Know Your Human Rights

In 1982, the government of Canada adopted a new Constitution and for first the first time included a comprehensive "Charter of Rights of Freedoms" to guarantee the basic human rights for Canadians. The Church of Scientology took a leading role in informing Canadians about their rights and over the next six years distributed an estimated 1,000,000 copies of the Charter to Canadians across the country in Polish, Portuguese, Italian, Greek, French, Ukrainian, Spanish, German as well as English. The Church's "Constitutional Quiz" became famous and traveled to 50 cities and towns asking Canadians on the street if they knew their rights. Hundreds of news articles, radio and TV spots highlighted the Church's efforts to make Canadians aware of their newly enshrined human rights.

In line with this tradition, in 1998 a Scientologist was elected to the position of Deputy Vice-Chairman of the Greater Toronto commitee to plan for the year-long celebrations of the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This organization comprised some of the top human rights organizations in Canada, both governmental and public including the Canadian Human Rights Commission, Ontario Human Rights Commission, and Amnesty International. With a grant of $100,000 from the Department of Canadian Heritage, a series of events were staged to celebrate the anniversary of the UDHR including a major human rights film festival, a large-scale youth human rights art competition, and a large human rights celebration staged at the Ontario Legislature hosted by the Ontario Minister of Culture.

For the last six years, the Church of Scientology has been invited to the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs annual consultation with non-governmental organizations prior to the meetings of the United Nations Committee on Human Rights in Geneva. The purpose of these meetings is for Foreign Affairs staff to get briefed on areas of human rights concerns by Canadian organizations and to represent these concerns in Geneva. On two occasions Church representatives were invited to participate in organized roundtables on religious freedom issues. As the result of such briefings, Canadian foreign affairs officials have had talks with their European counterparts in Geneva expressing concerns about religious intolerance in Europe.

One official picking up this issue was Member of Parliament John McKay who at the request of the Church met with French officials in Paris about the infringement of religious freedom in France. He wrote a report of his visit to France which was published in the Canadian edition of Freedom magazine.

Closer to home, the Church in Toronto has engaged in bridge building between human rights groups and individuals. The Friends of L. Ron Hubbard Humanitarian Awards Gala was started in 1999 to celebrate those leaders in Canada who stand for human rights. The Gala which includes presentations on the life and work of LRH along with displays on the social betterment programs of Narconon, Criminon, Applied Scholastics and the Way to Happiness. Prominent individuals have been named to be recipients of the Awards and include such as Howard McCurdy, the first black Canadian to be elected to the Parliament of Canada, recipients of Canada's highest civilian honour, the Order of Canada, Bromley Armstrong and David Smith for their work in race relations and philanthropy respectively, and former chief commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission Alok Mukherjee.

The work of the Church in this regard has been praised by one of the pioneers of the race relations movement in Canada. Bromley Armstrong, a recipient of the Order of Canada as well, has been active for 53 years in fighting for racial equality and human rights. A founder of the Urban Alliance on Race Relations, an organization similar to the NAACP of the United States, as well as the Black Business and Professional Association and also a former Commissioner with the Ontario Human Rights Commission, Mr. Armstrong has been at the forefront of human rights evolution in Canada.

In regards to the Church and its human rights programs he states: “The Church of Scientology is to be commended for taking a strong position for human rights. Their activities in this regard is something that affects all of us. We all need be cognizant of the fact that our rights should be protected and it is encumbent on everyone to participate fully to protect the rights of all. The Church's campaign to promote human rights for young and old alike is vital for our world today.”

"Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream." - L. Ron Hubbard

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