Human Rights for Youth: Scientology’s Community Education Focus
Brussels, 29 January 2026 — Human-rights education efforts 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 accessible, practical reference for everyday civic life, especially for young people and educators throughout Europe.
The programmes are built on a clear premise: knowledge of rights supports respect for rights. Adopted by the UN General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948, the UDHR sets out 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 equal treatment, due process and freedom of conscience.
United for Human Rights describes itself as created on the UDHR’s 60th anniversary, offering educational materials to expand awareness and support implementation. Youth for Human Rights International, founded news eu in 2001 by Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, focuses on introducing young people to the UDHR and strengthening everyday tolerance and peace.
Both programmes focus on education and public information, using structured learning that corresponds to the UDHR’s 30 rights. 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 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”. Interactive websites host resources in 17 languages, helping educators adapt delivery to local audiences.
Scientology’s support for the programmes is presented within a broader set of social initiatives emphasising 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 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. 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 Court of Human Rights, having addressed and acknowledged Scientology communities as protected by the national and international provisions of Freedom of Religion or belief.
Complete story: Human Rights for Youth: Scientology’s Community Focus.