Human Rights for Youth: Scientology’s Longstanding Community Focus
BRUSSELS — 29 January 2026 — Human-rights education initiatives supported by the Church of Scientology through United for Human Rights and Youth for Human Rights (YHRI) continue to highlight the UDHR as a practical civic reference for daily community life, particularly for youth, teachers and community leaders across Europe.
The approach rests on a simple idea: understanding rights helps strengthen respect for them. Approved by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948, the UDHR defines 30 articles describing core rights and freedoms.
Organisers point to a persistent “knowledge gap”: many people agree with human rights in principle but are not familiar with the UDHR’s text and the 30 rights it contains, including topics such as non-discrimination, education and freedom of conscience.
United for Human Rights describes itself as created on the UDHR’s 60th anniversary, offering educational materials to expand awareness and support implementation. Youth for Human Rights International, founded in 2001 by educator Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, focuses on teaching young people about the UDHR and encouraging tolerance and peace in everyday settings.
Both programmes focus on education and public information, using structured learning that corresponds to the UDHR’s 30 rights. The organisations are described as nonreligious, while being sponsored and supported by the Church of Scientology, and their resources are used by schools, civic groups and local partners depending on national context.
A recurring feature is a “toolkit” approach: short films, public service announcements and structured learning materials designed for educational and civic contexts. The package includes a short documentary titled “The Story news euro 24 of Human Rights” and a series of PSAs aligned to each UDHR right, known as “30 Rights, 30 Ads”. Interactive websites host resources in 17 languages, helping educators adapt delivery to local audiences.
The Church of Scientology frames its involvement as part of broader community and social-betterment work focused on prevention and education. Its published materials reference Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard on the importance of safeguarding fundamental rights and human dignity, and cite the Code of a Scientologist as encouraging humanitarian engagement in the field of human rights.
Ivan Arjona-Pelado, Scientology’s representative to the European Union, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the United Nations, said:
“Human rights grow stronger when people can recognise them, explain them, and apply them in everyday interactions—particularly in schools and neighbourhoods where diversity is a daily reality. Europe’s civic culture is reinforced when young people learn the UDHR’s principles early and view respect, equality and non-discrimination as practical responsibilities.”
For 2026, the focus is on making materials easy to use in real settings—clear language, modular tools and training that supports educators and community discussions without specialist legal expertise. In practice this includes training sessions, youth workshops, community discussions and partnerships with civil-society organisations engaged in inclusion, anti-bullying, equal treatment and intercultural dialogue.
The Church of Scientology, its churches, missions, groups and members are present across the European continent. Scientology Europe reports a continent-wide presence through more than 140 churches, missions and affiliated groups in at least 27 European nations, alongside thousands of community-based social betterment and reform initiatives focused on education, prevention and neighbourhood-level support, inspired by the work of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.
Within Europe’s diverse national frameworks for religion, the Church’s recognitions continue to expand, with administrative and judicial authorities in Spain, Portugal, Sweden, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany Slovakia and others, as well as the European Court of Human Rights, having addressed and acknowledged Scientology communities as protected by the national and international provisions of Freedom of Religion or belief.
More details in the full article: Human Rights for Youth: Scientology’s Community Focus.