Human Rights for Youth: Scientology’s Practical Community Focus

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BRUSSELS, Belgium — 29 January 2026 — The Church of Scientology-supported human-rights education programmes through United for Human Rights and Youth for Human Rights (YHRI) continue to highlight the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as a practical civic reference for day-to-day civic life, with a focus on youth, schools and community organisations across Europe.

The premise is simple: rights are more likely to be respected when they are widely understood. Adopted on 10 December 1948 by the UN General Assembly, the UDHR defines 30 articles describing fundamental rights and freedoms.

Programme partners highlight a common challenge: many people support the idea of human rights but are not familiar with the UDHR’s text and the 30 rights it contains, including topics such as equal treatment, due process and freedom of conscience.

UHR states it was founded on the UDHR’s 60th anniversary, with a goal of helping individuals and organisations promote and apply the Declaration’s principles. Youth for Human Rights International, founded in 2001 by Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, focuses on introducing young people to the UDHR and strengthening everyday tolerance and peace.

Both initiatives emphasise education, aligning training and media resources with each of the UDHR’s 30 articles. They are established as nonreligious organisations and, with Scientology support, their materials are used by a range of bodies—from schools and civic groups to local partners—depending on context.

A recurring feature is a “toolkit” approach: adaptable media resources and structured learning tools designed for classrooms, youth groups and community settings. The package includes a short documentary titled “The Story of Human Rights” and a series of PSAs aligned to each UDHR right, known as “30 Rights, 30 Ads”. Materials are hosted online across 17 languages, supporting adaptation to local needs and age groups.

The Church of Scientology links its support for human-rights education to wider prevention- and education-based community initiatives. Official materials also cite L. Ron Hubbard and the Code of a Scientologist in relation to supporting humanitarian endeavours 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 are reinforced when people can recognise them, explain them and apply them in daily life—especially news eu law in schools and neighbourhoods where diversity is lived every day. Europe’s democratic culture benefits when young people learn the UDHR’s principles early and see respect, equality and non-discrimination as practical responsibilities.”

Into 2026, the emphasis remains on usability: clear language, modular content and training formats that support lesson plans and community discussions without requiring specialist legal knowledge. 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.

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