Drug-Free Tennessee Holds International Day Against Drug Abuse Workshop 2023

 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. This week, DFT reminded all to keep activities drug-free so they stay safe and healthy. To this end, the group held an educational seminar for teachers and those who work with young people to help them understand how to use the education kit from the Foundation for a Drug-Free World. If you missed out, more info is available at drugfreeworld.org.

 

Those attending were treated to a presentation about the anti-drug materials, were able to see how they can be put to use, and were offered as many as they could carry.

 

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 audio-visual messages and videos aimed at helping people steer clear of drug abuse and addiction. The organization has also long offered 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 the downloadable Truth About Drugs booklet, which covers all basic side effects of drugs, common street names, and how to recognize when you are being persuaded by a dealer.

 

DFW 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.

 

Nashville Religion Communicators Learn the Promise and Perils of AI

 

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 June meeting which was held with others across the nation virtually was about the promise and perils of Artificial Intelligence. “It’s a hot topic, generating lots of headlines and heated debates – generative AI. Whether you view it as a great resource that may give the tech industry a much-needed boost, are concerned how AI might impact the future of the workforce, or – like the majority of folks – fall somewhere in the middle, there’s plenty to be learned about this new technology. Communicators especially need to consider how, when and to what extent to use AI,” according to the religioncommunicators.org website.

 

The discussion was led by Aaron Kwittken, founder & CEO of PRophet, an AI-driven platform. During the session, Kwittken discussed the potential of generative AI tools such as Jasper and DALL-E that have attracted ample attention lately, with emphasis on OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Launched in late November and free and open to the public, ChatGPT holds the distinction of being the world’s most sophisticated chatbot.  His presentation will cover how this tech may impact communication, drawbacks and a forecast of things to come.

 

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 to Hold 8th Annual International Friendship Day Celebration

 The Church of Scientology Nashville is set to hold its eighth annual Friendship Day open house at the end of July, with participation from the diverse population that makes up the ever growing city.

 

“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 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.”

 

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.”

 

Last year the International Friendship Day theme was “sharing the human spirit through friendship.” The theme for 2023 has not yet been announced by the United Nations. Though the Nashville event always embodies the spirit of the day with dialogue between those of all faith traditions.   

 

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

 

Drug-Free Tennessee Will Hold Educational Workshop for Teachers June 2023

 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 having an educational seminar for teachers and those who work with young people at the end of June to help them understand how to use the education kit from the Foundation for a Drug-Free World. For more information or to attend the workshop, email info@drugfreetn.org.

 

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 audio-visual messages and videos aimed at helping people steer clear of drug abuse and addiction. 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 the downloadable Truth About Drugs booklet, which covers all basic side effects of drugs, common street names, and how to recognize when you are being persuaded by a dealer. DFW 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.

Citizens Commission on Human Rights Holds Event for the International Day of Protest Against Electroshock

 The Citizens Commission on Human Rights of Nashville (CCHR Nashville) held a special event in May near the anniversary of the International Day Against Electroshock.

 

The Nashville Chapter of Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR Nashville) held a special event to brief volunteers on Nashville news near the anniversary of the International Day of Protest Against Electroshock.

 

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.”

 

The International Day of Protest Against Electroshock began in 2015 when ECT survivors and supporters around the world staged coordinated protests against the practice of psychiatric electroshock treatment, according to ectjustice.com. The protests were originated by electroshock survivor and MindFreedom Ireland co-founder, Mary Maddock, who said, “Electroshock is a barbaric assault on the individual.  As a young mother after the birth of my daughter, I was subjected to 16 sessions of it and suffered permanent memory loss as a result. I have spoken to many others who have received it both in Ireland and abroad and all have received permanent brain damage.  MindFreedom Ireland is calling for the total abolition of electroshock.”

 

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.

 

For more information on the open house or to contact CCHR Nashville, visit cchrnashville.org.  

Church of Scientology Announces Cleanup for World Environment Day 2023

 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 NobodyTrashesTennessee.com, “There are currently more than 88 million pieces of litter on Tennessee state roadways and it costs TDOT more than $23 million to clean it up every year. How do we know? Because we counted, via a pioneering ‘Visible Litter Study.’”

 

“This is exactly what we have to combat,” says Julie Brinker with the Church of Scientology. She is working with the community and has partnered with the Way to Happiness Association of Tennessee to create a community cleanup for World Environment Day. World Environment Day was established by the United Nations to encourage worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment.

 

The cleanup is scheduled for Saturday morning, June 3^rd starting at 10am. “Our goal is to start with a cleanup for World Environment Day and have it grow to a regular gathering of the community to clean up our neighborhoods,” says Brinker.  

 

The Way to Happiness Association, which is sponsoring 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.”

 

For more information, visit twthtn.org. 

The Way to Happiness Association of Tennessee Reaches Out to Neighbors

 

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.

 

Since the beginning of 2023, volunteers have taken to the streets and parks of Nashville to continue distributing booklets to help people learn the concepts contained within the common-sense moral code and uplift communities.

 

Most recently, volunteers distributed dozens upon dozens of the booklet to neighbors during community events in a suburb of Nashville, and are already planning the next outing.

 

Mr. Hubbard begins the book with these words: “Your survival is important to me.” He goes on to say, “You are important to other people. You are listened to. You can influence others. The happiness or unhappiness of others you could name is important to you. Without too much trouble, using this book, you can help them survive and lead happier lives.”

 

TWTH-TN is making a true impact across Tennessee and reaching other parts of the world. To learn more about the program, or to order copies of The Way to Happiness booklet, visit twthtn.org.