From Danish classrooms and teacher outreach to Geneva forums and projects reaching South Asia and New York, Scientology-supported initiatives continue to frame human-rights literacy as a practical civic tool

KINGNEWSWIRE / PRESS RELEASE // BRUSSELS, Belgium — March 12, 2026 — Human-rights education remains one of the clearest areas of public activity linked to Scientologists across Europe, with recent work ranging from school-facing outreach in Denmark and community initiatives in Italy to institutional dialogue in Geneva and partnerships extending beyond the continent. Much of that activity is carried out through Youth for Human Rights International and United for Human Rights, educational initiatives supported by Scientologists and the Church of Scientology and centered on the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The broader framework is consistent with the United Nations’ own approach to human-rights education. The UN Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training describes access to such education as essential to promoting universal respect for rights and fundamental freedoms.

One of the most visible current examples comes from Denmark. According to Youth for Human Rights DK, volunteers attending the country’s yearly national Teacher’s Fair introduced several hundred visitors to the campaign and placed 79 Educator Kits directly into teachers’ hands. The Danish group says that, with that latest distribution, more than 40 percent of Danish schools now have an Educator Kit. The figures build on a longer record already noted by Scientology Europe, which reports that Youth for Human Rights Denmark has been active since 2006 through classroom discussions, film screenings, creative workshops and the annual Walk for Human Rights in Copenhagen, and that the programme has received backing from the City of Copenhagen and support from Denmark’s Ministry of Culture.

The Danish initiative reflects the educational emphasis of the wider network. Youth for Human Rights International traces its origins to a European-wide youth essay competition launched in 2001, with winners from Hungary, the Czech Republic and Austria honored in Geneva. The organization says it was founded by educator Dr. Mary Shuttleworth to teach young people about the Universal Declaration and encourage them to become advocates of tolerance and peace.

Within the European Union, that educational approach has also taken a more explicitly civic form. In February, the European Office of the Church of Scientology for Public Affairs and Human Rights launched Europe’s Values, Your Rights, a youth-oriented guide explaining the EU’s six core values — human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights — in plain language with links to official European sources. Scientology Europe said the guide was designed to help young adults connect European legal protections with everyday situations, including school life, work, online activity and civic participation.

Elsewhere in Europe, local initiatives have continued to combine rights education with community dialogue. In Milan, the Church of Scientology hosted a December gathering organized by the association Diritti Umani e Tolleranza, bringing together representatives from Latin American and African communities living in northern Italy. Participants completed training based on the United for Human Rights program and discussed how to use those materials in youth work, neighborhood outreach and local association activity.

That same theme was visible in Geneva, where the Palais des Nations hosted the conference “Human Rights and Peace – Better Together” around Human Rights Day in December. The meeting brought together educators, academics, civil-society actors and institutional representatives to discuss the connection between human-rights protection, social inclusion and peace. A panel on freedom of thought, conscience and belief was chaired by Ivan Arjona-Pelado, president of the European Office of the Church of Scientology for Public Affairs and Human Rights.

Human-rights activity linked to European Scientologists has also extended beyond Europe itself. In August 2025, Scientology Europe highlighted support provided by volunteers in the Netherlands to a Dutch-registered foundation working in Sri Lanka. According to the report, Stichting Mission Lanka, working with Vision Media Academy, held its sixth journalism and human-rights workshop for 100 students in Rathnapura, Sri Lanka, using United for Human Rights materials supplied through that collaboration.

International summits have offered another route through which European-supported human-rights work has connected with audiences outside the continent. Youth for Human Rights notes that its International Human Rights Summits have been held in Geneva, Los Angeles and at the United Nations headquarters in New York. In 2024, Scientology Europe reported on the 18th International Human Rights Summit in New York, where 52 young representatives from 35 nations joined government officials, educators and advocates to discuss education, law, media and community action as vehicles for implementing the Universal Declaration.

For Scientologists, this work is presented as rooted in the teachings of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, but expressed through secular educational and civic channels. The Creed of the Church of Scientology, written in 1954, affirms equal rights and inalienable freedoms, while the Code of a Scientologist describes a duty to work for human rights and justice through social reform.

The European Office describes its mission as representing the Church of Scientology and its humanitarian programs before the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the United Nations. On its official profile pages, the office also notes participation in the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights’ civil-society platform, reflecting the extent to which its public human-rights work is framed in dialogue with existing European and international institutions.

Ivan Arjona, representative of the Church of Scientology to the European Union, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the United Nations, said: “Human rights are strongest when they are understood not only by specialists, but by teachers, students, families and local communities. What is happening across Europe — and in projects supported by Europeans abroad — shows that civic responsibility begins with knowing one’s rights and respecting the rights of others. That is fully in line with Europe’s democratic values, with human dignity at their core.”

The Church of Scientology, its churches, missions, groups and members are present across the European continent. Scientology Europe reports a continent-wide presence through more than 140 churches, missions and affiliated groups in at least 27 European nations, alongside thousands of community-based social betterment and reform initiatives focused on education, prevention and neighbourhood-level support, inspired by the work of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.

Within Europe’s diverse national frameworks for religion, the Church’s recognitions continue to expand, with administrative and judicial authorities in Spain, Portugal, Sweden, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany Slovakia and others, as well as the European Court of Human Rights, having addressed and acknowledged Scientology communities as protected by the national and international provisions of Freedom of Religion or belief.

The recent drone strike near the British RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus has brought to light a significant issue affecting many European countries: the deterioration of civil shelter networks. Inspections conducted after the incident revealed that about 200 of Cyprus’s 2,500 registered civil shelters were unusable. This discovery has reignited discussions on civil protection and highlighted the European Union‘s limited role in addressing such infrastructure issues.

Inspection Findings and Immediate Actions

Following the suspected Iranian-made drone strike in March, emergency inspections were carried out across Cyprus to assess the condition of civil shelters. The findings were alarming: many shelters were blocked by parked vehicles or repurposed as storage spaces; some were filled with waste, and others listed on safety apps like SafeCY could not be located at all. In response, specialised teams, including civil engineers from the Interior Ministry and other agencies, were quickly mobilised to conduct thorough checks and facilitate the cleaning of these shelters.

This situation in Cyprus is not isolated. It reflects a broader problem across Europe, where civil shelter networks developed during the Cold War era have fallen into disrepair. Despite their critical role in civilian safety during emergencies, these shelters have been largely neglected.

The EU’s Limited Role

Under Article 196 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, responsibility for civil protection primarily lies with individual member states. The EU can assist and coordinate but lacks direct authority to enforce construction standards or fund bunker projects. This limitation is rooted in the principle of subsidiarity, which restricts Brussels from intervening unless all member states agree to amend existing treaties.

The EU does maintain an emergency response capacity through mechanisms like the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM). This allows member states to request assistance when their national capacities are overwhelmed. The EU’s rescEU reserve provides deployable temporary shelters designed for displacement scenarios such as natural disasters or conflicts. However, these are not suitable replacements for permanent, blast-resistant bunkers required during attacks.

RescEU Reserves: A Temporary Solution

The rescEU initiative has seen significant investment, with over €196 million committed to shelter reserves across six member states from 2021 to 2027. Sweden holds the largest stockpile, capable of accommodating 36,000 people with winterised units equipped with essential amenities. Poland is also developing deployable “container towns” that can be assembled rapidly.

While these resources are invaluable during emergencies like floods or mass displacements due to conflict, they do not address the need for permanent civil defence infrastructure. Cyprus has yet to apply for its own rescEU reserve despite having the option to do so under EU funding schemes.

Lessons from Ukraine

The EU’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 demonstrated its capability to mobilise aid swiftly and at scale. Through the UCPM, over 140,000 tonnes of aid were delivered to Ukraine, including €62.3 million worth of shelter-specific assistance. This included prefabricated housing units and essential supplies distributed via logistics hubs in Poland and Romania.

While this operation underscored the EU’s ability to respond effectively to large-scale crises, it also highlighted its limitations regarding long-term infrastructure needs. Ukraine’s reliance on hardened metro stations and bomb shelters further emphasises the gap between temporary aid solutions and permanent civil defence requirements.

Looking Forward: A Call for Reassessment

The current state of Europe’s civil shelter networks calls for a reassessment of how civil protection is managed at both national and European levels. While individual countries must take responsibility for maintaining their infrastructure, there is a growing argument for increased EU involvement or at least better coordination among member states.

As geopolitical tensions continue to rise, ensuring robust civil protection measures becomes increasingly critical. Whether through treaty amendments or enhanced cooperation frameworks, finding a sustainable solution will be essential for safeguarding European citizens against future threats.

Original source: Latest News From Euronews