2021 Year in Review – Tennessee United for Human Rights

 2021 was an interesting year that showed resilience and innovation to keep activities moving forward. Tennessee United for Human Rights was able to continue carrying out the work of the international organization United for Human Rights in the Southeast United States virtually. 

Tennessee United for Human Rights (TnUHR) was formed as a non-profit public benefit corporation in 2015 to educate Tennesseans on the basic principles and foundations of human rights. Six years later, in 2021, the organization has taken great strides to provide help to people of all ages so they may understand their basic human rights. And this year has continued with virtual programs. 

Much of the year was spent educating people on their human rights online through audio-visual presentations and public service announcements online. 

The group reminisced on International Religious Freedom Day where students are typically educated on their human rights, with a special focus on freedom of thought. 

Closing out the year as always, TnUHR was a co-organizer for the annual Tennessee Celebration of International Human Rights Day, a spectacular event that showcased human rights leaders for their work and uplifted others. This year the event was fully held online on Zoom and live-streamed on Facebook where it can still be viewed: https://www.facebook.com/tennesseehumanrights/videos/467270061485535. 

“The time for true human rights education is now,” says Julie Brinker, spokesperson for Tennessee  United for Human Rights, “we’ve come far over the past few years but there is still more work to be done so that each and every person has a voice and human rights can be a reality for all.” 

TnUHR is the local chapter of United for Human Rights (UHR), an international, not-for-profit organization dedicated to implementing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Its membership is comprised of individuals, educators, and groups throughout the world who are actively forwarding the knowledge and protection of human rights by and for all Mankind. United for Human Rights was founded on the Declaration’s 60th anniversary, in the face of continued worldwide abuses which violate the spirit, intent, and Articles of this charter of all human rights, the first such document ever ratified by the community of nations. For more information about United for Human Rights, go to humanrights.com. For more information on the Tennessee chapter, visit tnuhr.org. 

Nashville Religion Communicators to Learn about DeRose Hinkhouse Awards

 The Nashville Chapter of the Religion Communicators Council (RCC) meets monthly to talk about topics of interest and hear from professionals in religious communications.  

The Religion Communicators Council (RCC) is an interfaith association of religion communicators at work in print and electronic communication, marketing, and public relations. The Nashville Chapter meets monthly to learn about other faith traditions, learn from fellow communicators and gain professional development opportunities. 

The first meeting of 2022 will take place virtually, with RCC Board members sharing how and why to enter and win the DeRose Hinkhouse Memorial Awards. “The DeRose-Hinkhouse Memorial Awards are given annually to active members of the Religion Communicators Council who demonstrate excellence in religious communications and public relations. The awards are named to honor the late Victor DeRose and the late Paul M. Hinkhouse, leading lithographers in New York City, and longtime friends of the RCC. Both men shared a strong interest in, and concern for, excellence in communications,” according to the religioncommunicators.org website. 

The discussion about the awards will be led by Rev. Brian Fesler, President of the Nashville RCC Chapter, Vice President of the RCC National Board of Governors, and Pastor of the Church of Scientology Nashville. 

The RCC has members from every faith group and walk of life including Baha’is, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Scientologists, Sikhs, Hindus, and more. The RCC, founded in 1929, is an association of communications professionals who work for and with a diverse group of faith-based organizations in the areas of communications, public relations, advertising, and development. 

The RCC provides opportunities for communicators to learn from each other. Together, RCC members promote excellence in the communication of faith and values in the public arena. For more information about the Religion Communicators Council, visit religioncommunicators.org/nashville-chapter.

Scientology Nashville Bringing Holiday Cheer to Victims of Kentucky Tornadoes

 The Nashville Church of Scientology Volunteer Ministers are active when disasters strike to help rebuild and recover.

 

 

Volunteer Ministers (VMs) from the Scientology Churches in Nashville, Tennessee; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Twin Cities, Minnesota are on the ground helping victims of the recent tornadoes that swept through Kentucky. This weekend, they are putting together a series of Christmas events to uplift residents and spread holiday cheer.

 

The VMs have been helping distribute meals and supplies to tornado victims every day since the disaster struck, now totaling more than 16,000 meals and thousands of supplies.

 

In preparation of the Christmas holiday this coming weekend, Volunteer Ministers have collected toys to give to children who would otherwise go without presents this year. They are also planning to distribute hot meals Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and have an interfaith service on Sunday with diverse religious leaders invited to speak and pray for the community.

 

The Church of Scientology Volunteer Ministers program is a religious social service created in the mid-1970s by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. A Volunteer Minister’s mandate is to be “a person who helps his fellow man on a volunteer basis by restoring truth and spiritual values to the lives of others.” Their creed: “A Volunteer Minister does not shut his eyes to the pain, evil and injustice of existence. Rather, he is trained to handle these things and help others achieve relief from them and new personal strength as well.”

 

 

Scientology Nashville Responds to Help to Victims in Towns Destroyed by Last Week's Tornadoes

 The Nashville Church of Scientology Volunteer Ministers are active when disasters strike to help rebuild and recover.

 

 

A U-Haul filled with 100 generators, heaters and propane tanks pulled up to the bright yellow tent at the corner of 8th and Walnut in Mayfield, Kentucky. Volunteer Ministers helped unload the truck’s precious contents, all of which found homes that day along with the 2,900 hot meals the volunteers handed out.

 

Volunteer Ministers (VMs) have arrived from the Scientology Churches in Nashville, Tennessee; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Twin Cities, Minnesota. And VMs pulled in to Mayfield from Austin, Texas, on Saturday with 4,000 donated items.

 

Joava Good of Draper, Utah, came out from the Church of Scientology in Salt Lake City. Good, who represents the Church of Scientology with VOAD (National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) has been an active Volunteer Minister, responding to disasters since 1978.

 

The rain that brought the tornado outbreak has continued for most of the past week. To lift people’s spirits, Good decided to make hot coffee and cocoa available and when she arrived at the checkout to pay for two coffee pots, 13 pounds of coffee and hot chocolate, Walmart paid the tab.

 

“It’s been like that since we arrived,” she says. “The generosity and outpouring of help is heartwarming.”

 

One of the Volunteer Ministers helped a woman who was devastated that the town she has lived in for 30 years had just been destroyed. Using a simple Scientology assist, a technique developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard to relieve distress through addressing the emotional and  spiritual factors in stress and trauma, he was able to bring her from grief to laughter in just a few minutes.

 

At the request of a pastor whose church was destroyed by the tornado, VMs cleared out the yard around the church so he can put up tents for parishioners in need of shelter. And whenever there is a lull in the rain, volunteers rush out to lay tarps on the roofs of houses that were damaged but not destroyed.

 

In addition to their work in Mayfield, Kentucky, the town hardest hit by the outbreak, Volunteer Ministers are also serving 70 miles away in Dawson Springs and in Bowling Green.

 

The Church of Scientology Volunteer Ministers program is a religious social service created in the mid-1970s by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. A Volunteer Minister’s mandate is to be “a person who helps his fellow man on a volunteer basis by restoring truth and spiritual values to the lives of others.” Their creed: “A Volunteer Minister does not shut his eyes to the pain, evil and injustice of existence. Rather, he is trained to handle these things and help others achieve relief from them and new personal strength as well.”

Tennessee Celebrates International Human Rights Day 2021 with Phenomenal Leaders

 Tennesseans gather each year in December to celebrate International Human Rights Day. This year, the event was held virtually and livestreamed on www.facebook.com/tennesseehumanrights. During the event, leaders were acknowledged and awards were given to human rights champions in three categories: Rising Advocate, Outstanding Service, and Lifetime Achievement.

 

Beverly Watts, director of the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, served as master of ceremonies for the affair. Mel Fowler-Green, director of the Metro Human Relations Commission, gave remarks on the theme: “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Foundation for Dignity.” A Q&A incorporating the theme was moderated by David Plazas of the Tennessean, and he posed questions to Zulfat Suara, a 2017 recipient of the Outstanding Service Award for Human Rights and first Muslim elected to Metro Council.

 

The Rising Advocate Awards went to Timothy Hughes, an activist who works at the intersection of public policy & social justice; and Joseph Gutierrez, the Education Program Officer at the Dan and Margaret Maddox Fund who also coordinates the work of API Middle Tennessee, an Asian & Pacific Islander-serving community-based organization.

 

The Outstanding Service Award went to Judge Rachel Bell who has served as a judge since 2012, during which time she established a community court that has a mission to focus on preventive, diversionary, and restorative justice initiatives to move the needle for marginalized people.

 

The Lifetime Achievement Awards went to Ms. Andrea Conte, former first lady of Tennessee and founder of You Have the Power; and Rev. Enoch Fuzz, the pastor of Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church who has long advocated for all people.

 

A committee of human rights organizations, nonprofits, and advocates, including the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, Metro Human Relations Commission, Tennessee United for Human Rights, the Church of Scientology, and others, work together each year to plan the event.

 

“Each year on Human Rights Day we look at challenges–those we have overcome and those we face. We hope that a brief look at our victories will give us the hope and strength to reach into the future,” says planning committee chair Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the Church of Scientology in Nashville. “The day centers around the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and this year we focus on human rights as the foundation for dignity.”

 

Church of Scientology Nashville Spreads Joy this Holiday Season

 Scientologists believe in spreading the warmth and joy of the holiday season to the community and beyond. 

More than 10,000 Scientology Churches, missions, related organizations and affiliated groups minister to millions in 165 countries, according to Scientology.org. Because of this worldwide diversity, Scientologists come from a wide variety of faiths and cultural traditions. But no matter their background, they, like most people, gather with loved ones to enjoy the warmth of friends and family and celebrate the joy of the holiday season.

Pastor of the Nashville Church, Rev. Brian Fesler, says, “Our church captures the spirit of the holidays. We bring people together to celebrate and plan the year ahead, and everyone is welcome here throughout the season.” 

The Nashville church hosts an annual potluck for Thanksgiving and Christmas, something which had to be skipped in 2020 but church members are anxious to celebrate in person again this year. There are also other community events including holiday shows and festivities, the annual Human Rights Day celebration which will be virtual again this year, open houses, holiday galas and other community get-togethers. 

Additionally, church members were excited to find a nearly 20-foot Christmas tree placed in the center of the atrium, dressed in holiday style. “It smells like holiday cheer,” said one church member upon seeing the tree. 

Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard honored the great religious leaders of the past for the wisdom they brought to the world, writing that Scientology shares “the goals set for Man by Christ, which are wisdom, good health and immortality.” It is in this spirit that Scientologists celebrate the holiday season, whether they observe Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or any other religious or cultural tradition. 

This past decade has seen explosive expansion for the religion, with over 70 new Churches of Scientology in global cities—from Orlando to Perth, Dublin to Detroit and Kansas City to Johannesburg. More Church openings are planned in the next 12 months for cities across North America, Australia, Europe and the United Kingdom. This decade further saw the inauguration of the Church’s global communications headquarters, Scientology Media Productions. The studio subsequently launched its own television channel, broadcasting in 17 languages across 24 time zones: Scientology Network—available on DIRECTV Channel 320 and streaming online at scientology.tv.

For more information about Scientology, visit www.scientology.org.

Nashville Religion Communicators Council Recaps the Year, Plans 2022

 The Nashville Chapter of the Religion Communicators Council (RCC) meets monthly to talk about topics of interest and hear from professionals in religious communications.  

The Religion Communicators Council (RCC) is an interfaith association of religion communicators at work in print and electronic communication, marketing and public relations. The Nashville Chapter meets monthly at rotating locations to learn about other faith traditions, learn from fellow communicators and gain professional development opportunities. 

The December meeting took place virtually, as has been the common meeting ground for all events this year. RCC Nashville President, Rev. Brian Fesler, lead the discussion about 2021 and what RCC members can look forward to in the year ahead. 

“It’s always good to look back on the year and decide how to best move forward,” says Julie Brinker, Communications Coordinator for the Nashville RCC and Director of Community Affairs for the Church of Scientology Nashville. 

The RCC has members from every faith group and walk of life including Baha’is, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Scientologists, Sikhs, Hindus and more. The RCC, founded in 1929, is an association of communications professionals who work for and with a diverse group of faith-based organizations in the areas of communications, public relations, advertising and development. 

The RCC provides opportunities for communicators to learn from each other. Together, RCC members promote excellence in the communication of faith and values in the public arena. For more information about the Religion Communicators Council, visit religioncommunicators.org/nashville-chapter. 

Church of Scientology Nashville Welcomes Community to Learn Human Rights

 Part of an international movement, the Church of Scientology with Tennessee United for Human Rights is raising awareness of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Tennessee United for Human Rights will have two events to commemorate 73 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights this December. The first is December 9th where community organizations will hold a virtual celebration honoring top leaders and advocates in Tennessee. The second, on December 11th will feature a special guest at the Church of Scientology who will speak about the state of human rights in Tennessee, and educational programs to help people learn their basic rights.  

The first event is virtual and will see a slate of five advocates receive awards for outstanding service to forward human rights. Tickets are available at no charge for this event and can be found at tnuhr.org. 

The second event will focus on education about basic human rights and takes place at the Church of Scientology Nashville. 

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, 73 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."

Tennessee United for Human Rights is a non profit organization, and the local chapter of United for Human Rights, which is the world's largest nongovernmental human rights education campaign, active in 192 countries and partnering with 1,500 groups and organizations.  For more information, visit humanrights.com. 

Tennessee to Celebrate International Human Rights Day for 2021

 Tennesseans gather each year in December to celebrate International Human Rights Day. This year, the event will be held virtually. During the event, leaders are acknowledged and awards will go to human rights champions in three categories: Rising Advocate, Outstanding Service, and Lifetime Achievement.

Beverly Watts, director of the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, will serve as master of ceremonies for the affair. Mel Fowler-Green, director of the Metro Human Relations Commission, will comment on our theme: “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Foundation for Dignity.” A Q&A incorporating the theme will be moderated by David Plazas of the Tennessean, and he will pose questions to Zulfat Suara, a 2017 recipient of the Outstanding Service Award for Human Rights and first Muslim elected to Metro Council.

The Rising Advocate Awards will go to Timothy Hughes, an activist who works at the intersection of public policy & social justice; and Joseph Gutierrez, the Education Program Officer at the Dan and Margaret Maddox Fund who also coordinates the work of API Middle Tennessee, an Asian & Pacific Islander-serving community-based organization.

The Outstanding Service Award will go to Judge Rachel Bell who has served as a judge since 2012, during which time she established a community court that has a mission to focus on preventive, diversionary, and restorative justice initiatives to move the needle for marginalized people.

The Lifetime Achievement Awards are going to Ms. Andrea Conte, former first lady of Tennessee and founder of You Have the Power; and Rev. Enoch Fuzz, the pastor of Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church who has long advocated for all people.

A committee of human rights organizations, nonprofits, and advocates, including the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, Metro Human Relations Commission, Tennessee United for Human Rights, the Church of Scientology, and others, work together each year to plan the event.

“Each year on Human Rights Day we look at challenges–those we have overcome and those we face. We hope that a brief look at our victories will give us the hope and strength to reach into the future,” says planning committee chair Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the Church of Scientology in Nashville. “The day centers around the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and this year we focus on human rights as the foundation for dignity.”