Church of Scientology Sacramento Hosts Human Rights Event in Recognition of International Human Rights Day
Taking inspiration from L. Ron Hubbard, who wrote, "Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream," the Church of Scientology of Sacramento marked Human Rights Day with a human rights event attended by local faith based leaders and members of community organizations.
Sacramento, CA, December 14, 2015 (Newswire.com) - Local faith based leaders and members of community organizations gathered at the Church of Scientology on Thursday, December 10th to bring attention and awareness to the issue of human rights.
“With contemporary headlines of human rights abuses at home and abroad and the controversies about how to address this issue, it seems very timely to host an event such as this,” said Church President Mike Klagenberg.
"With contemporary headlines of human rights abuses at home and abroad and the controversies about how to address this issue, it seems very timely to host an event such as this,"
Mike Klagenberg, Church President
Adding that this message of human rights tends to get lost in all of these headlines, an understanding of one’s own human rights can start us on a path of understanding so that we can reach rational conclusions surrounding such controversies, said Klagenberg.
Highlighting the church sponsored human rights initiatives known as United for Human Rights and Youth For Human Rights respectively, Klagenberg presented the educational components of that initiative which are centered around the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights laying out these basic human rights.
Joining in on the event as Guest Speaker was Nilda Guanzon Valmores, the Executive Director of the local non-profit, My Sister’s House.
My Sister’s House is A Safe Haven to serve Asian and Pacific Islanders and other underserved women and children impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking by providing a culturally appropriate and responsive safe haven, job training, and community services.
Adding that local touch to this issue Ms. Valmores gave a comprehensive overview of ways to identify abuses and human rights violations as well as any related human trafficking issues. She also gave some eye opening figures on human rights violations where some 29.8 million people are in slavery today [1].
She also highlighted the services that My Sisters House provides locally as well as sharing a heart-warming success story. “It is a human right to live freely in your home without fear of being abused and knowing you have a safe place to sleep,” added Ms. Valmores.
Re-iterating her call that domestic abuse is a human rights issue she added that “others talk about world peace, but for that to happen it begins within in our own homes and making them that safe place first.”
For more than 40 years Scientologists have championed the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 1969, L Ron Hubbard reprinted a copy of the Declaration in the Church’s Freedom Magazine and wrote:
“The United Nations came up with the answer. An absence of human rights stained the hands of governments and threatened their rules. Very few governments have implemented any part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These governments have not grasped that their very survival depends utterly upon adopting such reforms and thus giving their peoples a cause, a civilization worth supporting, worth their patriotism.”
For more information on these activities visit My Sister’s House and the Scientology websites at: http://www.my-sisters-house.org and http://www.scientology.org/how-we-help/human-rights.html
References:
[1] Max Fisher, "World Views," "The Washington Post," Oct 17, 2013
