Drug-Free Tennessee Works with Community Leaders to Spread Hope

For International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Drug-Free Tennessee held a roundtable discussion about ending the drug demand in Nashville.

Community leaders, police and clergy sat down together just before International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking to talk not just the facts, but solutions.

A member of the Metro Vice Unit was present to give statistics about the current “drugs of choice,” and information related to prescription drug abuse, one of the major fads of today. Clergy and community leaders led discussions of how to reach youth before dealers, and Drug-Free Tennessee shared its many educational materials that can be used by anyone to help young people.

Drug-Free Tennessee is a chapter of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, which provides booklets, videos, brochures, and even an educational curriculum for students designed to give all of the basic facts of how drugs affect the body and mind, common street names and more. The Foundation holds events each year that tie into the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1987.

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime is leading the global campaign to raise awareness about the major challenge that illicit drugs represent to society as a whole, and especially to the young. The goal of the campaign is to mobilize support and inspire people to act against drug use, according to unodc.org.

Rev. Brian Fesler who coordinates Drug-Free Tennessee said, “We are committed to bringing the truth about drugs to everyone.  When youth know what they are really getting into, they have a chance to avoid a lot of pain and suffering.” Fesler says it can’t be done in a day and his organization is committed to working continuously to curb the drug epidemic. “We will go to anyone, anywhere in the region to spread the Truth About Drugs message,” he says, referring to the educational component of the program.

To learn more, order booklets or schedule a visit to your school, group or congregation, visit drugfreetn.org. 

Tennessee Human Rights Day Celebration Uplifting Future Generations

The Tennessee Celebration of International Human Rights Day will take place in Nashville at the First Amendment Center on December 10th, 5pm – 7pm. 

The Tennessee Celebration of International Human Rights Day will take place in Nashville at the First Amendment Center on December 10th, 5pm – 7pm.  The celebration centers around the presentation of the human rights awards. Past recipients of these prestigious honors have included the Rev. Bill Barnes, Rev. James “Tex” Thomas, Rosetta Miller Perry, Father Joseph Breen, Gatluak Thach, First Baptist Capitol Hill, Stephanie Teatro, and many more.

The committee planning the event decided to incorporate something new this year and has taken up donations which will go to sponsor students to attend Model U.N., an extra-curricular activity in which students typically role-play delegates to the United Nations and simulate UN committees. “This is a great learning experience for young people and we are excited to participate in this way,” says Rev. Brian Fesler who chairs the planning committee.

The planning committee is comprised of the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, Metro Human Relations Commission, United Nations Association, Amnesty International, Tennessee United for Human Rights, the Church of Scientology and others, who work together each year to plan the event.

At the celebration on December 10^th, awards will be given to community leaders in three categories: Rising Advocate, Outstanding Service and Lifetime Achievement.

Rising Advocate Awards will be given to three individuals who have made great strides for human rights and show even greater promise for the future. They are Ashford Hughes, Sr., an emerging leader for the labor movement who has been a proponent of labor and worker’s rights and Aisha Lbhalla with the Muslim Women’s Council who works for religious freedom and cultural diversity.

The award winner in the category of Outstanding Service is Dr. Marisa Richmond, the first trans woman to win an election in the state of Tennessee, for her tireless work to ensure transgender equality and equality between Caucasian and African American transgender people in Tennessee.

Lifetime Achievement awards will go to Kwame Lillard, who was significantly involved in the management of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the Nashville sit-ins, and the Freedom Rides and training of Freedom Riders; and Bernard Werthan, a founding member of the Family of Abraham and Faith and Culture Center, as well as member of the Community Advocates Advisory Council joint initiative of Vanderbilt Medical Center and Meharry Medical College, past board member of Goodwill Industries, Community Nashville, Urban League of Middle Tennessee, Nashville Business Minority Center, and YWCA Advisory Board, among others.

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. According to the event’s website, nashvillehumanrights.org, “In Tennessee, Human Rights Day has become a day to reflect and look at lessons learned and battles won, while various human rights groups join forces and commit to creating an even better future.” For more information, visit www.nashvillehumanrights.org.  

Church of Scientology Community News: United Nations Association to Host Ethnic Dinner and Discussion

The Nashville Church of Scientology supports the good works of others. Today’s highlight: the United Nations Association’s Ethnic Dinner and Discussion about the future of the euro.

The United Nations Association (UNA) Young Professionals Group is hosting an ethnic dinner and discussion on the “Future of the Euro.” The group feels this is a timely discussion as Croatia has just been admitted as the 28th member state of the European Union.

Senior Lecturer in Law and International Relations at Vanderbilt University, Klint Alexander, will facilitate the discussion at the event. Alexander is also President of the UNA Nashville Cordell-Hull Chapter.

The discussion will take its cues from the World Affairs Council's Great Decisions Program, which promotes citizen awareness and discussion about timely foreign policy issues. According to worldaffairscouncil.org, it is the oldest and largest grassroots educational program on world affairs of its kind in the country, with about 350,000 participants.

Those attending the event are asked to read the “Great Decisions Briefing Books,” published by the Foreign Policy Association.  New participants are invited to join the program, even if they have not yet read the book.

The event and dinner are free, but the UNA is asking that people RSVP.  The event will be held on July 23 at 7pm at Cummins Station.

The Nashville Cordell Hull Chapter was established in 1945.  According to its website, it is part of a national nonprofit, bipartisan organization that supports the work of the United Nations and encourages active civic participation in the most important social and economic issues facing the world today.  The chapter is named after native Nashvillian, US Secretary of State, “Father of the United Nations” and Nobel Peace Laureate, Cordell Hull.

For more information on the UNA Nashville Cordell-Hull Chapter or to RSVP for the event, visit una-nashville.org.