Youth Trafficking, Sex Slavery An Epidemic

Across the globe today, an estimated 1.2 million children are trafficked each year as a commodity for exploitative labor or sex slavery, at any given time over 300,000 child soldiers — some as young as 8 — are exploited in armed conflicts, and 115 million primary school-aged youth are out of school. The need for broad-scale human rights education could not be more urgent.

(PRWEB) August 14, 2006 -- Today, in celebration of the UN International Youth for Human Rights Day, the Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) organization, in partnership with The Church of Scientology, stepped up its grassroots efforts to combat this epidemic and make human rights an everyday reality by making available 30 new TV public service announcements – each illustrating one of the 30 articles of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The PSAs were released to hundreds of public officials around the county as part of an expanded campaign to promote the fundamental principles set forth in the Universal Declaration and stop the abuses.

The launch provided a DVD copy of all 30 articles such as “The Right to Life” (Article 3); “Freedom of Assembly” (Article 20); “The Right to Education” (Article 26); “A Free and Fair World” (Article 28); and “Our Responsibilities” (Article 29).

This grassroots campaign is inspired by the words of Scientology founder and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard, who wrote, “Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream.”

Some 450 actors and actresses appear in the messages. The time and effort involved in shoots was equivalent to what it takes to shoot a full, feature-length film. Five months of postproduction followed and, in the end, the 30 PSAs were produced – start of scripting to finish – in seven months.

Through these audio-visual presentations and other educational tools, the Church of Scientology International’s Human Rights Department and YHRI seek to reach millions of people to raise awareness and bring about global change.

“The release of these PSAs constitutes a breakthrough for the teaching, preservation and advancement of human rights for all people everywhere,” said Church of Scientology of San Diego spokesperson David Meyer.

The new PSAs are a unique educational tool in part inspired by YHRI’s award-winning United music video (TXL Films). United has won 12 film festival awards, including the International Gandhi Film Festival in Barcelona, Spain.

“The PSAs are something entirely new,” said Taron Lexton, the 22-year old director of United and the new PSAs. “They bring to life the very human rights you actually have right now.”

For more information on the Church of Scientology International’s human rights campaign, call the Church of Scientology of San Diego at 619-239-2091. To view the PSAs and the United video, visit www.youthforhumanrights.org.

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