Tennessee Human Rights Day Planning to Begin in September 2022

 

According to recent news articles on UN.org, human rights abuse and suppression remain on a global level. Though it is not necessary to look to Palestine or Myanmar when human rights abuses also exist in our own backyard. To bring increased awareness and education on human rights to the public, especially as things are close to home, a celebration for Human Rights Day takes place each December in Nashville, Tenn.

 

On this day, Tennesseans 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 celebration has been held virtually for two years due to the coronavirus pandemic, but planning committee members are hopeful for an in-person event this December. 

 

The celebration centers around the Human Rights Lifetime Achievement awards, the Rising Advocate Awards, and the Outstanding Service Award. Last 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. 

 

The committee plans to feature many different human rights organizations during this year’s celebration, especially government agencies and non-profit organizations in Tennessee that have commitments to some part of the thirty rights as laid out in the UDHR. Organizations who wish to participate in the planning may contact the organizer through www.nashvillehumanrights.org.

Church of Scientology Announces Peace Day Event to Take Place in September

 The Tennessee chapter of United for Human Rights (TNUHR) will have a large inter-religious, multicultural event for International Peace Day.

The Church of Scientology in partnership with Tennessee United for Human Rights will hold its annual Nashville Celebration of International Day of Peace in mid-September. Tennessee United for Human Rights (TUHR) has held an event for International Day of Peace for many years, each with a different theme related to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. TUHR promotes human rights education as a way to combat ignorance and increase awareness.  

During past Peace Day events, a different human right has been the focus. Past themes have included religious diversity, human trafficking awareness, and domestic violence education. 

“Each year we focus on a human rights issue that needs to be brought to light. This year we will bring together the community to speak and learn of peace on a universal level,” says Rev. Brian Fesler, regional coordinator of the Tennessee United for Human Rights program. 

International Day of Peace was declared by the United Nations General Assembly as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples. 

The Peace Day event will be held in mid-September in the Nashville Church of Scientology community hall.

TNUHR is a chapter of the international organization United for Human Rights, formed on the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to provide human rights resources and educational materials to all sectors of society. 

For more information about Peace Day or to find out more about Tennessee United for Human Rights, visit tnuhr.org.

Scientology Nashville Responds to Help to Victims of Kentucky 2022 Flooding

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

The July 2022 flooding in Kentucky has an official death toll of 38 and thousands now find themselves homeless, looking for answers and help. That help has arrived from non-profits across the country that are active in disasters. Among them are the Churches of Scientology Disaster Response unit, with teams coming from Nashville, Tennessee; Cincinnati, Ohio; Clearwater, Florida; and Twin Cities, Minnesota. 

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers have been at work on the ground in Eastern Kentucky, organizing supplies, handing out food to victims and volunteers, and working with others to bring sorely needed help. 

“The community is coming together and the generosity and outpouring of help are heartwarming,” according to a representative of the Volunteer Ministers. 

Scientology Volunteer Ministers respond to disasters whenever they occur. Sponsored by local Scientology Churches, teams of volunteers provide backup to emergency personnel responding to fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and other natural and man-made disasters. They work in shelters, package and distribute food, and help people recover through Scientology assists—techniques developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard that provide relief from spiritual and emotional trauma.

Whether serving in their communities or on the other side of the world, the motto of the Scientology Volunteer Minister is “Something can be done about it.” The program, created by Mr. Hubbard in the mid-1970s, is sponsored by the Church of Scientology International as a religious social service and constitutes one of the world’s most significant independent relief forces.

The Volunteer Minister “helps his fellow man on a volunteer basis by restoring purpose, truth and spiritual values to the lives of others.”

For more information on Scientology, the Churches of Scientology Disaster Response, or Volunteer Ministers, visit scientology.org. 

Church of Scientology Brings Diverse Community Together for 7th Annual International Friendship Day Celebration

 The Church of Scientology Nashville held its seventh annual Friendship Day open house this past weekend, with participation from the diverse population that makes up the ever-growing city.

 

The International Day of Friendship was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2011 in the belief that “friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.”

 

“We love bringing a diverse group of people together and demonstrating the power of friendship,” says Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the Church of Scientology. “Most of life’s problems come from our basic misunderstanding of each other—a misunderstanding of intentions—getting along with one another starts with getting to know each other.”

 

The Church of Scientology partners in this effort with The Way to Happiness Association of Tennessee, which provides a community betterment program based on the book The Way to Happiness by L. Ron Hubbard. The initiative is 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 is attainable. Several precepts in the book promote dialogue and friendship, among them “Respect the Religious Beliefs of Others,” “Be Worthy of Trust,” and “Try to Treat Others As You Would Want Them to Treat You.”

 

This year, the International Friendship Day theme was “sharing the human spirit through friendship,” and the Nashville event embodied this with dialogue between those of many different faith traditions, from Baptist and Catholic, to Scientologist, Jew, and Latter-Day Saint.   

 

"People need to come together and be friends," says Rev. Enoch Fuzz, pastor of Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church. Fuzz and Fesler have been working together on this annual event for over eight years.

 

For more information on the Church of Scientology, its programs or upcoming events, visit scientology-ccnashville.org.