Human Rights for Youth: Scientology’s Longstanding Community Focus
Brussels, 29 January 2026 — The Church of Scientology-supported human-rights education programmes through United for Human Rights and Youth for Human Rights International continue to present the UDHR as an accessible, practical reference for daily community life, with a focus on youth, schools and community organisations in diverse European communities.
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 lists 30 articles describing basic rights and freedoms.
Programme partners highlight a common challenge: many people agree with human rights in principle but have limited familiarity with what the UDHR actually says, including topics such as non-discrimination, due process and freedom of thought.
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. YHRI, established in 2001 by educator Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, focuses on youth education about the UDHR and a culture of 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 news eurovision bodies—from schools and civic groups to local partners—depending on context.
A consistent feature is a “toolkit” model: 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 often described as “30 Rights, 30 Ads”. Resources are available across 17 languages to support local delivery and age-appropriate use.
Scientology’s support for the programmes is presented within a broader set of social initiatives emphasising 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 are not strengthened only by legal texts; they are strengthened when people can recognise them, explain them, and apply them in daily interactions—especially in schools and neighbourhoods where diversity is a lived 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. 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.
Read the full release here: Human Rights for Youth: Scientology’s Community Focus.