BRUSSELS, Belgium — 29 January 2026 — Human-rights education initiatives supported by the Church of Scientology through United for Human Rights (UHR) and Youth for Human Rights (YHRI) continue to present the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as an accessible, practical reference for day-to-day civic 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. Adopted by the UN General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948, the UDHR lists 30 articles describing fundamental rights and freedoms.
Programme partners highlight a common challenge: 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.
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 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 films, public service announcements and structured learning materials designed for educational and civic contexts. 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 frames its involvement as part of broader community and social-betterment work focused on prevention and education. 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 in schools and neighbourhoods where diversity is lived every day. 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.”
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 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 Scientology 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.