game. But they will certainly not be the only ones to hear all the great news. In fact Golden Era Productions, a division of Church of Scientology International, will film and edit the event and get it to Los Angeles where it will be watched the following evening by thousands of Scientologists and their friends at the Shrine Auditorium. Meanwhile, church staff in translations units around the world will undertake the enormous job of making the entire event available in 18 languages in time to get it shipped to every church and mission the world over. They, in turn, will show it at their own events, most of which are scheduled for the following weekend on the 24th or 25th of March. But this is certainly not all they will see. There are surprises planned that promise to eclipse any International Scientology event of the past. And you can read all about it here after the event has taken place!

This weekend was the most wonderful event for German Scientologsts and really for any Scientologist.  It was the grand opening of the Church of Scientology of Berlin, and it was a truly magnificent occasion!

This is a Scientology church like none you've ever seen.  It is stunning.  The photos on their web site don't even do it justice, but you should go see it anyways. 

Two weeks ago at the Scientology New Years event, David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Centermade the announcement that this church was about to be opened.  Mr. Miscavige ended the whole New Years event saying he'd see us there. 

And 5000 Scientologists arrived to participate in this historic occasion!

Getting ready...