Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Citizens Commission on Human Rights to Sponsor Breakfast Meeting Following MLK Day

Citizens Commission on Human Rights of Nashville (CCHR Nashville) is holding a special breakfast meeting at the end of January 2018.

The Nashville Chapter of Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR Nashville) is planning a special breakfast meeting in late January to follow up on the holiday for Martin Luther King, Jr.  

CCHR is known as an advocate for human rights, especially as relates to patients’ rights in the field of mental health. Per the international CCHR website, cchr.org, “CCHR has long fought to restore basic inalienable human rights to the field of mental health, including, but not limited to, full informed consent regarding the medical legitimacy of psychiatric diagnosis, the risks of psychiatric treatments, the right to all available medical alternatives and the right to refuse any treatment considered harmful.”

“CCHR is committed to helping people learn their rights, especially as relates to freedom of conscience,” says CCHR Nashville Board Member, Brian Fesler. CCHR Nashville regularly hosts events and meetings with local leaders who give insight into patients’ rights, parents’ rights and more.


CCHR is a non-profit, non-political, non-religious mental health watchdog. Its mission is to eradicate abuses committed under the guise of mental health and enact patient and consumer protections. CCHR receives reports about abuses in the field of mental health and is especially interested in situations where persons experienced abuse or damage due to a false diagnosis or unwanted and harmful psychiatric treatments, such as psychiatric drugs, electroshock (ECT) and electronic or magnetic brain stimulation (TMS). CCHR is often able to assist with filing complaints, and can work with a person’s attorney to further investigate the case. To contact CCHR Nashville for more information, visit cchrnashville.org.  

Nashville Church of Scientology to Host World Interfaith Harmony Breakfast

The Church of Scientology in Nashville is opening its doors to all religious communities for a special interfaith breakfast and dialogue in observance of World Interfaith Harmony Week in 2018.


In July, the USA Today had an article on The State of Hate in America. It covers a wide variety of hate incidents dividing Americans in a land that was long ago intended to be “land of the free and the home of the brave.” Included are incidents from a white man in a Chicago Starbucks filmed calling a black man a slave, a white woman in a New Jersey Sears videotaped making bigoted comments against a family she believed was Indian (they were not), and two men on a Portland train stabbed to death trying to stop a white supremacist's anti-Muslim tirade against two teenagers.

“In order to truly combat religious discrimination in this day and age, we have to come together and learn about the religious other,” says Rev. Brian Fesler, Pastor of the Church of Scientology, who has called together people of many different faiths and cultures to take part in an innovative interfaith dialogue at the beginning of World Interfaith Harmony Week.

Rev. Fesler is passionate about bringing together all peoples and plans to reach out to many different faith leaders for this special service. “Everyone, regardless of their race, religion, culture—everyone deserves to have a voice, to live in peace, and to practice their religion in harmony with the rest of mankind,” he says.

The Church of Scientology’s creed begins with the words: “We of the Church believe that all men of whatever race, color or creed were created with equal rights; that all men have inalienable rights to their own religious practices and their performance…”   

“It is part of our very fabric to support others’ rights and abilities to practice their religion in peace, so that is what we are lifting up through this dialogue,” says Rev. Fesler.

The World Interfaith Harmony breakfast and dialogue will take place on February 1, 2017 in the Church of Scientology community hall in Nashville, Tenn. To participate or learn more, visit scientology-ccnashville.org.



Thursday, December 14, 2017

Tennessee United for Human Rights Co-Hosts Annual Event

The Tennessee celebration of International Human Rights Day took place on December 7 at the John Seigenthaler Center.

Tennessee United for Human Rights, the local chapter of the international organization United for Human Rights, co-hosted an annual event for Human Rights Day. On this day, Tennesseans gathered to celebrate the ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the United Nations, originally signed on Dec 10, 1948. It is always an event with a message of hope for the future, respect for the past, and looking at what it will take to change human rights abuses in the present.

“Human Rights Day means acknowledging leaders while encouraging others to take up the torch for the future,” says planning committee chair Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the Church of Scientology.

The event centers around the presentation of the Human Rights Awards. This year, Rising Advocate Awards were given to three individuals who have made great strides for human rights and show even greater promise for the future. They are Kayo Beshir, an undergraduate student at Middle Tennessee State University who has worked on and off campus to promote human rights; Pratik Dash, who has worked both with Women On Maintaining Education and Nutrition (WOMEN) and the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC); and Madison White, a junior at Lipscomb University who has been actively involved in local pro bono legal clinics, and also volunteers her time with nonprofits such as Make a Wish Foundation, Second Harvest Food Bank and Free for Life International.

The award winners in the category of Outstanding Service were Jerry Redman, Co-Founder and CEO of Second Life Chattanooga which is an awareness and advocacy organization working to end human sex trafficking and Zulfat Suara, a strong advocate for minorities who is currently chair of the American Muslim Advisory Council (AMAC) and President Elect of the Tennessee Women Political Caucus.

The Lifetime Achievement award was presented to Thelma Harper, the first African-American woman State Senator of Tennessee who has a long history of service and Joey King, a Board Member for Veterans for Peace who has been active in several organizations to promote human rights, diversity and peace.

A committee of human rights organizations and nonprofits, including the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, Metro Human Relations Commission, United Nations Association, UNICEF, Amnesty International, Free for Life International, Tennessee United for Human Rights, the Church of Scientology, and others, work together each year to plan the event. For more information or to see event photos, visit NashvilleHumanRights.org.  

The Way to Happiness Association of Tennessee Wants a Bright Holiday Season for All

The Way to Happiness Association of Tennessee is working to help communities across Nashville and Davidson County.

The holiday season is upon us, and with the joy and merriment this time of year brings, there are still those who suffer from drug addiction, poor health, and broken relationships. That is why The Way to Happiness Association of Tennessee (TWTH-TN) calls upon all people to extend friendship and help to those who are suffering.

The Way to Happiness, a book written by humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard in the early 1980s, is comprised of 21 precepts, each one predicated on the fact that one’s survival depends on the survival of others—and that without the survival of others, neither joy nor happiness are attainable. In the three decades since it was authored, more than 115 million copies of the book passed hand to hand, thus inspiring the international movement which is spreading throughout Nashville, TN.

“The precepts in this book allow you to live a happy life, and to help others do the same,” says a volunteer for TWTH-TN. Books can be ordered online at twthtn.org, according to the association. “The book is a great gift for friends and family, and has truly helped people to turn their lives around,” she said.  

According to thewaytohappiness.org, “This code of conduct can be followed by anyone, of any race, color or creed and works to restore the bonds that unite humankind.”

TWTH-TN is making a true impact across Tennessee and reaching other parts of the world. It is the local chapter of The Way to Happiness Foundation, which is based in Los Angeles and acts as a resource center to assist the public with distribution projects bringing about needed changes in businesses, communities and entire regions, according to thewaytohappiness.org.

The Foundation is supported by a growing global network of The Way to Happiness offices that forward the book into circulation across all sectors of society. As a result, people world over—from heads of state, mayors and CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, to doctors, lawyers, local business leaders and community heads—are now using The Way to Happiness to reverse the current moral decline.
To learn more about the program, or to order copies of The Way to Happiness booklet, visit twthtn.org.

Tennessee Human Rights Day Uplifts Leaders of Tomorrow


The Tennessee Celebration of International Human Rights Day was held in Nashville at the First Amendment Center and acknowledged human rights heroes.  

The Tennessee Celebration of International Human Rights Day took place in Nashville at the First Amendment Center on December 7th with the theme “Human Rights: Our Leaders of Tomorrow.” The planning committee brought together a youth panel to discuss freedom of expression which was moderated by 2016 Human Rights Rising Advocate Justin Jones. The panel was comprised of student leaders from Lipscomb and Belmont Universities as well as the Public Art Coordinator for the Metro Arts Commission.

In addition to the youth panel, there was a spoken word performance by two members of the Tennessee State University Speech & Debate Team.

Human Rights Day is a time to acknowledge leaders who have given their lives to service, as well as those who have done outstanding work and those taking up the torch for tomorrow. Awards went to human rights champions in three categories: Rising Advocate, Outstanding Service and Lifetime Achievement.

Rising Advocate Awards went to three individuals who have made great strides for human rights and show even greater promise for the future. They were Kayo Beshir, an undergraduate student at Middle Tennessee State University who has worked on and off campus to promote human rights; Pratik Dash, who has worked both with Women On Maintaining Education and Nutrition (WOMEN) and the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC); and Madison White, a junior at Lipscomb University who has been actively involved in local pro bono legal clinics, and also volunteers her time with nonprofits such as Make a Wish Foundation, Second Harvest Food Bank and Free for Life International.

The award winners in the category of Outstanding Service were Jerry Redman, Co-Founder and CEO of Second Life of Tennessee which is an awareness and advocacy organization working to end human sex trafficking and Zulfat Suara, a strong advocate for minorities who is currently Chair of the American Muslim Advisory Council (AMAC) and President Elect of the Tennessee Women Political Caucus.

The Lifetime Achievement award went to Thelma Harper, the first African-American woman State Senator of Tennessee who has a long history of service and Joey King, a Board Member for Veterans for Peace who has been active in several organizations to promote human rights, diversity and peace.

International Human Rights Day occurs every year to commemorate the ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations on Dec 10, 1948. A committee of human rights organizations and nonprofits, including the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, Metro Human Relations Commission, United Nations Association, UNICEF, Amnesty International, Free for Life International, Tennessee United for Human Rights, the Church of Scientology, and others, work together each year to plan the event. For more information or to see event photos, visit NashvilleHumanRights.org.  

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Nashville Church of Scientology Presents An Introduction to Human Rights

Part of an international movement spanning 192 countries, the Church of  Scientology Celebrity Centre Nashville is raising awareness of human rights in commemoration of the 69th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The Nashville Church of Scientology held a special program to introduce young people to their most basic human rights for International Human Rights Day this year.

Human Rights Day commemorates the United Nations adoption in 1948 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights--the world's premier human rights document. Despite the best intentions of those who crafted the Declaration, 69 years later, the UN points out, "disrespect for basic human rights continues to be widespread in all parts of the globe. Extremist movements subject people to horrific violence. Messages of intolerance and hatred prey on our fears. Humane values are under attack."

For this reason, Church pastor Rev. Brian Fesler brought together families with young children to learn about their human rights and the spirit of the day. “If we don’t educate the next generation on their rights, what kind of world will we be living in?” he says.

Human rights are an integral part of the Scientology religion. The Creed of the Church of Scientology, written in 1954 by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, begins: "We of the Church believe: That all men of whatever race, color or creed were created with equal rights." And the Code of a Scientologist calls on all Scientologists "to support true humanitarian endeavors in the fields of human rights."

The Church of Scientology and Scientologists support United for Human Rights, the world's largest nongovernmental human rights education campaign, active in 192 countries and partnering with 1,500 groups and organizations.  The initiative is inspired by Mr. Hubbard's conviction that "It is vital that all thinking men urge upon their governments sweeping reforms in the field of human rights."


For more information about the Church of Scientology or its programs, visit scientology.org.