On Wednesday, September 12, national dignitaries joined more than a thousand Scientologists and guests to celebrate the grand opening of the Church of Scientology’s National Affairs Office in Washington, D.C.

Located in the historic Fraser Mansion at Dupont Circle, the new National Affairs Office stands as the central point from which the Church coordinates its many social and humanitarian initiatives on a national and international level.

The establishment of the National Affairs Office is necessitated by the Church of Scientology’s unprecedented worldwide growth and commensurate demand for Church-sponsored programs. In the past several years, dozens of new Ideal Churches of Scientology (Ideal Orgs) have opened in major cities across the world. In the United States, new Churches now stand in Washington, D.C., New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Seattle, Denver and Phoenix, to name but a few. While internationally, they also now stand in Rome, London, Madrid, Brussels, Berlin, Hamburg, Mexico City, Johannesburg, Melbourne, Moscow and Tel Aviv. Ideal Orgs are designed to both serve the needs of parishioners as well as the community at large, while the National Affairs Office serves to facilitate implementation of the Church-sponsored programs both nationally and internationally.

These programs include a worldwide human rights initiative; equally far-ranging drug education, prevention and rehabilitation programs; a wide-reaching criminal reform program; a global network of literacy and learning centers; a moral education movement restoring the brotherhood of Man; and the Scientology Volunteer Ministers, the world’s largest independent relief force providing emergency response at major disaster sites for more than a decade.

Underscoring the importance of the new National Affairs Office to the Church’s greater social and humanitarian mission, Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board Religious Technology Center and ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, led the dedication. In honoring the occasion, he said: “Here is an Office designed to give back to a United States government that steadfastly guaranteed our religious rights—the very freedom that allows us to do what we are doing today. And with that, we extend our reach by invoking what we hold to be the greatest of all rights, the one right which must be invoked if one is to fight for the freedom of others—the right to help. And yes, that’s what we pledge today with the inauguration of this new Church of Scientology National Affairs Office.”

Dignitaries joining in the opening ceremony included Members of U.S. Congress Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) and Danny Davis (D-IL); as well as Liz Gibson, Senior Program Manager, Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The Honorable Dan Burton spoke to the Church’s signal contributions in the protection of children from psychotropic drugging and preservation of the rights of families: “I applaud you for taking the time to pursue this issue, and for helping make the Child Safety and Medication Act the law of the land. Working together we have been part of a course of correction to safeguard America’s youth while promoting and protecting liberty.”

Acknowledging the Church for its abiding commitment to human rights, the Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee, Member of U.S. Congress, said: “I want to thank L. Ron Hubbard for recognizing that courage is not rewarded but it is valued. And to be able to have the wonderment of people coming together and ensuring that people come together for peace. That’s what I see in the Church, that you have come together for peace. I welcome and support that.”

The Honorable Danny Davis thanked the Church for its commitment to improving one of today’s most pressing social problems—criminal reform: “Since 2004, the Church has been part of the broad coalition that has tirelessly worked with us in Congress to get the Second Chance Act passed into law, which is a monumental first step in reforming our criminal justice system nationwide. I am extremely grateful for the work you do to help those individuals who are most in need.”

Ms. Liz Gibson, Senior Program Manager, Federal Emergency Management Agency, highlighted the effectiveness of Church volunteers in all forms of disaster response and community need: “You have consistently come to the aid of major and many minor disasters around the country. You arrive, help, then help some more and stay on after others have gone home. All our work from the policy level down to the local level depends on groups like the Churches of Scientology Disaster Response—these partnerships are and will be in the future the strength of our work here in this country.”

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The Church of Scientology National Affairs Office houses an array of facilities for meetings, conferences, seminars, workshops and events to promote collaboration on solutions to society’s greatest challenges. In particular, its Chestnut Hall is configured to host a wide range of functions, from human rights symposiums and drug education workshops to panel discussions, press conferences and awards ceremonies.

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The Church of Scientology acquired Fraser Mansion in 1994 to serve as home to the Church of Scientology of Washington, D.C., now located in expanded quarters on 16^th Street Northwest’s historic Church Row. The mansion, dating from 1890, is a nationally registered historic landmark. Under the Church’s custodianship, the combination Beaux-Arts, Renaissance and Romanesque building has been meticulously restored to its original glory. Fraser Mansion also stands just two blocks from the historic Founding Church of Scientology at 1812 19^th Street NW, established in 1955 by Founder L. Ron Hubbard.

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The dedication of the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office follows the opening of a series of Ideal Churches of Scientology (Ideal Orgs) in 2012, including the new Center of Scientology in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, August 21; the Churches of Scientology of Los Gatos, California, July 28; Buffalo, New York, June 30; Phoenix, Arizona, June 23; Denver, Colorado, June 16; Stevens Creek in San Jose, California, June 9; Orange County, California, June 2; Greater Cincinnati, February 25; Sacramento, California, January 28; and Hamburg, Germany, January 21.

For a complete list of new Churches of Scientology, visit Scientology.org.

In total, the Scientology religion today comprises more than 10,000 Churches, Missions and affiliated groups, with millions of members in 167 nations.

^{Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard}, founder of the Scientology religion Official Scientology News: ScientologyNews.org

CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY CELEBRITY CENTRE INTERNATIONAL HOSTS FORUM ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING

The Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre International hosted a forum and fundraiser March 31 to increase awareness of human trafficking and its consequences in Southern California. Funds raised will go to support human rights education.

Virginia Isaias, whose Foundation of Survivors of Human Trafficking (Fundacion de Sobrevivientes de Trafico Humano) is a resource center to help those who have escaped or been rescued from slavery, urged survivors to speak up to raise awareness of the plight of trafficking victims.

Youth for Human Rights volunteer Cristal Logothetis, who organized the forum, explained why she became involved with this issue.

“A few months ago, I was shocked to learn the International Labor Organization estimates as many as 27 million individuals are enslaved today and according to the U.S. State Department Trafficking in Persons Report, every year 600,000 to 800,000 persons are trafficked across international borders.”

The U.S. State Department also estimates 14,500 to 17,500 individuals, primarily women and children, are trafficked to the United States annually. Last week, The New York Timesreported an estimated 100,000 to 300,000 American-born children are sold for sex each year. In its October 2007 Final Report, the California Alliance to Combat Trafficking and Slavery Task Force noted that California is a top destination for human traffickers.

According to Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna who hosted the National Association of Attorney Generals (NAAG) human trafficking summit in Seattle, Washington, March 28-30, 2012, human trafficking is a $32 billion global industry.

At the March 31 forum, Tracie Parker, Human Rights Youth Coordinator of the Church of Scientology International, highlighted the importance of human rights education in fighting human trafficking: “Most people think this is only a problem in third-world countries, but it is happening right here. Raising awareness is vital. Tips to authorities from private citizens are a prime means of locating and freeing victims and apprehending traffickers.”

The Church of Scientology sponsors one of the world’s largest nongovernmental human rights information campaigns, aimed at raising awareness and calling for governments to meaningfully support and ensure respect for human rights.

For more information about the human rights initiative of the Church of Scientology, visit theScientology website. For more information on Youth for Human Rights International, visitwww.youthforhumanrights.org.

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The Scientology religion was founded by author and philosopher L. Ron Hubbard. The first Church of Scientology was formed in the United States in 1954 and has grown to more than 10,000 Churches, Missions and affiliated groups and millions of members in 167 nations.

Official Scientology News: ScientologyNews.org

Human Rights Day 2011: Church of Scientology Spearheading Human Rights Education

On the 63rd anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Church of Scientology urges mandatory human rights education as the key to its full implementation of the Declaration.

Human rights are the rights that belong to everyone without exception—to people of any color, creed, age, ethnicity or gender. But as United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon pointed out in his Human Rights Day message this year, “…unless we know them, unless we demand they be respected, and unless we defend our rights — and the right of others — to exercise them, they will be just words in a decades-old document.”

To make the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights known to all, the Church of Scientology has undertaken a massive human rights education initiative, reaching more than 180 million people in 2011 with the information on human rights in 17 languages.

The United Nations estimates that 2.45 million people are trafficked each year, nearly a billion live in hunger, and almost half the world’s population subsists on less than $2.50 a day, making it clear any momentum generated this year must continue and that education and insistence on human rights has never been more vital.

In a global demonstration of support for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its 30 rights, Scientology Churches and Missions marked Human Rights Day with seminars, rallies, concerts, round tables, forums and festivals, and helped organize more than 80 human rights walks in 26 countries to raise awareness of the Declaration and the need for its full implementation.

In 1969, L. Ron Hubbard wrote, “The United Nations came up with the answer. An absence of human rights stained the hands of governments and threatened their rules. Very few governments have implemented any part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These governments have not grasped that their very survival depends utterly upon adopting such reforms and thus giving their peoples a cause, a civilization worth supporting, worth their patriotism.”

For more than four decades, the Church has worked to make the Universal Declaration of Human Rights broadly known. The Declaration appeared in the first edition of Freedom Magazine, the Church’s human rights journal, in 1968. In 1998, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Declaration, the Church carried out the first of five annual cross-European marathons, reaching an estimated 33 million with its message in support of human rights.

Ten years ago, the Church began publishing materials that present the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in terms anyone can understand. These booklets, award-winning public service announcements and human rights documentary videos are available free of charge to any individual or group.

“There are many examples in history of what individuals can accomplish by demanding their rights and insisting on the rights of others,” says Rev. Robert Adams, Vice President of the Church of Scientology International. “But a knowledge of these rights comes first. The United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, yet in many ways, despite advances, the violations of its articles are as abhorrent today as they were six decades ago. We work with many dedicated groups, organizations, agencies and government bodies to make human rights a reality. To achieve this goal, education in human rights must be mandatory, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights must be given the force of law.”

Since Human Rights Day 2010, through direct action and sponsorship of activities and materials, the Church of Scientology has reached hundreds of millions of people with humans rights information, distributing more than 2 million publications and providing educational materials to more than 45,000 human rights organizations and 4,500 educators and educational institutions.

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The Scientology religion was founded by author and philosopher L. Ron Hubbard. The first Church of Scientology was formed in the United States in 1954 and has grown to more than 9,000 Churches, Missions and affiliated groups and millions of members in 165 countries.

Official Scientology News: ScientologyNews.org

Church of Scientology Celebrates the Opening of an Entirely New Church in Inglewood and Community Center in South Los Angeles

5,000 Scientologists, guests and city officials gathered Saturday November 5, for the dedication of an entirely new Church of Scientology and Church of Scientology Community Center. The Church stands in the heart of downtown, at 315 South Market Street, and reflects the growth of a new Scientology congregation amongst these communities. The neighboring Community Center stands just a few minutes away in South Los Angeles, at 8039 South Vermont Avenue. Together this Church and Community Center provide for all Scientology religious services as well as its many humanitarian initiatives and social betterment programs for the benefit of Inglewood and South Los Angeles.

The new Inglewood Church of Scientology on South Market Street houses a Public Information Center presenting the beliefs and practices of the Scientology religion as well as the life and legacy of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. The Information Center further provides an overview of the many Church-sponsored humanitarian programs. These programs include a worldwide human rights initiative, an equally far-ranging drug education and prevention campaign, global networks of literacy and learning centers and the Scientology Volunteer Minister program now comprising the largest independent relief force on Earth. The Information Center’s multimedia displays include nearly 500 documentary films.

The new Community Center on Vermont Avenue is housed in an historic art deco landmark that dates from the early 1930s and which the Church has meticulously restored. It features a 380-seat event hall, the L. Ron Hubbard Community Auditorium, designed for community events and as a meeting ground for residents of all denominations. In that respect, it is a venue dedicated to community-wide initiatives in the spirit of the Founder’s vision of all church denominations working together to achieve the common dream of all religions. The Center further features numerous classrooms and seminar facilities for a full range of civic programs, including a complete literacy and tutoring center.

Marking the significance of the occasion, Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center and ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, officiated at the ceremony. In pointing to what this day represents, Mr. Miscavige stated:

“This new Church of Scientology is quite literally imbued with the contributions and global spirit of Scientologists from more than a hundred nations. In that respect, it reflects the greater shape of Scientology—both body and soul. Moreover, it reflects the attributes of greatness all religions traditionally sought to inspire, including decency, nobility, compassion and charity. And that's also the spirit in which we provide our new Community Center, open for use by one and all, for the benefit of all its residents.”

Welcoming the new Church were Inglewood City Councilmember, Ralph Franklin; Inglewood Chief of Police, Jacqueline Seabrooks; President of NAACP Los Angeles, Leon Jenkins; Executive Director of the gang intervention group 2nd Call, Skipp Townsend; and Rev. Cecil “Chip” Murray, retired head of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles and now Professor of Religious Studies at USC.

City Councilmember Ralph Franklin welcomed the new Church: “I for one am very excited about your move to your new home. Thank you for being our anchor to Market Street. You are helping revitalize downtown and offering us a platform from which we can make a segue into our greater future. I have faith that your presence will be the catalyst for this city’s renaissance. And so it is with great pleasure that on behalf of all of us here in the City of Inglewood I say congratulations on your new home and welcome to the family.”

Chief of Police Jacqueline Seabrooks spoke of the solutions offered by the Church’s anti-drug initiative: “I have been aware of your Drug-Free World program and know that this program has been supported by various entities here in Inglewood and in the larger environment. I must say that I am impressed by your dedicated initiative to ensure ‘The Truth About Drugs’ message is made available to everyone. Your volunteers are an active force, distributing educational materials and holding drug education seminars. Your colorful, information booklets are popular and effective. Because I have a strong background in education, I admire what you've done and what you continue to do to bring the drug abuse issue into the educational arena.”

Los Angeles NAACP President Leon Jenkins recognized the effectiveness of the Church’s human rights programs: “The Church of Scientology is taking an instrumental role in the change we need because what your Church does is address the individual. You know that everybody is different. That’s why your human rights program speaks to every one of us. And one by one you are helping to bring about a just society that can live in harmony together. The Church sets a standard for others in religion and in human rights. I think there are quite some groups that could take a lesson or two from you all. My hat is off to you for that.”

Executive Director of 2nd Call, Skipp Townsend, acknowledged the empowerment that comes from the Church’s programs: “We are grateful that the Church of Scientology is here and provides a stream of resources to the City of Inglewood. Your church is an open door to those individuals who seek betterment in the community. The beauty of it is that the Church has both developed a community and opened the doors to the community. That’s not just development, that’s empowerment. You empower the people. And I am sure the Church will continue the empowerment process by leaving the door open, so they can come in and get the resources and benefits you have to offer.”

Rev. Cecil “Chip” Murray, retired head of the First A.M.E. Church in Los Angeles and now Professor of Religious Studies at USC, expressed highest regard for Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard and the Church of Scientology: “My friends, this new Church is an opportunity to make change. I encourage you, the community, to take full advantage. L. Ron Hubbard was a genius of a man who could say, ‘Here’s the problem, here’s the solution, and here are the details of how you achieve that solution.’ Well here is a mansion that has been constructed by L. Ron Hubbard, an architect of the soul and a designer of dreams. Our challenge is to make use of what we have been given. I am so very thankful for what you bring us today. God bless you all.”

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Church of Scientology Ideal Orgs realize the fulfillment of Founder L. Ron Hubbard’s vision for the religion. Ideal Orgs not only provide the ideal facilities to service Scientologists on their spiritual ascent, but they are also designed to serve as a home for the entire community and a meeting ground of cooperative effort to uplift citizens of all denominations.

The Church of Scientology of Inglewood is the third Ideal Org to open in the Greater Los Angeles area since 2010. Other Ideal Churches of Scientology opened in 2011 include:

• Church of Scientology of Twin Cities opened October 22, 2011, in Minnesota’s Capital of St. Paul

• Church of Scientology of Tampa opened March 13, 2011, in historic Ybor Square

• Church of Scientology of Moscow opened February 26, 2011, in the Russian capital’s central Garden Ring, a mile from Red Square

• Church of Scientology of Melbourne opened January 29, 2011, in a landmark estate in the cultural capital of Australia.

• Other new Ideal Churches of Scientology opened in the past two years include Dallas; Nashville; Washington D.C.; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Pasadena; Seattle; as well as Malmo, Sweden; Rome, Italy; Brussels, Belgium; Quebec City, Canada and Mexico City, Mexico.

For a complete list of new Churches of Scientology, visit Scientology.org.

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The Scientology religion was founded by author and philosopher L. Ron Hubbard. The first Church of Scientology was formed in Los Angeles in 1954 and the religion has expanded to more than 9,000 Churches, Missions and affiliated groups, with millions of members in 165 countries.

Official Scientology News: ScientologyNews.org

Church of Scientology Cuts Ribbon on Twin Cities Landmark Home in Minnesota’s Capital of St. Paul

Scientologists, guests, state and city officials assembled in downtown St. Paul, Saturday October 22, for the dedication of the new Church of Scientology Twin Cities. The Church stands at 505 Wabasha Street and was formerly home to the Science Museum of Minnesota. The acquisition of the 82,000-square-foot facility in the heart of St. Paul was necessitated by the meteoric growth of the resident Scientology community. The Church of Scientology Twin Cities is now the largest Scientology facility in the American Midwest and will serve parishioners from Wisconsin to the Dakotas.

Located just blocks from the State Capitol and St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Church is additionally adjacent to the famed Fitzgerald Theater and so forms an “historic square” of buildings in downtown St. Paul. The premises were carefully renovated to preserve its most memorable features, including the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Wabasha Street and the three-story atrium. Also faithfully preserved was the original 300-seat IMAX Theater, now to serve as the Scientology Chapel and community meeting ground for citizens of all denominations.

Just off the expansive reception is a Public Information Center presenting the beliefs and practices of the Scientology religion as well as the life and legacy of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. The Information Center further provides an overview of the many Church-sponsored humanitarian programs. These programs include a worldwide human rights initiative, an equally far-ranging drug education and prevention campaign, global networks of literacy and learning centers and the Scientology Volunteer Minister program now comprising the largest independent relief force on Earth. The multimedia displays include nearly 500 documentary films.

In tribute to the import of the occasion, Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center and ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, officiated at the ceremony. In pointing to the significance of the day, Mr. Miscavige cited all that new Ideal Churches of Scientology traditionally bring to their surrounding communities, pledging the Church's resources and support across a broad range of civic programs for the benefit of all citizens. Thus, by dedicating a new Church for Minneapolis and St. Paul comes the inauguration of a new partnership in Twin Cities.

Welcoming the new Church were St. Paul City Councilmember Dave Thune; Minnesota State Senator Sandra Pappas; Minnesota State Representative Rena Moran; and President of the Minneapolis Chapter of MAD DADS (Men Against Destruction Defending Against Drugs and Social Disorder), Mr. V.J. Smith.

In his salutary address, City Councilmember Dave Thune said: “I’m so happy to see that the Church of Scientology has moved into this landmark building. I always hate to see buildings go unused and sit vacant, especially in my Ward! So let me say this: thank you for moving across the river to the best side of Twin Cities.”

President of the Minneapolis Chapter of MAD DADS, Mr. V.J. Smith, addressed the Church’s anti-drug initiative: “I want to thank you, because we’ve already given out thousands of your Truth About Drugs booklets that show the impact drugs have on a person. The Church of Scientology and the Foundation for a Drug-Free World provided those to make it easier for us to do our job. You gave us a resource... and we’re really excited to see this beautiful Church open up in our community.”

Minnesota State Representative Rena Moran spoke of the Church’s pervasive volunteerism: “I believe very strongly in community engagement. And that is why I’m especially excited about your Volunteer Ministers and so impressed by the work that they do. It takes a certain kind of heart to give unconditional help to people you don’t even know and may never meet again. Your volunteers seem to specialize in that. They’re reaching out, they’re engaged, they’re facing the needs in our communities—and proving that something really can be done about it.”

Minnesota State Senator and leading proponent for human rights and human trafficking legislation, Sandra Pappas spoke to the Church’s award-winning Human Rights education materials and its longstanding support of human rights in general: “At the core of this support is an educational campaign that delivers a clear and impactful presentation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. That is certainly a credible endeavor that I think you should be acknowledged for, so thank you. …I am proud of my work and you should be proud of your work to educate others on what are human rights. Please continue.”

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The Church of Scientology of Twin Cities is the newest of dozens of Ideal Scientology Church Organizations (“Ideal Orgs”) opened in the past five years. Ideal Orgs realize the fulfillment of Founder L. Ron Hubbard’s vision for the religion and its Churches. Ideal Orgs not only provide the ideal facilities to service Scientologists on their spiritual ascent, but they are also designed to serve as a home for the entire community and a meeting ground of cooperative effort to uplift citizens of all denominations.

The Church of Scientology of Twin Cities is the fourth Ideal Org to open in 2011, joining these new Churches:

• Church of Scientology of Tampa opened March 13, 2011, in historic Ybor Square

• Church of Scientology of Moscow opened February 26, 2011, in the Russian capital’s central Garden Ring, a mile from Red Square

• Church of Scientology of Melbourne opened January 29, 2011, in a landmark estate in the cultural capital of Australia

• Other new churches opened in the past two years include Dallas; Nashville; Washington, D.C.; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Pasadena; Seattle; as well as Malmo, Sweden; Rome, Italy; Brussels, Belgium; Quebec City, Canada and Mexico City, Mexico.

For a complete list of new Churches of Scientology, visit Scientology.org.

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The Scientology religion was founded by author and philosopher L. Ron Hubbard. The first Church of Scientology was formed in Los Angeles in 1954 and the religion has expanded to more than 9,000 Churches, Missions and affiliated groups, with millions of members in 165 countries.

Official Scientology News: ScientologyNews.org

Scientology News

The Scientology Media website at www.scientologynews.org is an excellent way to learn what Scientologists are doing in their churches and communities.

There is also an excellent biographical section on David Miscavige, the ecclesiastical leader of the religion.

Official Scientology News: ScientologyNews.org

CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY ACQUIRES HOLLYWOOD STUDIO FACILITY

The Church of Scientology is pleased to have acquired the historic KCET studio lot in Hollywood. At nearly 5 acres, this studio includes two sound stages, extensive post production resources and state-of-the-art TV, satellite and Internet broadcasting capabilities. It is a perfect fit, in both size and location, for the expansion of the Church of Scientology's production of religious and social betterment audiovisual properties, and we welcomed the unexpected opportunity to acquire it. >>

Official Scientology News: ScientologyNews.org

Church of Scientology of Pasadena—A Year of Contribution to the Community

Scientology Church celebrates its first year in Old Pasadena with community involvement and contribution high on its list of priorities.

On Saturday, July 30, 2011, the Church of Scientology of Pasadena hosted “Reversing Hunger—A Forum on the Most Basic Human Right.” The event was the latest in a series of community services and activities the Church has initiated, supported or sponsored over the past year since its July 2010 grand opening.

Pasadena Scientologists manned a drug-education and prevention booth at Villa Park last August to help make the city’s annual “National Night Out” a success.

In September, members of the Pasadena Church were key players in organizing and staging the 10th annual “Say No to Drugs” Race at the Pasadena Rose Bowl, held in coordination with the Drug Enforcement Agency’s “Take-Back” initiative, which focuses on curbing prescription drug abuse. Runners and fans alike returned home with copies of the Truth About Drugs series of drug-education booklets, distributed by volunteers from the Church’s “Say No to Drugs” group.

The environmentally conscious Church made news on Earth Day in April when local media reported, “It seemed fitting indeed that an Earth Day bicycle tour of Pasadena should end at the Church of Scientology of Pasadena’s 58,084-square-foot, newly certified LEEDS [Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design] energy efficient headquarters building on South Raymond Avenue.”

In May, the City of Pasadena’s Historic Preservation Commission, the California State Assembly and the California State Senate recognized the Church for its achievements in historical preservation.

Over the past 12 months, hundreds of local residents have enrolled on Life Improvement Courses offered by the Church, short courses that help the individual address everyday life issues such as relationship difficulties, coping with work or financial stress, raising children, and dealing with drug abuse, study problems and challenges to personal integrity.

The Church of Scientology of Pasadena is open to the public Monday through Friday 9 a.m.—10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m.—6 p.m. Visitors are welcome to tour the Church’s extensive first-floor Public Information Center containing multimedia displays illustrating Scientology beliefs, the life and legacy of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard and the full array of Church-sponsored social betterment and community outreach programs.

For more information:

Rev. Eden Stein
(626) 792-7532
edenms004@gmail.com.

Official Scientology News: ScientologyNews.org

Profile: L. Ron Hubbard - Scientology founder

L. Ron Hubbard [March 13, 1911 - January 14, 1986] lived an extraordinary and adventurous life. Although best known as the founder of the Scientology religion, he was also a Master Mariner, Pilot, Photographer, Musician, Author, Explorer, Philosopher and much more besides.

He lived at Saint Hill Manor, East Grinstead, between 1959 and 1967 during which time he greatly contributed to the local community. He was the East Grinstead Road Safety Committee organiser, an East Grinstead Parade Marshal and he sponsored children's cycling competitions.

He was Vice President of the East Grinstead Horticultural Society and carried out revolutionary horticultural experiments at Saint Hill. He was also involved with and contributed to numerous community events and local organizations such as the St Johns Ambulance brigade and the Adeline Genee Theatre to which he was an original donor.

The East Grinstead community has profited enormously from Mr. Hubbard's decision to make East Grinstead the place to further his research on the mind and life. Countless visitors have come from all over the world to study his discoveries here since 1959 when Saint Hill was Mr. Hubbard's home.

A brief summary of his life reads as follows:

• At the age of 13 years he became America's youngest Eagle Scout.
• At George Washington University Hubbard studied Engineering, Atomic and Molecular Physics.
• In 1933, Hubbard led the West Indies Mineralogical Expedition which completed the first mineralogical survey of Puerto Rico.
• Hubbard's first fiction publication was in 1934 and in the next six years he completed 138 novels and short stories plus he wrote extensively for Hollywood.
• In 1940 he was elected a member of the prestigious Explorers Club.
• In 1941 he was awarded Master of Sail license for "Any Ocean''.
• During WWII, he took command of convoy escort vessels in the Atlantic and then submarine hunters in the Pacific. He received over 20 decorations during his military career. He had been injured in the war and his earlier discoveries helped him to cure his disabilities.
• In 1947-1948 Hubbard served as a Special Police Officer with the L.A. Police Department which gave him the opportunity to study the criminal mind. This led to the development of Criminon, the prison inmate rehabilitation programme, which is in use in over 750 prisons and has the support of Judges, Parole Officers and other penal system professionals.
• In 1950, he published "Dianetics, The Modern Science of Mental Health ", now the biggest selling self-help book of all time, with well over 17 million copies sold. Further research led him to the development of the Scientology religion.
• Hubbard's researches in the spiritual technology of the Scientology religion comprises over 500,000 pages, more than 3,000 recorded audio lectures and in excess of 100 films.
• As an author Hubbard has sold over 120 million copies of his works and is one of the greats of the Golden Age of science fiction. He was equally prolific as an author of western, adventure, romance and mystery.
• He developed a system of administration, which is used in over 35,000 companies world-wide
• He developed the techniques used by the Narconon drug rehab programme which has helped over 100,000 people to kick the habit in 37 residential centres across the globe.
• Hubbard developed a methodology of study, which is now in use by millions of school children in numerous countries with remarkable success.

Posthumously, Hubbard has been awarded numerous accolades such as:

• Los Angeles City Council have renamed a street in his honour "L. Ron Hubbard Way''
• The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People has awarded Hubbard its highest honours
• Over 150 United States Mayors and Governors proclaim March 13 as "L. Ron Hubbard Day"

www.lronhubbard.org

Official Scientology News: ScientologyNews.org

Scientology-sponsored Youth Group Brings Truth about Drugs to Los Angeles Thai New Year Festival

LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles chapter of the Drug-Free Marshals, sponsored by the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles, joined the festivities of the Songkran Festival, the celebration of Thai New Year, getting kids to pledge to live drug-free lives.

Located just blocks from the heart of Thai Town, the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles joined this year’s Songkran Festival, the celebration of Thai New Year, by helping neighborhood children avoid the tragedy of drug abuse. Scientology volunteers distributed copies of The Truth About Drugs drug-education booklets and “swore in children” as Drug-Free Marshals, a program that encourages youth to pledge to live drug-free lives and help their friends and family do the same.

Thai New Year, celebrated each year in April, is a time of renewal, marked by lighthearted fun and enthusiasm. Several blocks of Hollywood Boulevard were closed to traffic and filled with hundreds of booths, offering a variety of Thai products including food and beverages, clothing and gifts. There were also booths from community programs including the Drug-Free Marshals.

“Every 12 seconds another school-age child experiments with illicit drugs for the first time,” said Noelle North, Outreach Program Coordinator for the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles. “Our aim with the Drug-Free Marshals is to reach children with the truth about drugs before they succumb to peer pressure or pro-drug false propaganda.”

The Drug-Free Marshals program was founded by the Church of Scientology International in Los Angeles 17 years ago. The non-denominational program has been adopted by individuals and organizations throughout the United States and in many other countries as well.

For more information on drug education and prevention programs of the Church of Scientology, visit www.scientology.org.

Birthday of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard a Religious Holiday in Spain

Scientology event is broadcast to all Scientology Churches and Missions around the world in 16 languages.

Madrid—With the recognition of Scientology by the National Court of Spain in October 2007, the Ministry of Justice in December 2007 and the Ministry of Economy and Taxes in December 2009, the Foundation for Pluralism (Fundación Pluralismo y Convivencia) of the Spanish Ministry of Justice has added the birth date of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard to its calendar of religious holidays.

Each year, the Pluralism Foundation publishes a calendar of religious holidays in Spain, including those of Christians, Jews, members of Orthodox Churches, Hindus and Baha’is. This year, the Foundation included the birth date of L. Ron Hubbard, March 13, with the following description: “Born Lafayette Ronald Hubbard in Tilden, Nebraska, USA, he is the philosopher and humanitarian who founded the Scientology religion in 1952. Every year, Scientologists celebrate the birthday of Mr. Hubbard with an annual summary of the impact, positive change and social betterment caused by the discoveries of Mr. Hubbard.”

On March 13, in Clearwater, Florida, thousands of Scientologists and their guests celebrated the legacy of L. Ron Hubbard at an annual gala celebration. In Spain the rebroadcast event is Saturday, March 20, at the Church’s national headquarters in Madrid.

Scientology Church in Milan and Human Rights Association of Italy Help Build Schools in Ghana

On January 6, 2010, Annalisa Tissoni, President of the Church of Scientology of Milan, and Fiorella and Gaetano Cerchiara, President and Director respectively of the Association for Human Rights and Tolerance of Italy, presented a special gift to the village of Twewaa—a new school. With the opening of this school, the second sponsored by Italian Scientologists, the children of the village gained an important human right, as stated in Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights—”the right to education.”

The Twewaa school opening ceremony included speeches by village Chief Nana Somua Nyampong II, Assembly Member Paul Adarkwah, and Chief Executive of Kwahu South District Assembly, Samuel Asomani.

“We involved the community in every aspect of the planning and construction of the school because it belongs to them,” said Ms. Tissoni. They also hired local companies and artisans and purchased all raw materials for the construction from local merchants, as well as school supplies, clothes and shoes for the children and classroom furniture.

The project began three years ago when an educator in the Ghana capital city of Accra needed additional funds to complete the construction of a school. He invited Ms. Tissoni and Ms. Cerchiara to Ghana, and when they saw the need, they immediately decided to help. With funds raised by the Milan Church of Scientology and the Association for Human Rights and Tolerance, the construction of the Untoma Oxford International School was completed, opening in August 2008 with some 300 children enrolled.

When the Untoma Oxford School was completed, Tissoni and Cerchiara visited outlying villages and chose Twewaa as their next project. With the Twewaa school now opened, they are focusing on their third project, a school in a nearby village in Eastern Ghana, scheduled to open before the end of 2010.

“We have taken on this project because education is a basic human right and a vital component to creating a better world,” said Ms. Tissoni. “Our Church is very much involved in promoting human rights awareness. Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard said ‘Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream.’ By helping to build these schools, we are enabling the children to create a better future for themselves and their communities.”

To learn more about the human rights initiatives of the Church of Scientology, visit the Scientology website at www.scientology.org.

Australian Scientology members Fight Human Trafficking

Scientology volunteers demand effective action to knock out modern slave trade. Australia is the destination country for victims trafficked from East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe, says U.S. State Department.

Scientology Volunteers in Sydney circulated a petition at Sydney Town Hall November 16, calling for mandatory human rights education in Australia to eliminate human rights abuses. One of the worst abuses is the criminal practice of human trafficking in the country. As many as 27 million are enslaved in the world today according to the United Nations, earning perpetrators upwards of $34 billion Australian annually. Some estimate half of those trafficked come from Asia-Pacific and that at least half of all victims are children.

According to the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report for 2009, despite major strides by law enforcement, Australia is the destination country for many of the victims trafficked from East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe, particularly the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, and Thailand.

Members of the Church of Scientology of Sydney held Monday’s petition signing because they believe Australians would never stand for human trafficking and other human rights abuses in their country if they knew of it.

Scientology Churches around the world sponsor the largest non-governmental information campaign the world over, which has made the Universal Declaration of Human Rights known to more than 900,000 people through public service announcements, booklets and petition drives.

For more information about the Church of Scientology human rights initiative visit the Scientology web site at www.scientology.org.

Scientology materials

The materials of Dianetics and Scientology comprise more than 35 million spoken and written words of the religion’s founder L. Ron Hubbard. Scientology is an applied religious philosophy and is the spiritual cornerstone for millions of people across all continents. At the heart of this fastest growing religious movement on Earth today is an absolutely unique view of man as an inherently spiritual being — intrinsically good, immortal and omnipotent.

Thousands of new people discover Scientology each week and take their first step toward true spiritual freedom, while hundreds of new Scientology organizations open doors to meet the ever-increasing demand for

Mr. Hubbard’s technologies. Scientology has become the most broadly inclusive movement to emerge in the 20th Century, embracing people from all walks of life, from every denomination and every faith.

Scientology Volunteers Help Victims of Sumatra Earthquake

Australian Scientology Volunteer Ministers bring spiritual first-aide to survivors of devastation in southern Sumatra.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers arrived in Indonesia the day after the September 30 earthquake left more than 1,000 dead and half a million homeless.

The Australian Scientology Volunteer Ministers who traveled to Padang, 28 miles from the epicenter of the magnitude 7.9 earthquake, are no strangers to disaster. They are veterans of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2007 Yogyakarta tornado and the 2007 Java quake. But even they were challenged by the enormity of the devastation they encountered.

Here is an account of their first day:

In Padang, 28 miles from the epicenter of the magnitude 7.9 earthquake, they started in Chinatown, left in shambles by the disaster. There, in a medical tent, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers showed the doctors and nurses how to provide Scientology Assists and gave them copies of an instruction booklet. Assists are procedures developed by L. Ron Hubbard that provide relief by addressing the emotional and spiritual factors in stress, trauma, illness and injuries.

A nurse said “So, you can give relief using no drugs and no medicine? This is really needed. We all need to know this!”

On to a Chinese temple serving as a shelter for those whose homes were destroyed. The volunteers met the head of the medical clinic who had relocated his operation to the temple’s basketball court when the earthquake destroyed his offices. He could not keep up with the flood of people who had come to the temple for help so the Volunteer Ministers went to work. They set up tables to provide Scientology Assists and chairs where others could sit while they waited their turns.

As lines of people received Assists and word of the physical and emotional relief spread, and the lines grew longer, the volunteers decided to train those waiting how to give Assists to each other. Their mission accomplished at that location, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers took their leave and moved on to a hospital where they could give assistance.

As they drove on through the city, they saw the eerie capriciousness of the earthquake. A three-story building leaned precariously over its neighbor’s home. Another building looked untouched until they saw that one wall was missing entirely. One house stood with every room exposed to view, a snapshot of a family no longer there.

The first hospital they found was completely destroyed. The next, a private hospital, was still operating despite damage. There, on the steps, a woman holding a baby was crying uncontrollably—her brother was inside dying because she didn’t have the 125,000 rupiah to buy what he needed from the blood bank. The Volunteer Ministers paid for the blood—$15 to save a life.

The volunteers moved into the wards and started giving Scientology Assists to injured patients while others explained the procedure to the nurses and taught them how to give Assists.

One man whose leg was completely numb received an Assist. When it was over, not only was the feeling in his leg restored, but his huge smile attested to the fact that the pain that had wracked the rest of his body was gone as well.

Concrete had crushed another man’s leg, breaking it in dozens of places from knee down to foot. The doctors had inserted metal rods into his leg. Blood was seeping out into the freshly bandaged wounds and he was writhing in pain. By the time his Assist was done he was calm and relaxed, and he smiled when he said, “I feel good… I feel good!”

Another man, whose entire body had been injured, was traumatized to the point of complete unresponsiveness—it appeared he could not hear or speak at all. The Scientology Volunteer Minister explained what she was doing with impromptu sign language and began the Assist. At first he didn’t appear to notice anything, but gradually he began to respond and in the end he was smiling.

As Day One in Padang drew to a close, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers met a team from the Indonesian Red Cross who had booked an extra hotel room where a bucket served as shower at the end of a long, hot and dirty day they will never forget.

Scientology YouTube Video Channel Launches Meet a Scientologist Videos

The Church of Scientology International is launching a series of testimonial videos on its official YouTube Channel called "Meet a Scientologist," which showcase the lives and careers of everyday Scientologists. YouTube users will be able to view 50 videos to start, with 100 more videos scheduled to follow in the upcoming months as part of the Church's continuing efforts to expand its presence in the world's largest online video community.

Meet A Scientologist YouTube Videos

The "Meet a Scientologist" videos, which were shot on location, focus on individual Scientologists who explain how the religion has helped them, whether by teaching effective communication skills, learning to be confident in their abilities, or generally improving their life. Videos highlight members of Scientology from all over the world and all kinds of professions, including doctors, educators, inventors, athletes, actors, musicians, students, photographers, business owners and more.

These new videos are based on one of the core principles of the Scientology religion. L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology, discovered that understanding is composed of affinity, reality and communication. With the conviction that this applies to any aspect of life, the Church of Scientology seeks to increase understanding of Scientology and Scientologists by applying this principle to online video, while at the same time, providing information through personal stories.

A pioneer and leader in the online religious community, the Church of Scientology was the first religion to create its own official YouTube Video Channel in April 2008, with 82 broadcast-quality videos comprising nearly three hours of content in a unique video player. To date, it has been seen by over 2 million visitors. The Church of Scientology has also launched an online public information campaign with 30 and 60-second flash presentation conveying the essence of Scientology. These spots address the most fundamental questions people ask about life--questions for which Scientology has effective answers.

To watch the new "Meet a Scientologist" videos, visit the Scientology Video Channel on YouTube at video channel at http://www.youtube.com/ChurchofScientology.

Church of Scientology of Cincinnati Help Kids Make the Right Decision about Drugs

Cincinnati kids helping kids decide to be drug-free.

The Church of Scientology of Cincinnati sponsors a chapter of the Drug-Free Marshals, where kids help other kids learn the truth about drugs and make informed decisions to stay drug-free.

For the past 16 years, Scientology churches around the world have sponsored Drug-Free Marshals chapters. The Marshals pledge to live drug-free lives and help their friends and family make the same decisions.

With the recent publication of statistics showing use of alcohol and marijuana in Cincinnati to be down by 33%, young Cincinnati Scientologists are proud of the work they have done to help accomplish this result.

L. Ron Hubbard wrote, “People mistakenly believe they ‘feel better’ or ‘act better’ or are ‘only happy’ when on drugs. This is just another delusion. Sooner or later the drugs will destroy them physically.” The Drug-Free Marshals of Cincinnati distribute booklets with the truth about drugs to help kids avoid the tragedy of drug abuse and addiction.

For more information on the work the Church of Scientology does to combat the drug problem, visit the Scientology web site.

13 years ago: Scientology leader David Miscavige and others open L. Ron Hubbard Way in Los Angeles

More than 7,000 came together in Los Angeles to celebrate the grand opening of L. Ron Hubbard Way, a tribute to a man who is considered a true friend by millions across the globe. Describing the celebration as “The historic recognition of a man who, in all he accomplished, was a profound inspiration to people in this city – and to people everywhere,” was the President of the Church of Scientology International, Rev. Heber Jentzsch. Sharing the stage with Rev. Jentzsch were John Travolta, Kirstie Alley and officials representing the City Council, Mayor and the Governor of California. The ecclesiastical leader of the Church of Scientology, Mr. David Miscavige, should later assist in opening the new street that has been built by the hands of hundreds of Scientology members and neighbors in one big community effort.

An inaugural walk down L. Ron Hubbard Way: from left, Los Angeles City Council Member Richard Alatorre and City Council President John Ferraro, actor John Travolta, Church of Scientology International President Rev. Heber Jentzsch, Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan’s representative Chelsea Cochrane, and David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board Religious Technology Center.

Newest Scientology statistics - June 2009

Scientology Today reports:

- The Church’s property holdings internationally have more than doubled in the last 5 years. The combined size of Church premises increased from 5.6 million square feet in 2004 to 11 million square feet in 2009.

- The Church has acquired 66 buildings since 2004 in major population centers around the world.

- The Church has completed 401,003 square feet of construction of new premises in the last 5 months. It currently has under construction another 475,887 square feet, including Churches in Washington D.C., Las Vegas, Quebec, Mexico City, Brussels, Rome and Tel Aviv.

- There are 8,071 Scientology Churches, Missions and groups in 165 nations, double the number five years ago.

- 80 million L. Ron Hubbard books and lectures on Dianetics and Scientology have been sold in the last decade, compared to 5.6 million in the prior decade, and 60 of that 80 million have been sold in the last two years-more than during the first 50 years of Dianetics and Scientology combined.

- The number of individuals completing auditing and training has doubled since 2007.

- Since the Church undertook to publish and reproduce its scriptural materials in-house in 2007, the average price of Mr. Hubbard’s books and lectures sold has decreased dramatically.

- There were 12.4 million visitors to the Scientology website in the last year alone coming from 234 countries, with 23 million video views.

- 4.5 million pages of L. Ron Hubbard’s writings have been translated in the last 10 years alone compared to a total of 359,459 for the prior 50 years, making him the most translated author in history-according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

- Today there are 196,000 Scientology Volunteer Ministers worldwide-there were 45,000 in 2004. Volunteer Ministers helped over 1.4 million people in the last year alone, a 300% increase over the 2004 figure of 550,000 people helped.

Scientology Facts: L. Ron Hubbard books for the masses

Since the Church of Scientology under the lead of Mr. David Miscavige undertook to publish and reproduce its scriptural materials in-house in 2007, the average price of Mr. Hubbard’s books and lectures sold has decreased dramatically.

More facts