Tennessee United for Human Rights Spreads Awareness During Summer 2022

 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. 

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. Seven years later, in 2022, the organization has taken great strides to provide help to people of all ages so they may understand their basic human rights. 

The group is transitioning back to in-person meetings and events following two years of virtual and online programs. TnUHR plans to host events for International Religious Freedom Day, Peace Day, and Human Rights Day.  Throughout summer, there will be information disseminated on human rights to help children and adults alike understand their rights and freedoms. 

“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.” 

Last year, 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. In December of 2021, 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. 

Information is available free of charge at humanrights.com and tnuhr.org. 

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. 

Drug-Free Tennessee to Host Event for International Day Against Drug Abuse 2022

 Drug-Free Tennessee has a mission to educate people on the dangers of drug abuse. 

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in Tennessee, drug overdose deaths involving opioids totaled 1,307 in 2018 (a rate of 19.9). Deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone (mainly fentanyl and fentanyl analogs) increased from 590 (a rate of 9.3) in 2017 to 827 (a rate of 12.8) in 2018.

Drug-Free Tennessee has long warned youth and adults alike on the dangers of drug abuse. During the summer, DFT is reminding parents to help their kids with drug-free activities so they stay safe and healthy. To this end, the group is hosting a talk with police officers at the end of June on what is happening in Nashville and to help the community understand what to do about it. 

International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking occurs on June 26 each year and was created by the UN General Assembly in December 1987 to encourage all sectors of society to work together to tackle drug abuse and addiction.

Drug-Free Tennessee has hosted virtual resources throughout 2020 at drugfreetn.org and has continued this year with audio-visual messages and videos aimed at helping people steer clear of drug abuse and addiction. With restrictions lifted across Tennessee, volunteers are eager to get the truth directly to people once again with the Truth About Drugs booklets and will be distributing these in observance of the international holiday. 

The organization has also long offered virtual learning resources and free materials to all educators wanting to help people learn the truth about drugs. Resources are available free of charge through drugfreeworld.org, including downloadable Truth About Drugs booklet, which cover all basic side effects of drugs, common street names, and how to recognize when you are being persuaded by a dealer. DFT also has a range of award winning Public Service Announcements and an award winning feature length documentary detailing the dangers of drugs and addiction. To learn more or to order booklets or view the videos, visit drugfreetn.org and drugfreeworld.org.

 

Church of Scientology Celebrates World Environment Day 2022

 The Church of Scientology, in partnership with the Way to Happiness Association of Tennessee, will observe World Environment Day with an event and community cleanup.

 

​​​According to the Nashville Area Metro Planning Organization, “transportation, and policies that guide the expansion of transportation infrastructure, are increasingly linked to a variety of environmental issues.” It’s no doubt that Nashville has been experiencing unprecedented growth, but what is happening to the natural environment as this growth occurs?

 

This is the subject of the World Environment Day event at the Church of Scientology, organized in partnership with the Way to Happiness Association of Tennessee.

World Environment Day was established by the United Nations to encourage worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment.

 

The Way to Happiness Association, which sponsored the event, was created to promote the book The Way to Happiness, written by humanitarian and Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. The book’s 21 precepts are based on the principle that one’s survival depends on the survival of others. “Your own survival can be threatened by the bad actions of others around you,” he wrote. “You are important to other people. You are listened to. You can influence others.”

 

One way in which one’s own actions and influence can make a significant impact is closely related to the purpose of World Environment Day. In the precept “Safeguard and Improve the Environment,” Mr. Hubbard wrote: “The idea that one has a share in the planet and that one can and should help care for it may seem very large and, to some, quite beyond reality. But today what happens on the other side of the world, even so far away, can effect what happens in your own home…. There are many things one can do to help take care of the planet. They begin with the idea that one should. They progress with suggesting to others they should. Man has gotten up to the potential of destroying the planet. He must be pushed on up to the capability and actions of saving it. It is, after all, what we’re standing on.”

 

World Environment Day was set aside by the UN as “the ‘people’s day’ for doing something positive for the environment, galvanizing individual actions into a collective power that generates an exponential positive impact on the planet.”

 

The Way to Happiness was written in 1981. Immensely popular since its first publication, some 115 million copies have been distributed in 115 languages in 186 nations. It holds the Guinness World Record as the single most-translated nonreligious book and fills the moral vacuum in an increasingly materialistic society. The Church of Scientology and its members are proud to share the tools for happier living contained in The Way to Happiness.

 

Rev. Brian Fesler of Church of Scientology Nashville Elected President of Religion Communicators Council

 Expanding the outreach and message of the religious and spiritual community helps the world in time of need.

At its 2022 convention, the Religion Communicators Council (RCC) elected Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the Church of Scientology Nashville, as President of its Board of Governors. The past President of RCC, Ms. Nadine Monn said, “[Rev. Fesler’s] leadership on interfaith partnerships and dedication to communications excellence will be a benefit to our professional association as we continue envisioning what RCC looks like in the coming years.”

Rev. Fesler has long been known in the Nashville community for his work to bring all people together in celebration of diversity and breaking down barriers between disparate peoples. He served as Treasurer on the Board of the Interdenominational Ministers Fellowship from 2014-2015 under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Judy Cummings, then pastor of New Covenant Christian Church (DOC). From there, he became a fixture on the steering committee which plans MLK Day march and convocation each year for the city. Rev. Fesler is also active in a variety of community issues, from interfaith work to education and literacy. He supports drug-prevention groups around the state and works to improve human rights in Tennessee, chairing the annual Tennessee Celebration of International Human Rights Day.

The Religion Communicators Council is an organization serving communications and public relations professionals who work for or on behalf of religious organizations. It was founded in 1929 with membership limited to Protestant Christians, and in 1972 opened its membership to include all religious faiths. Membership today includes more than 60 different faith-based institutions in the United States and abroad. Rev. Fesler explained, "In this time of confusion, worry, and lack of social interaction, it is more important than ever for the religious community to reach its members and counsel those in need. The RCC is vital to our world today. I look forward to working with the executive committee and board to further the RCC mission.” 

In addition to his role on the board, Rev. Fesler served this year as coordinator of the DeRose-Hinkhouse Memorial Awards, honoring excellence in religion communication. This is the second year in a row he organized 50 communications professionals to judge almost 200 submissions from RCC members for awards involving periodicals, audio-visual publications, writing, artwork, design and more. In this tradition stretching back over forty years, local, regional, and national works were recognized in twelve different classes.

Rev. Fesler says he is honored to step into his new role, “I've been growing with RCC for well over a decade. After three years on the board of governors, and one as Vice President, I am excited and honored to serve with the distinguished members of the executive committee.” But what he loves most about the organization are its members: “These people have dedicated their careers to forwarding religious and spiritual values with excellence. Supporting that work is what RCC is all about.”

Rev. Fesler has served as senior pastor of the Church of Scientology Nashville since 2009. For more information about the Religion Communicators Council, visit religioncommunicators.org/nashville-chapter. For more information about the Church of Scientology, visit scientology-ccnashville.org. 

The Way to Happiness Association Plans Cleanup for 2022 World Environment Day

Tennessee spends an average of 15 million dollars each year cleaning up litter, according to a 2021 Tennessean article. To set a good example and keep Nashville beautiful, safe and healthy, The Way to Happiness Association of Tennessee is organizing “Green It Up,” a World Environment Day neighborhood cleanup.

The Nashville Church of Scientology, which works with the group is hosting an event that will then lead right into the cleanup. 

Youth from The Way to Happiness Kids Club are preparing for the cleanup by watching public service announcements at the Church of Scientology Public Information Center. The video conveys the importance of safeguarding and improving the environment, a precept from The Way to Happiness, the common-sense moral code authored by L. Ron Hubbard. The book contains 21 precepts, each reflecting that one’s own survival depends on the survival of others.

United Nations World Environment Day takes place June 5 each year. The UN Environment website describes the day as “a broad, global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated by stakeholders in over 100 countries. It also serves as the ‘people’s day’ for doing something positive for the environment, galvanizing individual actions into a collective power that generates an exponential positive impact on the planet.”

For more information on “Green It Up” or to participate in future events, visit twthtn.org.

The Church of Scientology and its members are proud to share the tools for happier living contained in The Way to Happiness with all who work to build a better world.