Scientologist and fashion show production manager Sophie Tafreshi has what it takes to succeed.  Her profile is one of 200 “Meet a Scientologist” videos available on the Scientology website at www.Scientology.org.

Scientologist Sophie Tafreshi knows what she wants, and she is well on her way to getting it.  She is launching herself on a new career.

This is her first season as manager of a production company that puts on runway shows all over the country. She hires the models, works with the producer and makes sure all the thousands of tasks get done that result in a smooth-running professional production.

Tafreshi, 23, is also an equestrian and competitive show jumper, which she describes in a video at www.Scientology.org.

“There’s tons of nerves and pressure in this sport,” she says. “These are 2,000-pound animals you’re riding and they have minds of their own. Having the skills I’ve learned in Scientology makes it so much easier to stay focused and have a quick reaction time.  It has definitely given me the ability to be calm, which is huge in my sport, because the horses feel every emotion that’s going through your body.”

Tafreshi is just as excited and focused on her new career. While working in the fashion industry, she is also pursuing a business degree through online college courses. She finds this the perfect fit with her frequent travel for fashion shows and allows her to balance work and study.

“I went to school at the Delphi Academy which uses Study Technology developed by L. Ron Hubbard,” she says.  “One of the most important principles I learned there is the importance of doing something with your education.”

While still in high school, Tafreshi did an internship under the supervision of a fellow equestrian who also works in the fashion industry. Tafreshi showed such promise her colleague encouraged her to contact her if she ever wanted a job, and that’s where she is working today.

“I find being an equestrian and working in the fashion industry have a lot in common,” says Tafreshi.  “They are both very competitive. They are nerve wracking, exhilarating and always a thrill.”

Raised with Scientology principles, Tafreshi uses what she has learned of her religion to stay calm and not get rattled—vital abilities in both fields.

“You can run into some amazing tempers and egos in this industry,” she says. “I don’t know how I would cope if I didn’t have the understanding of human nature and communication skills I learned in Scientology.”

Tafreshi is optimistic and certain about her future.

“What I’ve gained from Scientology is a burning desire to do well in life.  I know who I am and I know what I want.  I also know that no matter what, I can win in life. And that’s exactly what I intend to do.”

View the Sophie Tafreshi video at Scientology.org.

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The popular “Meet a Scientologist” profiles on the Church of Scientology International Video Channel at Scientology.org now total 200 broadcast-quality documentary videos featuring Scientologists from diverse locations and walks of life. The personal stories are told by Scientologists who are educators, teenagers, skydivers, a golf instructor, a hip-hop dancer, IT manager, stunt pilot, mothers, fathers, dentists, photographers, actors, musicians, fashion designers, engineers, students, business owners and more.

A digital pioneer and leader in the online religious community, in April 2008 the Church of Scientology became the first major religion to launch its own official YouTube Video Channel, which has now been viewed by millions of visitors.

Scientology helped Hong Kong-based Australian photographer Craig Norris gain true spiritual wealth—a fulfilling career, ideal marriage, and personal happiness. His profile is one of 200 “Meet a Scientologist” videos available on the Scientology website at

Capitalizing on a flair for the aesthetic, a keen business sense, and advanced technical skills, when disaster struck, Australian Scientologist Craig Norris reinvented himself.

Arriving in Hong Kong in 1993, for a decade Norris designed the technical production infrastructure for TV stations, first at the Asian headquarters of a Japanese company and later as an independent contractor. But in 2003, the SARS epidemic (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) created a panic that crashed the local economy and left Norris without a job.

“Many expatriate positions were cancelled as a result of SARS, including mine,” says Norris.  “My career in the Hong Kong television industry came to an abrupt end.”

But while friends packed to fly home, Norris chose to stay, creating a new career for himself as a photographer. Using communication, time management and organizational skills learned through Scientology, Norris was able to do so with ease.

“Modern photography has quite a strong technical element due to the use of digital cameras and computers, so with a good background in digital technology from my work in television production, I was able to hit the ground running,” he says.

Successful in his new career, the crowning element in his happiness was his 2005 marriage to Janet Tsui. Scientology principles have been invaluable to them in creating their relationship.

“Janet is the love of my life,” says Norris, 54. “Her beauty, both physical and spiritual, is my inspiration. Fundamental Scientology concepts about communication and respect have helped us build a solid foundation.”

Norris credits his understanding of administrative technology developed by L. Ron Hubbard for the smooth transition to his new career—a thriving, multi-faceted business including a studio, photography workshops and consulting.

“Scientology taught me that success is all about contributing value to the community and the world at large, and finding ways to increase the value and quantity of one’s production,” he says.

Norris first learned about Dianetics and Scientology when he read Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health in 1978.  Fascinated, he then took courses at the Church of Scientology in his native Sydney.

“I had wondered since I was a kid about the big questions like ‘Who am I really?’ and ‘What happens after we die?’ I found the answers to those questions and more in Scientology,” Norris says. “Material wealth is transient and does not guarantee happiness or loving companionship.  Through Scientology I have gained real spiritual wealth and a peace of mind I can only describe as priceless.”

View the Craig Norris video at www.Scientology.org.

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The popular “Meet a Scientologist” profiles on the Church of Scientology International Video Channel at Scientology.org now total 200 broadcast-quality documentary videos featuring Scientologists from diverse locations and walks of life. The personal stories are told by Scientologists who are educators, teenagers, skydivers, a golf instructor, a hip-hop dancer, IT manager, stunt pilot, mothers, fathers, dentists, photographers, actors, musicians, fashion designers, engineers, students, business owners and more.

A digital pioneer and leader in the online religious community, in April 2008 the Church of Scientology became the first major religion to launch its own official YouTube Video Channel, which has now been viewed by millions of visitors.

Ultramarathoner John Radich, 56, who recently returned from a four-month 20-day run across America for The Way to Happiness Foundation Running for Youth, poses Tuesday, December 14, 2010 along Route 66 in Monrovia. Radich, who dreamed of running across the states since he was 16, ran from Santa Monica to Atlantic City on Route 66 and the Old Lincoln Highway.
Read more:

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_16858387#ixzz18oasCY2o

How do Scientologists celebrate the holiday season?

Observances of the holidays are as diverse as Scientologists are.

Because the Scientology religion is practiced in 165 countries and territories, Scientologists come from a wide variety of faiths and cultural traditions.

But no matter what their background, they, like most people, gather with loved ones to enjoy the warmth of friends and family and celebrate the joy of the season.

Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard honored the great religious leaders of the past for the wisdom they brought to the world, writing that Scientology shares “the goals set for Man by Christ, which are wisdom, good health and  immortality.” It is in this spirit that Scientologists celebrate the holiday season, whether Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa or any other religious or cultural tradition.

Scientologists live by a code which includes: “To use the best I know of Scientology to the best of my ability to help my family, friends, groups and the world.” During the holiday season, Scientologists are especially active in this respect, volunteering in a wide range of endeavors to improve the lives of individuals and the community and bring joy to those who may need assistance.

What do Churches of Scientology do during the holiday season?

In addition to regular Scientology religious services, Churches of Scientology provide many special holiday activities for Scientologists and open houses and tours for members of the community.

Scientology Churches and their parishioners also organize and support numerous charitable events during the holidays, such as toy drives, food and clothing collections, and parties for underprivileged children. Scientologists visit nursing homes, orphanages, hospitals and homeless shelters, bringing holiday cheer through gifts and entertainment.

Christmas Stories

The Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre International in Hollywood produces  Christmas Stories, an annual holiday benefit performance presented in the style of a 1930s radio show with traditional and original stories, songs and skits. (http://www.scientology.cc) This year’s cast included Anne Archer, Jennifer Aspen, Eric Balfour, Erika Christensen, Jason Dohring, Jenna Elfman, Juliette Lewis, Marisol Nichols and Ethan Suplee.

For nearly two decades, proceeds have benefited the Hollywood Police Activities League’s annual Christmas party for underprivileged children and PAL’s year-round inner city programs for at-risk youth.

Winter Wonderland

In an annual tradition beginning in 1983 when Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard provided a 60-foot Christmas tree as a gift to the people of Hollywood, Winter Wonderland holiday village is erected each year on Hollywood Boulevard as a service to the community. The opening of the village on the Sunday after Thanksgiving signals the start of the holiday season, when Santa arrives in his sleigh—always the final float in the famed Hollywood Christmas Parade—and lights the tree and village. Made possible by the Friends of L. Ron Hubbard Foundation, Winter Wonderland, attracts more than 40,000 Los Angeles residents and tourists to daily live performances by community vocal and instrumental groups and snow banks imported for the season.

Winter Wonderland is also presented for three weeks each December in Clearwater, Florida, as a service to the community and to benefit needy children. The Church of Scientology and parishioners organize and sponsor the Christmas village, with ten of thousands of residents and tourists enjoying Santa, Mrs. Claus’s cookie decorating kitchen, live entertainment by local school, church and professional performing groups, a petting zoo and pony rides.  (http://www.clearwatercommunityvolunteers.org/winterwonderland.html)

_{Appearing today in the Wall Street Journal:}

The Church of Scientology is reaching out to the sports world with a campaign of short videos of athletes professing the religious organization’s virtues. Bob Adams (pictured), a Scientologist who played tight end in the NFL mainly with the Steelers and Patriots in the 1970s, says he used to take struggling New England teammates to a Scientology center because the teachings had helped him relax. “Having a 250-pound linebacker coming at you can be a little intimidating,” he says.

On Dec. 6, Ethan Bristol will celebrate his first birthday with a calm, low-key gathering of his parents, grandparents and family friends who have little ones, too.

But no matter how mellow it may be, the event, marking an important milestone for the tot and his parents, Jamie and Tom Bristol of Montrose, Calif., certainly won’t be as chatter-free as the boy’s silent birth.

Almost a year ago, Ethan entered the world two weeks late at 12:17 a.m., weighing 8 pounds, 9 ounces, through a silent birth. The practice has been making headlines recently with the birth of Benjamin Travolta on Nov. 23. Actor parents Kelly Preston and John Travolta, both Scientologists, announced that they planned to use the childbirth method practiced by the Church of Scientology.

Though not a word was uttered through the labor and delivery of Ethan, the alert and wide-eyed newborn made his debut, “looked around the room and let out a little yelp,” Jamie Bristol 31, tells ParentDish.

“It was so precious, like he was saying ‘Yay,’ ” she recalls.

Except for Ethan’s whimper, there was no chatter, no commentary, no “push, push,” urgings from Dr. Ronald Wu. There were only “looks of support” from husband, Tom, 29, a midwife and the medical team throughout the four-hour labor, Bristol says.

“I did make some noises because it is labor after all,” she says. “And, if anything would have gone wrong, I would have spoken up. But the silence let me focus, remain calm and respectful to the significance of the moment. The only time someone said something was when it was obvious that I had to move to the hospital. The idea is that no one can talk through contractions. So the midwife was very respectful about that, and then just whispered to me about us having to move.”

A lifelong Scientologist who, along with her sister, was born through a natural, silent birth, Bristol tells ParentDish she had planned to have a home birth for her first child, but, as it turned out, she had to be induced after being in pre-labor for five days (with no sleep) and her water had broken. The couple had a back-up doctor, and so Bristol, her husband and midwife moved — silently, with no words spoken — to nearby Glendale Adventist Medical Center where Ethan was born four hours later.

When she discovered she was pregnant, Bristol says, she interviewed four physicians and midwives in the Los Angeles area, explaining to all of them what she wanted.

“Hands down, all four doctors were familiar with silent births, I mean this is L.A., and all felt very comfortable doing this, same with the midwives,” she tells ParentDish.

The idea in the “no words spoken” birthing process is that “the unborn child is feeling, remembering and aware of what is happening around him,” Bristol says. “A silent birth is meant to minimize the pain and discomfort for the infant, and minimize the imprinting of stressful words spoken during the moments of birthing, words that could have an adverse effect on him in later life,” she says.

The calmness and serenity are guiding principles Bristol hopes will be mainstays in her parenting, as well.

For the first six months, the couple, who owns the graphic design firm Dentist Design, worked from home so they could be with Ethan.

“I love that we can spend so much time with him,” Bristol says. “He is so much fun to have around. I love waking up to his smiling face every day. I can’t wait for him to start talking.”>>

Youth delegates from 30 countries came together with human rights defenders this weekend at the 7th Annual Youth for Human Rights International Summit, in support of making the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights widely known and used.

Youth delegates from 30 countries came together with human rights defenders this weekend at the 7th Annual Youth for Human Rights International Summit, in support of making the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights  widely known and used. Held in the United Nations Palais des Nations in Geneva, the event was also attended by over 60 UN diplomats.

The Summit opened with a procession of the youth delegates carrying the flag of their respective nation, and a welcoming address from Mr. Adalbert Nouga, Founder of the Village Suisse NGO. He praised the Youth Delegates for their commitment and Youth for Human Rights International for promotion of the Universal Declaration and its development of human rights youth advocacy.

Formed in 2001, Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) is dedicated to fostering tolerance and peace through promotion of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the first document to define the fundamental freedoms and human rights in the United Nations Charter. The Declaration, ratified by the UN General Assembly in 1948, has influenced national constitutions, treaties, laws, and human rights institutions the world over.

Growing in popularity each year, the 2010 Summit attracted nearly 1,000 applicants who submitted essays on human rights with evidence of their human rights education advocacy over the past year. The annual event provides YHRI members opportunities to learn about the UN and share their experiences in promoting the UN Declaration. This year a recent UN Resolution proclaiming August 2010-2011 the “Year of Youth” was also honored as part of the Summit’s theme.

The Summit included presentations from each Youth Delegate on their human rights activities; special addresses by human rights NGOs; a panel discussion on the human rights education draft resolution currently under discussion by the Human Rights Council of the United Nations; and presentation of Human Rights Advocate Awards for stellar contribution to human rights education.

The 2010 Summit was co-sponsored by the Uganda Permanent Mission to the UN, the Haiti Permanent Mission to the UN, Village Suisse NGO, Friends of the United Nations, Ariel Foundation International, the African Diaspora Foundation and the Human Rights Department of the Church of Scientology International, which has also sponsored the distribution of millions of YHRI educational materials, including public service messages about the Universal Declaration and the educational film, The Story of Human Rights.

“When the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the aftermath of World War II, it called upon member countries to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded in schools and other educational institutions,” said Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, educator and YHRI Founder. “This remains the most vital cause and challenge of our times.”

Eight months after the Haiti earthquake left vast sections of the country in ruins, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers Haiti Disaster Response Team continues to provide relief to the Haitian people.

The first priority in January was saving lives—the care of the injured in local hospitals and clinics.  But, with the worst of the medical emergency over, there was still an enormous task ahead.  More than 1.5 million were left homeless; an estimated 230,000 had died; nearly everyone lost family members and friends; schools and colleges collapsed; businesses were destroyed—and all in a country already suffering from the greatest poverty, worst literacy levels and lowest life expectancy in the Western Hemisphere.

The task was daunting.  But the Scientology Volunteer Ministers who arrived in Haiti from the U.S., Canada, Europe, Russia, Australia and Latin America were determined to make a difference.  So while they continue to provide medical assistance and deliver food to camps and orphanages, over the past six months they have concentrated on establishing more than 600 local Volunteer Minister groups and training the members in basic Scientology Volunteer Minister technology to reach out into camps and outlying villages with help.

In creating the Volunteer Ministers program in 1976, L. Ron Hubbard wrote, “A Volunteer Minister does not shut his eyes to the pain, evil and injustice of existence.  Rather, he is trained to handle these things and help others achieve relief from them and new personal strength as well.”  The Volunteer Minister does this by using the technology of Scientology to change conditions for the better.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers, traveling to outlying villages, load supplies into a tap-tap bus. Tap-taps are privately owned vehicles—a cross between a cab service and public transportation.

Tens of thousands of MREs, “Meals Ready to Eat,”self-contained meals like those used by American soldiers, were shipped to Haiti in April on a cargo ship sponsored by the Church of Scientology.  Volunteer Ministers load MREs onto a tap-tap to distribute to outlying villages.

A team of Volunteer Ministers travel to a village to provide seminars in Scientology assists, technology developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard to address the spiritual factors in illness and injury and help the individual overcome trauma.

More than 7,000 Haitian Volunteer Ministers are now trained to deliver seminars throughout the island.

“Fitzroy House, in the 1950s, was the London home and office of L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Dianetics and Scientology. The public can visit for free and see the restored building and exhibits of his life and works.

“Writer, philosopher, mariner, founder of Dianetics and Scientology. It’s hard to label L. Ron Hubbard as he did so much. He holds the Guinness Book of World Records title for Most Published Author—1,084 publications (including lectures). Now that’s prolific! His works have been translated into 71 languages….”

“Dianetics is the all-time best selling self help book and you can see a first edition on display at Fitzroy House. It was published in 1950 with a 5,000 print run but had to reprinted 7 times in the first year.”

For a video tour of the Fitzroy House, visit the L. Ron Hubbard web site.