Youth for Human Rights International 12th Annual World Educational Tour Concludes on Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON - April 23, 2015 - PRLog -- Congressmen, dignitaries and humanitarians gathered in the Rayburn House Office Building for the finale of Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) 12^th annual World Educational Tour.

Actress Marisol Nichols, herself a human rights activist, was the master of ceremonies for the event featuring six outstanding human rights volunteers and volunteer groups from across the United States.  Each was presented with a Gold or Silver Presidential Volunteer Service Award, with silver representing a minimum of 250 hours of volunteer service and gold over 350.  The awardees of this event received these recognitions for their work in educating others about their human rights using, as a model, the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  As Marisol Nichols opening remarks stated, “Today we mark achievements in human rights education.”

Presidential Volunteer Service Award recipients included Laurien Emrani of Glendale, California; Toven Smith of Los Angeles California; Penelope Ladron of Los Angeles, California; Susan Monaghan of Verona, New Jersey; Lewis Freimark and his students from Trenton, New Jersey; and the America Friends Service Committee Human Rights Learning Team, lead by Jean-Louis Ikambana, from Washington DC.

Toven Stith, who accompanied Dr. Shuttleworth on this last World Tour and was also one of the awardees said the tour awakened him to the realities of human rights abuses throughout the world, but also to a solution to these plights.  He said, “I am so proud to be part of the solution, bringing awareness and shedding light on this terrible scene…The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, put forth by the United Nations is factually one of the most important documents in man’s history and should be regarded as such. It is relevant to every man, woman and child on this planet, and the first step to ensuring everyone’s human rights are upheld, starts with education.”

Penelope Ladron Guevara, who grew up in Mexico, before moving the United States said, “From a young age I knew I was part of the human family and I could not ignore the human condition nor take our freedom for granted…what affects others affects us all as none survive alone.  Each of us must take a stand for humanity, for the rights of every individual.”

Awardees were also presented with proclamations and letters of recognition from their Mayors, Congressmen, or State officials. In total YHRI was awarded 46 proclamation or letters of recommendations recognizing the importance of human rights education and validating YHRI for the hard work and dedication to the area.

The event also served as the grand finale for Youth for Human Rights International’s 12^th World Educational Tour.  YHRI President, Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, has circled the globe every year since 2004 and has now covered some 80 countries. This year the tour included stops in ten countries:  Albania, Belgium, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Macedonia, Mexico, Nepal, St Kitts & Nevis, Taiwan and the UK.   In each country Dr. Shuttleworth spent her time holding human rights summits, meeting with dignitaries and catalyzing youth to become advocates for human rights.

Tufts Law School student and Ugandan native, Isaac Nsubuga, flew down from Boston for the event to congratulate Dr. Shuttleworth on her accomplishments and announced to the guests that, since 2004, when Isaac first met Mary and began the YHRI program in Uganda, the program has trained over 7000 young people in Uganda on their human rights.  When the President of the United States visited Africa, he held a virtual meeting with young people and three of the young people who represented Uganda were part of the team that he trained with YHRI.

The event was co-hosted by Youth for Human Rights and the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office.

“Although it was over 60 years ago that Eleanor Roosevelt and a team developed the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, setting a new standard for universal human rights after the tragedies of World War II, we are still very far from reaching that goal in most parts of the world.  This is not only because of the lack of laws or their enforcement, but because at a grassroots level around the world people do not know the 30 human rights.  We find when they are educated, especially youth, their reactions to other people in their environment is kinder and more responsible.  That is why the Church of Scientology supports Youth for Human Rights worldwide education campaign.” “We believe that as L. Ron Hubbard the founder of Scientology said, ‘Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream’” and we are doing everything that we can to make that happen,” stated Beth Akiyama Executive Director of the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office.

Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2001 by Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, an educator born and raised in a apartheid South Africa, where she witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of discrimination and the lack of basic human rights.

The purpose of YHRI is to teach youth about human rights, specifically the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and inspire them to become advocates for tolerance and peace.  YHRI accomplishes this through simple yet empowering, high-quality human rights education materials for youth, teachers and officials in more than 20 languages.

To learn more about Youth for Human Rights International and their education materials, more information can be attained at: www.youthforhumanrights.org