BRUSSELS, Belgium — 29 January 2026 — Human-rights education initiatives supported by the Church of Scientology through United for Human Rights and Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) continue to present the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as an easy-to-use reference for daily community life, especially for young people and educators in diverse European communities.
The premise is simple: rights are more likely to be respected when they are widely understood. Approved by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948, the UDHR defines 30 articles describing fundamental rights and freedoms.
Organisers point to a persistent “knowledge gap”: many people support the idea of human rights but have limited familiarity with what the UDHR actually says, including topics such as non-discrimination, due process and freedom of thought.
United for Human Rights says it was launched around the 60th anniversary of the UDHR to provide educational tools that broaden awareness and encourage implementation of the Declaration. 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 initiatives emphasise education, aligning training and media resources with each of the UDHR’s 30 articles. 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 key feature is a toolkit-style approach: short videos, PSAs and teaching materials 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”. Interactive websites host resources in 17 languages, helping educators adapt delivery to local audiences.
The Church of Scientology links its support for human-rights education to wider prevention- and education-based community initiatives. 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 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. Typical delivery includes educator briefings, youth workshops, community sessions and partnerships with civil-society groups working on inclusion, anti-bullying, equal treatment and intercultural dialogue.
The Church of Scientology, its churches, missions, groups and eu news 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.
Full press release: Human Rights for Youth: Scientology’s Community Focus.