NEW ORLEANS, La. /CitizenWire/ — Protesters demonstrated outside the American College of Psychiatrists Convention at the Marriott New Orleans last week, demanding psychiatrists immediately cease using ECT (electroconvulsive treatment). Some 100,000 Americans are subjected to ECT every year, making its use a multibillion-dollar industry. Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) organized the demonstration. CCHR, a […]
Tag Archives | Religion and Churches
News: Church of Scientology Seattle and its Volunteer Ministers Hold an Open House to Honor Those Who Help Through Community Service and in Times of Disaster | CitizenWire
SEATTLE, Wash. /CitizenWire/ — Whether responding to disasters or caring for the needs of underserved communities, Seattle nonprofits, churches and volunteer groups provide vital services to the city. The Church of Scientology of Seattle hosted an open house in support of Washington Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (WAVOAD) and local nonprofits that respond to these […]
News: Scientology Tools for Life Empower the South African ‘Green Angels,’ The Men and Women of the Gauteng Emergency Medical Services | CitizenWire
MIDRAND, South Africa /CitizenWire/ — Through a series of seminars at Castle Kyalami in Midrand, South Africa, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers are empowering employees of the Gauteng Department of Health. These healthcare workers, in their bright green uniforms, have become known as the province’s “Green Angels,” because they, along with staff of affiliated chaplaincy and […]
News: Seminar Introduces Those New to the Scientology Tools for Life to the Practical Use of This Technology for Improving Daily Life and Relationships | CitizenWire
CAMBRIDGE, Ontario /CitizenWire/ — “I really liked the aura and environment of today’s event,” said one woman who attended the Interfaith Harmony Week event at the Church of Scientology Cambridge. “I learned new skills of effective communication and I will use what I learned for my personal development.”
News: Brazilian Gangsta Rapper, Once an Addict and Drug Dealer, Now Uses His Music and Passion to Reach Kids With the Truth About Drugs | CitizenWire
CUIABA, Brazil /CitizenWire/ — Growing up surrounded by gangs, crime, and violence that plagued his neighborhood in Cuiabá, Brazil, in the ’80s and ’90s, Diogenes Luiz de Oliveira tried to escape from that life by using and trafficking drugs. Now, he uses his own story and the drug education materials of Foundation for a Drug-Free […]
News: Volunteer Ministers of the Church of Scientology of Budapest Continue Their Outreach to Underserved Romani Families and Their Children | CitizenWire
BUDAPEST, Hungary /CitizenWire/ — When it became clear that the children of the town of Gyulaj were going hungry, Roma community leader István Szatmári took action. While he continues working to handle the underlying cause of the problem-improving education and job training opportunities – Szatmári knew who to turn to for immediate help. He called […]
News: Quito Welcomes and Celebrates the Grand Opening of the Ideal Church of Scientology Mission in the City that Stands at the ‘Center of the World’ | CitizenWire
QUITO, Ecuador /CitizenWire/ — Built on the foundations of an ancient Incan city on the equator – the “center of the world” – named a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its art, cultural treasures and architectural marvels, Quito is a thriving metropolis of breathtaking beauty and year-round sunshine. And on February 17, the city added […]
News: ‘Stop Stigmatizing Children for Normal Childhood Behavior’ Says Citizen’s Commission on Human Rights Executive Director for the UK | CitizenWire
LONDON, England /CitizenWire/ — “Psychiatrists have been editing childhood and adolescence out of existence,” said Brian Daniels, Executive Director of Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) for the UK, in an open letter written for Children’s Mental Health Week. CCHR is a mental health watchdog founded in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and psychiatrist […]
News: Join the Scientology Network on Valentine’s Day for a Story of True Love and Artisanal Italian Chocolate | CitizenWire
CATANIA, Italy /CitizenWire/ — What could be more appropriate for Valentine’s Day than true love and chocolate? The Scientology Network shares the story of Armando Siracusano and Gabriella Comis – from their falling in love at a bakery to the many barriers they had to overcome on their way to creating the future of their […]
News: Drug-Free World and the Church of Scientology Las Vegas: Leading the Charge at Super Bowl LVIII Against Drug Abuse | CitizenWire
LAS VEGAS, Nev. /CitizenWire/ — Volunteers from Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Scientology Churches and Missions across the Southwest gathered at the Church of Scientology Las Vegas February 10 on the eve of Super Bowl LVIII to take on the drug epidemic affecting the city and the nation. According to the Southern Nevada Health District, […]
News: Get a Behind the Scenes Glimpse of Fashion Week in New York in an Episode of ‘Meet a Scientologist’ on the Scientology Network | CitizenWire
NEW YORK, N.Y. /CitizenWire/ — February 9-14 is Fashion Week in New York. The event takes place twice a year, in February and September. It begins in New York and moves on to London, Milan and Paris. This is a week where careers can be made or broken. The world’s top designers present their new […]
News: Religious Freedom: A Fundamental Human Right at Risk for 80 Percent of the World’s Population | CitizenWire
WASHINGTON, D.C. /CitizenWire/ — “The challenges to religious freedom across the globe are structural, systemic, and deeply entrenched,” said U.S. Secretary of State Mr. Antony Blinken in a statement January 4. “But with thoughtful, sustained commitment from those who are unwilling to accept hatred, intolerance, and persecution as the status quo we will one day […]
News: New Documentary Features the Church of Scientology Kansas City: A Welcome Partner in the Heart of America | CitizenWire
Kansas City is not just a location, it is a state of mind /CitizenWire/ — Friends of many faiths from across the city gathered downtown at the Church of Scientology Kansas City last week for a special celebration of World Interfaith Harmony Week, set aside by the UN each year to promote harmony between all […]
News: New Year’s Wishes in the Year of the Dragon From the Church of Scientology Kaohsiung | CitizenWire
KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan /CitizenWire/ — The Church of Scientology of Kaohsiung extends wishes to all for a Happy New Year in the Year of the Dragon. The holiday is celebrated for 15 days, beginning February 10. Church staff invite everyone to join them as Destination: Scientology, Kaohsiung takes viewers through the colorful pageantry of the final […]
News: The Untold Story of the Church of Scientology Global Response to the Pandemic Now Airs in New Documentary | CitizenWire
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /CitizenWire/ — Scientology Network announces an original feature-length documentary, “Operation: Do Something About It,” now airing on DIRECTV Channel 320 and available to stream. The documentary tells the story of how the Church of Scientology harnessed its state-of-the-art facilities, rallied its worldwide network of volunteers and mobilized the largest humanitarian effort in […]
News: Enjoy a Slice and Half an Hour of Fun on National Pizza Day: Watch an Episode of Meet a Scientologist on the Founder of Mr. Jim’s Pizza | CitizenWire
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /CitizenWire/ — According to a Harris Poll survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults, pizza is America’s favorite food. So, in honor of National Pizza Day, celebrated each year on February 9th, you are invited to enjoy a slice with your favorite topping while the Scientology Network serves up an episode of […]
News: Thanks to a Learning Support Program Based on the Scientology Tools for Life, At-Risk Children Now Have a Chance to Succeed | CitizenWire
SOSHANGUVE, South Africa /CitizenWire/ — “I couldn’t just stand by idly while the many children in my community lost hope in education,” says Juliette Mfomadi, principal of Kamogelo Daycare in Soshanguve, South Africa. Deeply concerned about the dropout rate and struggling pupils in her community, she searched for solutions and found the learner support program […]
News: Celebrating Religions Working Together at an Interfaith Harmony Event at the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles | CitizenWire
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /CitizenWire/ — In an era of increased polarization, rising hate crimes, and social and economic challenges affecting all segments of society, religious leaders gathered at the Church of Scientology to review how religions can work together to improve the quality of life for their congregations and the greater community.
News: Church of Scientology Los Angeles Hosts an Event to Help Reunite Long Separated Mexican Families | CitizenWire
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /CitizenWire/ — Many men and women who emigrate from Mexico to America do so not only for the promise of a better life for themselves and their children. They leave to help support families left behind with the dream of one day reuniting under better circumstances either at home or in their […]
News: Scientology-Supported Drug Prevention Campaign Raises Awareness About Drugs to Help Youth Stay Healthy and Safe Despite Emerging Drug Trends | CitizenWire
PARIS, France /CitizenWire/ — Despite one of the most restrictive drug policies in Europe, France has the highest use of cocaine and second-highest use of cannabis in Europe according to a March 2023 report by the French Observatory of Drugs and Addictive Trends (OFDT). But in Paris, drug-prevention volunteers of the Church of Scientology believe […]
News: Tampa-Based Human Rights Activist Helps Protect Youth from Human Trafficking | CitizenWire
TAMPA, Fla. /CitizenWire/ — January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and Florida is the third-busiest hub for child sex trafficking in the United States. Tampa-based activist Christopher King, United for Human Rights Florida Executive Director and Founder of the nonprofit The Gentlemen’s Course, works to protect youth from being trafficked. How he came to […]
News: Scientologists Celebrate What They Love Most About Melbourne on the Anniversary of the Dedication of their Ideal Scientology Church | CitizenWire
MELBOURNE, Australia /CitizenWire/ — In a city obsessed with sport, what could be a better location for a Church of Scientology than the original home of the first Aussie rules football team and the site of the first game that team ever played? That is exactly where the Ideal Church of Scientology was dedicated by […]
News: A Cross-Country Crusade to Help Educators Keep Children Safe | CitizenWire
SEATTLE, Wash. /CitizenWire/ — Sean Burke’s passion is helping others. A lifelong volunteer and a Scientologist since 1987, during the pandemic he worked with a nonprofit formed by top ICU doctors, sharing information on how to properly treat COVID in the hospital and at home. But this year, he decided to focus on another pandemic: […]
News: Nonagenarian Scientologist Shares His Story in Honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day | CitizenWire
BRUSSELS, Belgium /CitizenWire/ — Marc Bromberg, a Nonagenarian Scientologist, was 9 when France surrendered to the German forces in June 1940, and 10 when he and his mother were separated from his father. Two years ago, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, January 27, in an article in the European Times, Bromberg shared his memories of […]
News: How L. Ron Hubbard’s Common-Sense Guide to Better Living, ‘The Way to Happiness,’ Is Helping Scouts in Brazil Flourish and Prosper | CitizenWire
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /CitizenWire/ — When Scoutmaster Marcos Antonio Correia Santos Jr. Googled the question “Is there a way to happiness?” the answer not only changed his own life, it led to a new international movement within Scouting. At the celebration of the 39th anniversary of the International Association of Scientologists, Chief Marcos’ story was […]
News: Beyond Dents and Scratches: Body Shops Bear Witness to Preventable Tragedies | CitizenWire
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /CitizenWire/ — The mangled frame of a silver sedan gleams under the overhead lights in a local body shop, a testament to human capacity for error. Replacing crumpled fenders and shattered windshields is a body shop’s stock in trade, but the owners know these broken cars aren’t just metal and plastic. So […]
News: An Educator Champions Youth for Human Rights to Build Peace and Ensure a Decent Life for Future Generations | CitizenWire
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /CitizenWire/ — Rwanda evokes images of a tragic past marked by ethnic violence. But educator and human rights activist Ladislas Yassin Nkundabanyanga is determined to ensure a peaceful future for the country. He partners with Youth for Human Rights, an educational initiative supported by the Church of Scientology, to protect future generations […]
News: The Help of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers in Times of Disaster Great and Small and Wherever It Occurs | CitizenWire
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /CitizenWire/ — It was just under a year ago on February 6, that a 7.8-magnitude earthquake slashed through southeastern Turkey near the Syrian border. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the earthquake displaced or disrupted the lives of 15.73 million people in Syria and Turkey including 2.5 million children. Scientology Volunteer […]
News: Scientology in Africa: Five Years of Unconditional Help Since the Religion’s New Year’s Day Grand Opening | CitizenWire
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa /CitizenWire/ — On the bright South African New Year’s Day in 2019, when Scientology ecclesiastical leader Mr. David Miscavige dedicated the Scientology Advanced Organization and continental headquarters for Africa at Castle Kyalami, “COVID” was an obscure term known only to scientists and public health workers. But it soon entered the world’s vocabulary […]
News: 150 Weekly Food Drives at the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles to Help Local Families Cope | CitizenWire
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /CitizenWire/ — With inflation driving up food prices and some 30 percent of Los Angeles County families now experiencing food insecurity, Volunteer Ministers of the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles dedicate their Saturday mornings to helping fellow Angelenos cope.
News: Bridge Publications Volunteers Share the Truth About Drugs With Popular East L.A. Food Trucks to Help Customers Make Smart Choices | CitizenWire
COMMERCE, Calif. /CitizenWire/ — Not only is the East Los Angeles crime rate higher than the U.S. average, the crimes are often drug-related. To help local vendors and residents cope with this problem, volunteers from Bridge Publications Inc., publisher of the nonfiction works of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, reached out to area food trucks […]
News: Scientology-Supported Nonprofit Seeks to Cut Off Drug Demand in Belgium, a Country Where Cocaine and Crack Use Has Soared | CitizenWire
BRUSSELS, Belgium /CitizenWire/ — A Brussels-based drug education and prevention initiative supported by the Church of Scientology is optimistic that drug education can still prevail despite current drug trends. According to the president of Dites Non à La Drogue (Say No to Drugs), Julie Delvaux, the importance and effectiveness of drug prevention has been grossly […]
News: Year in Review: International Association of Scientologists Awards Japanese Activist for Helping Secure the Rights of Victims of Coercive Psychiatry | CitizenWire
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /CitizenWire/ — Each year, the International Association of Scientologists (IAS) presents the Freedom Medal to humanitarians whose work materially forwards the Aims of Scientology. These aims, as set forth by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, are: “A civilization without insanity, without criminals and without war, where the able can prosper and honest […]
News: Paris Scientologists Promote the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the City of its Birth | CitizenWire
PARIS, France /CitizenWire/ — It was in Paris at the Palais de Chaillot on December 10, 1948, that the General Assembly of the fledgling United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Youth for Human Rights, an initiative supported by the Church of Scientology, has as its mission to inspire people to become […]
News: Care and Compassion: The Scientology Volunteer Ministers Extend Help to Victims of Japan’s New Year’s Day Earthquake | CitizenWire
TOKYO, Japan /CitizenWire/ — It was no ordinary New Year’s Day for those living in Japan’s Ishikawa prefecture. They would ordinarily spend the day with a prayer for the new year at a temple or by visiting family. This year, on New Year’s Day, faults that lay dormant for more than 3,000 years suddenly triggered […]
News: Reaching Out with Drug Prevention to Help Make 2024 a Safe, Healthy and Happy Year in Los Angeles | CitizenWire
COMMERCE, Calif. /CitizenWire/ — Volunteers from Bridge Publications Inc., publishers of L. Ron Hubbard’s nonfiction works, have launched their drug education and prevention campaign for 2024. They are visiting shops and parks and sharing the drug education booklets of the Truth About Drugs campaign with anyone wishing to help take effective action against drug abuse […]
News: Church of Scientology Budapest Explores the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Past and Future of These 30 Inalienable Rights | CitizenWire
BUDAPEST, Hungary /CitizenWire/ — In honor of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the local chapter of Youth for Human Rights and the Church of Scientology of Budapest organized and hosted a conference to explore the history of human rights and where we go from here.
News: A Little Tender Loving Care from the Church of Scientology for a Popular Downtown Albuquerque Park | CitizenWire
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. /CitizenWire/ — Church of Scientology of New Mexico Volunteer Ministers teamed up with the City of Albuquerque Department of Parks and Recreation to clean up and re-mulch a portion of Robinson Park in the downtown core of Albuquerque. The Volunteer Ministers began early Friday morning following a winter storm that blew through the […]
News: Kicking Off 2024 Right With the Church of Scientology Los Angeles Winter Festival and Family Fun Day | CitizenWire
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /CitizenWire/ — The Church of Scientology Los Angeles Winter Festival on L. Ron Hubbard Way started the new year right with a day filled with fun for the entire family. Despite the 60-degree temperature and clear skies, there was plenty of snow for the slide and the occasional snowball.
News: Church of Scientology of Berlin: Poetry and Art Convey the Importance of Human Rights | CitizenWire
BERLIN, Germany /CitizenWire/ — In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Church of Scientology of Berlin held an art exhibition and poetry reading as a living example of Article 19: Freedom of Expression.