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Youth for Human Rights Ads a Hit with Teachers at the Social Science Congress in Holland
February 28, 2007
Enthusiasm on the subject of human rights was the keynote last week when a team of dedicated young people attended the yearly social science congress in Eindhoven, Holland to promote human rights education to the teachers of their country.
The Netherlands chapter of Youth for Human Rights International, Jongeren voor Mensenrechten Nederland, is determined to raise awareness and activate the youth of their country to guarantee all the rights outlined in The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Their visit to the social science teachers' congress last week was an important step in accomplishing this purpose.
Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) is a program of the International Foundation for Human Rights and Tolerance, an independent non-profit corporation headquartered in Los Angeles, with the purpose to educate people in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights so they become valuable advocates for tolerance and peace.
Last year, the Human Rights Department of the Church of Scientology International produced a series of 30 audiovisual public service announcements for Youth for Human Rights International — one for each article of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
These 30 to 60 second videos speak to young people and adults alike, bringing each of the articles to life with real-life examples of the rights graphically illustrated. By watching the ads, young people realize that the Universal Declaration has relevance to their own lives, and they need to take responsibility to see that all people can enjoy these rights.
Set up with a laptop so teachers could watch the PSAs, the YHRI booth was mobbed at each break, with word of mouth spreading throughout the congress. The young volunteers were thrilled when one of the teachers rushed down the stairs during the first coffee break demanding to know, "Where is that DVD? I've got to have it!"
"Your being here was the highlight of the day!" said a teacher after she watched the DVD.
"It never stopped all day," said one of the YHRI volunteers. "We had to run from the moment we got there just to fill the requests from teachers who mobbed our booth wanting to purchase their own copies of the DVD so they can use them with their classes."
The Netherlands chapter of Youth for Human Rights International is supported by the Church of Scientology of Amsterdam. Scientology founder, L. Ron Hubbard, once said "Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream," and this team of young people are determined to make this dream a reality.
The human rights public service announcements can be watched online at the web site of Youth for Human Rights International.
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