Nashville Church of Scientology Hosts Tony Rockliff for Seminar in January

The Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre Nashville is proud to bring Tony Rockliff back for a seminar geared toward helping artists advance in their careers.

Tony Rockliff not only has decades of experience as a record producer, recording engineer and composer, he also knew how to work social media before it was considered important. So he will be delivering a seminar for artists to help them understand how to market themselves through the Internet. The seminar will be held at the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre Nashville on Jan 17, 2015.

Rockliff has worked with artists including Cat Stevens, Billy Ocean, Beck, Elton John's band, Regina Bell, the Temptations, Sir George Martin, Brian Johnson from AC/DC, Uriah Heep, David Pomeranz, David Campbell, Nicky Hopkins, members of Yes and the Doors and many others.  And in 1995, before there was any talk of social media, Tony created Cybertown, an on-line community of people from 155 countries interacting in a 3D Virtual Reality off-world town set about 100 years in the future.  Cybertown grew to 1.3 million members, was receiving 1.5 billion hits a year and was listed in the top 2500 sites in the world.

Rockliff described his seminar like this: “This seminar covers the exact activities being done by the musicians who are being successful expanding their careers via the Internet. It covers which social media are the really important ones and exactly how to use them, with step-by-step strategies. It has been updated to include the many changes that have occurred on the Internet during the last year.”

Corinne Sullivan, President of the Church is glad to host this seminar for musicians, “As a Celebrity Centre we have a unique mission to help artists, and part of that help is very practical.  Our founder, L. Ron Hubbard was an artist himself and made it clear how important artists are to society. We provide these seminars to anyone and everyone who wants to make a career as an artist. All are welcome.”

Rockliff’s seminar will be Jan 17, 2015 at 1pm at the Church of Scientology in Nashville, 1130 8^th Avenue South. Contact the Julie at 615-687-4600 for more information.  For more on Tony Rockliff, visit his website www.indietrak.com.

2014 Year in Review - Religion Communicators Council Spreads Message Further

The Religion Communicators Council meets each month to hear about a topic of interest. In 2014, the Nashville chapter held regular meetings as well as hosted the annual convention.

The Religion Communicators Council (RCC) hears regularly from a variety of organizations and groups which better the community, promote messages of faith or give tips on how to spread the good word. In 2014, RCC members were able to learn from many more organizations and faith groups.

The year began with a meeting at Horton Group where RCC members learned the “Basic Principles of Good Design,” from Senior Designer Corey Lamp who took them through real examples of what to do with balance, proximity, alignment, spacing, contrast and hierarchy.

Next RCC visited the Islamic Center of Nashville where they were able to meet three members of the Muslim Women’s Council. Aisha Lbhalla founded the Muslim Women’s Council of Tennessee, first with the purpose of getting Muslim women active and contributing to worthy causes, and now to bring them closer to those of other faith traditions.

After this meeting, Lbhalla was elected to serve as Membership Officer for the Executive Committee of the Nashville Chapter of RCC. Other officers elected to serve this year include Rev. Brian Fesler, Pastor of the Church of Scientology, who will continue in his role as President of the local chapter; Drew Pope, Director of Public Affairs for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, who is the new Vice President for Programming; Royya James, Conference Relations Coordinator of United Methodist Communications, who is now the Treasurer; and Julie Brinker, Director of Community Affairs for the Church of Scientology, who is remaining Communications Coordinator for the Nashville chapter.

In April, Nashville hosted the national convention for the RCC at the Inn at Opryland. The convention offered exciting plenary speakers, challenging workshops and awards to secular and faith-based organizations for exceptional work communicating faith issues.

The opening session featured Remziya Suleyman with American Center for Outreach, who provided a moving and informative look into the Role of Religious Communication in Public Advocacy by sharing her own experience in the field. Plenary sessions also featured speakers Rev. Larry Hollon of United Methodist Communications, Dr. Sybril Bennett of Belmont University in Nashville, Rev. Michael Waters of Joy Tabernacle AME Church in Dallas, and Sarah Wilke, Publisher of the Upper Room Ministries.

Workshops featured professional development, communication in a digital age, and interfaith communication. Speakers included Daoud Abudiab with the Islamic Center of Columbia, Bob Smietana formerly with the Tennessean newspaper, D. Greg Droubay with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and many more.

A special celebration was held in honor of the 85th anniversary of the RCC where a brief history of the organization was shown, and the dates and place of the 2015 RCC Convention were announced: April 9-11 in Washington, D.C.

After the convention, the Nashville chapter continued its regular meetings with a presentation by the Tennessee Department of Health Faith Based Initiatives Office Director, Dr. Michele Gourley. Dr. Gourley discussed the importance of being prepared in case of a disease epidemic in the community, such as Ebola, as well as having Points of Dispensing Clinics (PODs) set up well in advance so communities have a location to turn to in case of an outbreak of this nature.

RCC then wrapped up the year with a visit to Hands On Nashville, a volunteer organization which helps connect good causes to helpful people. They heard from Director of Corporate Relations, Tara Tenorio, who discussed volunteer opportunities such as ReCYCLE forKids, a program to bring used bikes to kids in need, as well as the MLK Day of Service.

RCC is open to members from all denominations, and the Nashville group includes Baha’is, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Scientologists, and more.  For further information about the RCC or their next meeting, visit www.religioncommunicators.org. 

2014 Year in Review – Drug-Free South Helping Youth in Tennessee

The Truth About Drugs materials provide teachers, law enforcement and community groups with effective drug education tools, and in 2014 Drug-Free South took these materials to thousands of students.

A recent study of 7th-12th-grade students revealed 10 percent of them abused over-the-counter drugs typically found in the home medicine cabinet. The U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy reports that prescription drug abuse is the country’s fastest-growing drug problem. Drugs are finding their way into the nation’s classrooms and schoolyards.

For over five years, Drug-Free South, the local chapter of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, has been working with teachers, counselors and police officers in Tennessee to stop the demand for drugs by reaching students before the dealers do. They use a series of drug education resources that work—a multimedia program that speaks to the youth of today, informing them of the truth about drugs and empowering them to make their own decisions to live drug-free.

The cornerstone of the program is a series of booklets that provide the facts about the most commonly abused drugs: marijuana, alcohol, Ecstasy, cocaine, crack cocaine, crystal meth, inhalants, heroin, LSD, prescription drugs, painkillers, and Ritalin. Next is a series of 16 award-winning “They Said, They Lied” public service announcements. They are contemporary, high-impact communications aimed directly at youth. Finally, the core of the Truth About Drugs educational program is a 100-minute documentary, The Truth About Drugs: Real People, Real Stories. The film is a hard-hitting, no-holds-barred presentation told by former users who themselves survived life-shattering addiction.

Parents and teachers can order Truth About Drugs booklets and DVDs free of charge from the drugfreeworld.org website or download the free Truth About Drugs Education Application onto their iPads or iPhones.

Drug-Free South began the year by visiting a new school in Elmwood, Tenn. There, they gave three seminars to 208 students with grades ranging from kindergarten to eighth. From there, Drug-Free South only got busier. In total, they visited seven counties and distributed over 18,000 booklets on the Truth About Drugs.  By the end of the year, volunteers for the program had traveled nearly 2,000 miles, educating students along the way.

To date, the Tennessee chapter has visited 31 counties, delivered over 240 seminars on the program, and distributed more than 60,000 booklets to those in need.

For more information on the Truth About Drugs program, or to order materials, visit drugfreesouth.org.

Church of Scientology to Host Black Legends of Basketball Exhibit in February

Black legends from the early years of basketball will be honored during a special reception and week-long exhibit at the Church of Scientology in Feb 2015.

The Nashville Church of Scientology is working with a number of organizations to make Black History Month very special in 2015. The first in a series of events the church will host will be a week-long exhibit of memorabilia from the early years of the Harlem Globetrotters and New York Rens. The exhibit comes from the Black Legends of Professional Basketball Foundation, founded by former Globetrotter, Dr. John Kline.

The exhibit is set to open on February 1, 2015 with a reception and meet-and-greet with Dr. Kline at 2pm.

Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the church, says, “It is important to recognize the struggle and courage these early Globetrotters had. They were pioneers, and deserve to be honored for their place in the history of human rights as much as basketball.” 

The exhibit, which includes pamphlets, posters and photos of the early years of basketball (1900-1960), will be on display for one week.  

The opening reception will be Sunday, February 1, 2015 at 2:00pm, at the Church of Scientology, 1130 8th Avenue South. The exhibit will open that day and will remain open to the public for one week. For more information, call Julie Brinker at 615-687-4600. 

Church of Scientology Helps Artists Reach Dreams

The Church of Scientology and Celebrity Centre of Nashville is dedicated to its mission to help artists reach their goals and become successful.

The Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre Nashville is proud to help aspiring artists. The reason: the church knows that when artists lead by example – when they are doing well and forwarding positive messages, the culture does well. “Scientology Founder, L. Ron Hubbard, spoke about the importance of the arts, and we know that art can keep a culture vibrant and alive,” says Corinne Sullivan, President of the Nashville Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre.

This past weekend, the church held a seminar called “Vision,” to help artists define their message. One attendee said she was able to see her own art in a new way afterward. The seminar covered materials from the book Art, by L. Ron Hubbard, from the chapters “Creating Art that Talks,” and “Message.”

The following day, award winning fine artist Owen York delivered a lecture on “The Mind of the Artist,” where he showed attendees how they can reach their full potential. York’s artwork has been featured in the 2012 Artlightenment Art and Film Festival in Nashville, Tenn., at Four Seasons Studio in Stockholm, Sweden, and at the Northern Indiana Arts Association, in Hammond, Indiana.

The Church is planning more seminars and events to help Nashville artists in the coming year. For more information, call Julie at 615-687-4600, or visit the Church’s website scientology-ccnashville.org. 

Celebrate a long history of human rights advocacy

Wednesday, Dec. 10, marked the 66th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

This is the 64th year of the celebration of the UN International Human Rights Day. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

These two documents and the celebration of human rights day emphasizes that all human beings are entitled to justice and dignity through the application of the core principles of universality, interdependence and indivisibility, equality and nondiscrimination.

The international slogan this year is Human Rights 365 and the Tennessee theme is "Looking Back 50 Years: How far have we come? Where are we going?"

Both of these themes remind us that as a world, nation, a state and a city we have made gains but we are still challenged by issues such as those in Ferguson, MO, and Cleveland, Ohio, with the issue of race around police and community and criminal justice in general; the domestic violence issue in the NFL and the larger society; and the elimination of poverty and disparities in education, housing, employment and healthcare to name a few.

Dr. King, in accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in October, 1964 said "...problems, while appearing to be separate and isolated, are inextricably bound to the other."

It also reminds us, we must work daily and promote a common understanding of the rights, freedom and responsibilities to reach a place where all are respected, equal and free.

In Nashville, we used this day to reflect on our history and work with others to create a view to make our city, our state, and our nation better. We recognized Father Joseph Breen for his individual lifetime achievement and the First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill for its institutional role in Nashville's civil rights accomplishments and history; Yuri Cunza of the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Avi Poster of A VOICE for the Reduction of Poverty In Nashville and Beyond for their advocacy and service in breaking down barriers; and Rising Advocates Eben Cathey with Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition and Daynise Joseph with Organized Neighbors of Edgehill.

We paused to remember John Seigenthaler and George Barrett for their leadership in this community until their deaths earlier this year. Their voices are missed but their legacy lives on for each of us to emulate.

The key note speaker: Dr. Dennis Dickerson, Vanderbilt University's James M. Lawson Professor of History. Dr. Dickerson helped us reflect on the history and put into context the challenges and options for the future.

The committee organizing the event for Human Rights Day includes the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, Metro Human Relations Commission, Church of Scientology, the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Muslim's Women Council.

The event was held at the First Amendment Center. More information can be found atwww.nashvillehumanrights.org.

Beverly Watt is the executive director of the Tennessee Human Rights Commission.

Nashville Amnesty Chapter Holds Write for Rights Events

The Nashville Chapter of Amnesty International is having a series of Write for Rights events this year to help more of its prisoners of conscience.

Amnesty International is known worldwide for its ability to help “prisoners of conscience”—people imprisoned for speaking their mind or exercising other basic rights. It does this by encouraging members to write letters which force leaders to confront the abuses perpetrated in their country.  Often this will result in the prisoners’ successful release. 

This year, the Nashville Chapter of Amnesty International is holding a series of events for Write for Rights, a two-week-long campaign, which is calling on activists to take action on behalf of ten activists and two communities suffering brutal human rights abuses including arbitrary detention and torture.

“Write for Rights epitomizes what Amnesty International is all about – individuals helping other individuals, wherever they might be. It is a unique and extraordinary event that brings together millions of people in a bid to secure justice for men, women and children around the world,” according to Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.

The first Write for Rights event in Nashville took place at the Church of Scientology on Dec 13. Another event is scheduled for Dec 18 at the West End coffee shop, Atamology, between 6-8pm.  Organizers are giving a free cup of coffee to anyone who attends the next Write for Rights event. 

For more information on Amnesty International or to become involved, visit facebook.com/nashvilleamnestyinternational.  

Governor Proclaims December 10 Human Rights Day in Tennessee

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has proclaimed December 10^th Human Rights Day in Tennessee and is encouraging all citizens to join in observing the day.

The celebration of International Human Rights Day in Tennessee has become a time to look at battles won and lessons learned as well as to inspire the youth of today to do something about the state of the world tomorrow. It occurs each year on December 10^th, and this year the celebration took place at the First Amendment Center.

A proclamation was released by Governor Bill Haslam which states in part, “Whereas, respect for basic human rights is important in fostering human dignity and freedom… Now, therefore, I, Bill Haslam, Governor of the State of Tennessee, do hereby proclaim December 10, 2014 as Human Rights Day in Tennessee and encourage all citizens to join me in this worthy observance.”

The Tennessee celebration centered on the Human Rights Lifetime Achievement awards.   Awardees in this category were Father Joseph Breen, formerly of St. Edward Church who is known widely for his work to strike down the 2009 “English Only” proposition in Nashville; and First Baptist Church Capitol Hill which has long served as a beacon for the civil rights movement.  In 2008, Mr. John Seigenthaler was a recipient of this award and in 2012, Mr. George Barrett received the honor. In this year of their passing, the Human Rights Day celebration paid them special tribute during the celebration.

“Rising Advocate” awards were given to individuals who are in the early stages of their human rights work and show great promise for the future.  Planning committee chair Rev. Brian Fesler says, “This is how we recognize and encourage the leaders of tomorrow.” Rising Advocate awards this year went to Eben Cathey with the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition and Daynise Joseph with Organized Neighbors of Edgehill.

This year marked the inauguration of a new award: the Outstanding Service for Human Rights Award. Recipients of this honor included Yuri Cunza with the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Avi Poster who has championed immigrant rights, fair housing and the reduction of poverty for years.

The committee organizing the event for Human Rights Day included the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, Metro Human Relations Commission, Church of Scientology and Muslim Women’s Council.   For more information, visit www.nashvillehumanrights.org.

Church of Scientology Hosts Human Rights Themed Writers’ Night

The Nashville Church of Scientology will host a special writers’ night to honor human rights and freedom on December 10.

Recognizing the global need for human rights education, the Nashville Church of Scientology works with community groups, human rights agencies and others to create a grand event for International Human Rights Day each year.

This year, the church is spreading beyond one event. Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the church, is chairing the planning committee for the Human Rights Day celebration at the First Amendment Center, where legends such as Father Joseph Breen and First Baptist Church Capitol Hill will be honored in a special ceremony.

Later that evening, the Nashville Church of Scientology, 1130 8^th Ave South, will host a unique writers’ night in its community hall, where singers and songwriters are invited to perform music related to human rights, social justice and freedom. The Church will also be showcasing a human rights program called Youth for Human Rights in its Public Information Center. There will be booklets and public service announcements describing the 30 universal human rights.

This exhibit will be free and open to the public, and all musicians and artists are welcome to the writers’ night to perform on Human Rights Day, December 10, at 7pm. For more information, call Julie Brinker at 615-687-4600. 

Church of Scientology Hosts Series of Events to Celebrate Black History Month

The Church of Scientology is planning to celebrate Black History Month with a series of events in February 2015.

The Church of Scientology has long been a supporter of human rights and making human rights known throughout the world. To do this, the church participates in community events to celebrate important days such as International Human Rights Day, International Day Against Discrimination, International Day of Peace and more. Church members also support the programs United for Human Rights and Youth for Human Rights which work to educate children and young adults throughout the world on what their fundamental human rights are.

The reason behind this is simple. Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard made it clear that human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream, and the church and its members are working toward this goal.

So it is only fitting that the church arrange a series of events for Black History Month to honor a people who have fought tirelessly for their basic rights.

The first week of February 2015, the Nashville Church of Scientology will host an exhibit of the Black Legends of Basketball.  The exhibit will include pamphlets, posters and photos from the early years of basketball (1900-1960), featuring the Harlem Globetrotters and the New York Rens. 

Then, on February 21^st, Memphis journalist Art Gilliam will hold a book signing and talk about his recently published book One America, which chronicles his own experiences growing up in the segregated South.

“We are currently in progress planning more events for that month,” says Corinne Sullivan, president of the church, “we want to honor African American music and other artistic expression, as well as the achievements that have come from this community.”

For more information about the events planned at the church, contact Julie Brinker at 615-687-4600.

Tennessee Celebration of Human Rights Day to Honor Human Rights Leaders

Human Rights Day in Tennessee has become a time to celebrate the leaders of yesterday and recognize those taking up the torch for tomorrow, a time to look at battles won and lessons learned as well as to inspire the youth of today to do something about the state of the world tomorrow. It occurs each year on December 10^th, and this year the celebration will take place at the First Amendment Center from 5:00-7:00pm. The event is free and open to the public.

The event centers on the Human Rights Lifetime Achievement awards.   Awardees in this category are Father Joseph Breen, formerly of St. Edward Church who is known widely for his work to strike down the 2009 “English Only” proposition in Nashville; and First Baptist Church Capitol Hill which has long served as a beacon for the civil rights movement.  In 2008, Mr. John Seigenthaler was a recipient of this award and in 2012, Mr. George Barrett received the honor. In this year of their passing, the Human Rights Day celebration will pay them special tribute during the celebration.

“Rising Advocate” awards will also be given to individuals who are in the early stages of their human rights work and show great promise for the future.  Planning committee chair Rev. Brian Fesler says, “This is how we recognize and encourage the leaders of tomorrow.” Rising Advocate awards this year will go to Eben Cathey with the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition and Daynise Joseph with Organized Neighbors of Edgehill.

The Committee has also created a new award this year: the Outstanding Service for Human Rights Award. Recipients of this honor include Yuri Cunza with the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Avi Poster who has championed immigrant rights, fair housing and the reduction of poverty for years.

There will be a musical performance by Divine Praise Ensemble, human rights agencies will have information booths outside of the event hall, and special proclamations from the Mayor of Nashville and Governor of Tennessee proclaiming Human Rights Day.

The committee organizing the event for Human Rights Day includes the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, Metro Human Relations Commission, Church of Scientology and Muslim Women’s Council.   For more information or to become involved, visit www.nashvillehumanrights.org.