Youth teaching youth... The purpose of Youth for Human Rights International is to teach youth around the world about human rights, thus helping them to become advocates for tolerance and peace.

Dancers in Ghana pull out three UNITED banners.

The UNITED Human Rights
Tour of 2005

An award-winning music video to promote human rights education as a tool to resolve violence and turmoil in the world has inspired a new educational booklet and teaching package, released on a five-country world tour.
From July 17 to August 9, 2005, Youth for Human Rights International and the Human Rights Department of the Church of Scientology International co-organized the UNITED Tour 2005 to spread the word about the importance of teaching and implementing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Starting from Los Angeles, the three-week tour included Mexico, Venezuela, Ghana, India and Thailand, focusing on Ghana and India, with a week spent in each location.
Taron Lexton, director of the UNITED music video, winner at the New York Independent Film Festival and the UNESCO Human Rights Film Festival in Florence, and Mary Shuttleworth, President of Youth for Human Rights International, released a special UNITED edition of What are Human Rights? as part of an educational package, “Learning to be UNITED.”

“ Children are growing up in an increasingly violent world, and we want government officials to adopt effective human rights education as the long-term solution to ethnic and religious violence as well as terrorism,” said Shuttleworth.

A youth in Thailand with the UNITED booklet.

As part of the tour, Leisa Goodman, Human Rights Director of the Church of Scientology International, joined Lexton and Shuttleworth in Cape Coast, Ghana for a two-day series of human rights events featured during the Pan-African festival Panafest 2005. Attended by tens of thousands, including more than 5,000 African and international visitors from 32 countries, Panafest is one of the largest gatherings of the African Continent and is organized by the African Union, the government of Ghana and the King of Cape Coast.
The King, Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, who opened the event, was presented with the UNITED education package by Shuttleworth and Goodman. Along with special guest speakers and performances by Ghanaian and Nigerian dance ensembles, the highlight was a series of presentations by youth delegates representing Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, Uganda and the United States. They discussed issues facing today’s youth and encouraged young people to understand and protect their human rights.
In India, Youth for Human Rights International, the Church of Scientology and the government of New Delhi held a Youth for Human Rights International Summit inaugurated by the Honorable Sh. K.R. Narayanan, former President of India. After a screening of UNITED, President Narayanan released the Hindi edition of What Are Human Rights? “By imparting the values of human rights to our youth, we help develop today and tomorrow’s advocated for justice, tolerance and peace,” the President stated. Youth delegates from 15 countries, including Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lank and Pakistan, took part in a lively, interactive discussion with the young audience.
In February and March 2004, Lexton and Shuttleworth took part in a World Educational Tour through 14 countries, meeting with government officials and human rights leaders and addressing thousands of young people on the importance of human rights. Much of the footage for UNITED was filmed during the World Educational Tour.

More information can be obtained at www.unitedmusicvideo.org and www.scientology.org/humanrights/

THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION

Education. Think about where you would be right now if you had never been educated. You wouldn’t be reading this right now.
Imagine walking down the street and seeing signs and all they mean is a bunch of jibberish. It would be like reading a language you don’t know. You couldn’t get a driver’s license because you wouldn’t be able to read the manual or the signs on the road. You couldn’t get a good job. You need to know math so you can tell what time it is, to calculate your budget and to know how to use money. You need reading skills to know what signs, books, magazines, letters etc. say and mean.
Everyone has the right to be educated and everyone has to work together to make this possible. If you are one of the many people lending a helping hand to society by educating or promoting education, visit our website at www.youthforhumanrights.org for more information on education and all the other rights!
by Alexis Matthes, 14

Youth for Human Rights Clubs!

Youth for Human Rights Clubs are forming across the globe. Here are two of our newest – one in Milano, Italy and one in Stockholm, Sweden!

YOUTH FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
MEMBER OF THE MONTH: SIMON SCHULTZ

Simon lives in Sweden and has spoken to local youth about the YHRI program in Stockholm. He is working on an ongoing community program to make children aware of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Simon also flew to New York in August 2004 for the 1st Annual YHRI International Youth Summit where he represented Sweden. In November 2004 he flew to Brussels to speak about YHRI and human rights at the Universal Day of the Child celebration.
Simon has given a lot to his community. More people should use their time to help others, instead of watching T.V.

YHRI Art Contest

See the works of more talented young winning depicting what human rights means to them.

Michelle Guo, 9, USA