InterReligious Coalition Launched at 60 th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Hollywood, CA - Clergies of various denominations gathered today at the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre International Pavilion to celebrate the 60 th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by forming a coalition to promote human rights, tolerance and peace through the religious communities.

On Dec 10, 1948 the United Nations announced the document - The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in an effort to prevent those atrocities that brought about World War II. Even though this document has thirty basic human rights that everyone in the entire world should have, it is easy to see that the spirit of the UDHR has not gone into effect largely due to a lack of education and awareness of these rights.

"With wars, discrimination, school shootings, and gang violence times must change," said speaker Mary Shuttleworth, President of Youth for Human Rights International. "Without taking responsibility one will not have human rights. It's not enough to have rights we must also take responsibility for them. The religious community plays a pivotal role in seeing that this occurs."

Dr. Michael Crosby, founder of the Oasis of Peace Christian Fellowship Church and on the Executive Board of the 77 th Police-Clergy Council concurred with Shuttleworth on the importance of the coalition for world tolerance, peace and unity.

"Human Rights are a cause of great importance to me," said Crosby. "Our schools are reporting dropout and truancy rates of 30-50%. Our community is divided among cultural differences that have erupted in acts of violence and hatred against one another in our schools and prisons. In many neighborhoods and communities of low socio-economic status, children have to travel through a war zone to get to and from school." He ended by thanking Mr. L. Ron Hubbard, "One of the world's greatest visionaries and promoters of human rights, to profoundly state: 'Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream'."

Mr. Hubbard also spoke of the vital role that every religious leader plays in the future well being of man and society. In 1955, in a lecture entitled The Hope of Man, he opened a congress with a tribute to "the great spiritual leaders of the past," stating "they are the hands through which a torch has been handed forward through the centuries so that we could culminate with a greater ability for man and some hope for his future."

Among the group of speakers was Pastor Sandra Jones, from The Worldwide Church, a well as Pandith Ambalantota Kolitha of the Sarath-Chandra Buddhist Center in North Hollywood.

"For religion to be genuine and effective, religion should offer a concrete road map to salvation and eternal Life. And more important it should offer Mankind a relief from his living hell right here on earth," these were Reverend Alfredie Johnson's words of the True Faith Christian Center in Compton

"It is the duty and responsibility of Religion to reverse the decline of Human Rights on the planet Earth. The derivation of the word religion means to re-align. Our victory and success will depend upon our ability to become like minded unified body of people who are committed, determined and educated to achieve specific agreed upon and broadly known goals and objectives," said Reverend Johnson.

A panel discussion followed with audience participation. The wide diversity of religions represented at the event sparked intelligent and innovative ideas on how to make human rights a global reality for all. Michelle Seward, President of the United States branch of Youth for Human Rights moderated the panel.

Events and meetings were arranged so that regular activities and events can be held across the Greater Los Angeles area throughout the UDHR's 60 th Anniversary year.

The event was sponsored by the Human Rights Department of the Church of Scientology International and Youth for Human Rights International. The event ended with recording artist, Caralyn Percy singing From a Distance.