Making Human Rights a Global Reality

With war and related human rights violations dominating the news, a summit at the United Nations on Friday, August 25 presented human rights education as a practical route to world peace. Celebrities, human rights heroes, and artists participated alongside grassroots reformers from 40 countries around the world. 

The summit was called to increase awareness of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a list of 30 articles declaring basic human rights for all people. The articles include basic rights many Americans take for granted, such as the right to food, shelter, and education, and the right to express one’s political views freely. 

“Imagine how different this world would appear if member nations had implemented real human rights education from the late 1940s,” said Tim Bowles, Executive Director of Youth for Human Rights International, who opened the event in front of 500 attendees in Conference Room One at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. 

Youth for Human Rights International organized the event in cooperation with the Human Rights Department of the Church of Scientology International, the International Foundation for Human Rights and Tolerance, and Artists for Human Rights. 

Mr. Enzo Di Taranto, speaking on behalf of the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights, welcomed the group and described the central role of rights in the mission of the UN. Mr. Hans Janitschek, President of the UN Society of Writers, described the vital part artists play in bringing about reform and in implementing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Rev. John Carmichael, President of the Church of Scientology of New York, explained that his church takes to heart the words of its founder L. Ron Hubbard, “Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream.”