On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans followed three weeks later by Hurricane Rita.  Scientology Volunteer Ministers from around the country traveled to the Gulf Coast to provide relief.  This article by Ani Amirkhanian in the October 19, 2005 edition of the Glendale News-Press tells of a 71-year old woman who volunteered in Louisiana and Texas following the hurricanes.  It is the story of one of the more than 900 Scientology Volunteer Ministers who put their own lives on hold to help the people affected by these disasters.

Senior Citizen Goes To Louisiana
To Help Displaced Children

Montrose CA.  At 71 years, Jerrye Albert’s mission of mercy to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and to Houston, TX, is a tribute to the desire of humanity to help.  In her calling as a Volunteer Minister to the Church of Scientology, Albert’s mission is to show others that “Something can be done about it.”

“It is the truth,” says Albert who does not see her age as any reason to stop jumping into the fray when people need help even in the middle of the aftermath of Katrina.

Out of hundreds of contacts, this one stayed in Albert’s mind:  “There was a woman sitting totally still and staring into space.  Her children were in chairs around her, quite sad, waiting for her to communicate, but she was not saying anything to them.  So I sat down next to her and asked her if she wanted to tell me anything and received no response.  I waited a bit, and then repeated my question, again, no response.  I waited again and repeated my question a third time, at which point a few tears ran down her cheeks.  I told her it was okay to cry.  I told her there was nothing wrong with that.

I told her to go ahead and cry and assured her that this was okay.  It took a bit, but finally the woman did cry.  She cried for a very long time and I sat next to her.  Then she talked.  She told me about losing her mother, not knowing where she was, and also that her cousin, only in his 30’s had just died in a New Orleans hospital.  But what I also observed was that the next person who addressed her, she answered, and I could see that she was finally back with us.  At that point she left with one of the workers, but when she saw me later, she thanked me.  It is such a simple thing, but so powerful to restore someone’s willingness to be alive.  Her children had their mother back.”

Albert’s love of children drew her to Baton Rouge.  The cots were crowded close together, and there was no privacy whatsoever.  The children were rambunctious, being children, she says, but it is optimum and normal for children to be noisy, she added.  There was so much noise anyway.

“They are such innocents!  They gather right up to you and touch you,” she says, “and the parents were trying to show love to their children despite the horrific surroundings and circumstances.” She spent hours with them just drawing pictures.  “At first there were pictures of houses, rain falling from clouds, tornados, and water covering most of the houses,” she recalls.

“Several days later, there were pictures with sun shining, Halloween witches and monsters.  Quite a difference.”

“The hardest part was hearing over and over about missing family members and realizing the agony that each person felt not knowing if their loved ones were alive or dead,” says Albert.  But if that was the worst part, the best was enabling people to smile again.  “When they smiled, I knew they were out of the worst.  Many of them promised me that they would create a happy future for themselves and their families, because they absolutely knew that they had that capacity again.  As a Volunteer Minister I can help a person discover that ‘Something Can Be Done About it’ no matter what happens, and that was my mission,” she stated.  For information on training as a Volunteer Minister, contact the Church of Scientology Los Angeles at 323 953-3200.

Counseling down to an art 

Jerrye Albert has always had a knack for creativity.

The 71-hear-old Montrose resident plays the piano, writes poetry, draws and even sculpts in her free time when she is not working two jobs.

When Albert learned about the aid needed for Hurricane Katrina victims, she decided to put her creative talents to good use.

She paid her way to Louisiana and made her way back, stopping in Texas, with the Church of Scientology disaster response team, and helped the displaced hurricane survivors express their loss and grief with art.

Albert, who has training as a counselor, also counseled victims at two shelters in Baton Rouge and at the Astrodome in Houston.

Glendale News-Press News Assistant Ani Amirkhanian sat down with Albert and asked her some questions about her experience with the disaster relief effort.

What motivated you to travel to the South after the hurricane?

I went to Louisiana because it needed to be done and it was right here in our own country.

I was gone for 10 days.  The Scientology disaster response team has a motto and it’s “something can be done about it.”  It was a very intense experience.

What sparked your interest in Scientology?

I guess I was looking for answers just as many of us are today and I had tried many different roads.  When you look at it, ultimately all roads lead back to the same things.

But for me individually, Scientology held the answers for me and it was a very workable philosophy.

How did bringing in art help people cope with their loss?

I went around and I got people to draw.  I would give them crayons and marking pens and paper and they would draw.

Art is a form of creation and if you get people to start creating, they get better.  I feel a person can always create.

If you are creative as a writer, or whatever, you can always create and have a cause for your future.

How did children respond when you asked them to draw?

It was so amazing to see when they would start to draw, you would see pictures of houses covered with water and tornadoes.

The kids were so beautiful and creative.

Their drawings started to show the sun shining and you started to see a change in them.

How did you approach people to counsel them?

I sat down and talked to a lot of different people and I got them to tell me about their grief.

Some of them couldn’t even talk at first, but I would sit and I would put my arm around them and listen and wait until I got them to talk.

I got a lot of different stories.

How can seniors be of help to victims?It’s all about you and your ability to love others.  You still have your capacity.

You’re needed, you are so needed for your ability to love and care.

In the belief that all humankind is entitled to inalienable rights and that education in human rights is essential to bringing this about, the Church of Scientology lends it support to Youth for Human Rights International and its youth advocacy programs.

The Human Rights Office of the Church of Scientology International co-sponsored the 7th Annual International Human Rights Summit of Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI), held 27 August 2010, in Geneva, Switzerland.   With human rights a central belief of the Scientology religion, the Church has supported Youth for Human Rights since the group’s inception nine years ago.

Youth delegates from 30 countries, distinguished human rights advocates and more than 60 UN diplomats attended the event held in the United Nations Palais des Nations.  The purpose of the Summit was to coordinate the work of all involved in making the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights widely known and used.  Traditionally held in August, this year’s event was aptly timed to coincide with the start of the United Nations “Year of Youth,” which is being commemorated from August 2010 to August 2011.

In addition to the support of the Church of Scientology the 2010 International Summit was also 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 and the African Diaspora Foundation.

The Human Rights Department of the Church of Scientology International has co-sponsored all previous YHRI International Summits, seven Youth for Human Rights World Tours, and 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.

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.

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.”

Scientologist, Marc Kosta, who invented the one use only syringe to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and other disease, is featured on the Scientology website  in a feature called “Meet a Scientologist.”

His work was covered in an article on Wired magazine, and is excerpted here, along with a video on the educational foundation he has created.

ONE USE ONLY: THE BROKEN SYRINGE THAT SAVES LIVES

_{rom Wired magazine: By Katie Scott, 06 August 2009}

“In 1984, Marc Koska read a newspaper article predicting the spread of HIV through medical syringes. He decided to take action and spent the next ten years researching the spread of diseases through the use of dirty syringes.

“His studies found that there were 23,000 HIV infections due to unsafe injections each year, as well as one million of hepatitis C and 21 million of hepatitis B. This results in about 1.3 million deaths per year.”

“Koska’s solution is a syringe that can only be used once. The AD (Auto Disable) syringe, or K1”

“Kosta has also created a charity called Safepoint, which sets out to educate people about the dangers of re-using syringes.” >>

Churches of Scientology in 14 countries joined forces with Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) last week conducting a global petition drive in support of human rights education. Based on the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the petition calls on governments to make human rights education mandatory and to conduct human rights education campaigns. The Declaration was ratified by the UN General Assembly in 1948 and defines the fundamental freedoms and human rights in the United Nations Charter. Since that time it has influenced national constitutions, treaties, laws, and human rights institutions the world over.

“The Universal Declaration does more than condemn discrimination, slavery and torture,” said Rev. Bob Adams, spokesperson for the Church of Scientology International.  “Unfortunately, most people are unaware of the full scope of these rights and so have no way of knowing when these rights are violated.  It’s not something only for governments to care for—we all have an interest in these rights.”

Scientologists, their families and friends took to busy street corners, festivals and shopping centers and city squares, where they presented booklets and videos, engaged in human rights discussions and gained support for the cause on giant petition boards.   Active on many fronts of human rights initiatives and reform for five decades, the Church sponsors a worldwide human rights initiative to raise awareness and respect for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  This includes distribution of millions of booklets and the airing of 30 public service messages, both based on the Declaration’s articles.  In 2009, the Church sponsored the production of a new educational film, The Story of Human Rights, a 20-minute entertaining and historical account of the development of human rights, and a new human rights educators kit.  To date, these materials have reached over 500 million people in 180 countries.

“The Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes the inherent dignity and rights of all members of the human family as the foundation of freedom, justice and peace,” said Rev. Adams.  “The world needs a lot more people knowing it and supporting it.”

_{A team of Scientology Volunteer Ministers traveled to Gonaïves from their Haiti headquarters in Pétionville,  to provide seminars to the people of the city.}

Nancy, an American teacher who spent her summer with the Scientology Haiti Disaster Response Team, traveled with two other Volunteer Ministers to Gonaïves to give seminars to the residents of the town decimated by storms in 2004 and 2008.   There, the local Volunteer Ministers who invited them brought the team to a school and two churches to provide training in Scientology technology.  Here is Nancy’s story:

I had heard that in Haiti when you announce a seminar, 50 people appear out of nowhere to attend.  I thought it was an exaggeration, but that’s exactly how it seemed in Gonaïves, where we filled two churches and a school to capacity for a series of seminars on Scientology assists—techniques developed by L. Ron Hubbard to help people recover from illness, injury, loss and trauma.

The seminars were simple and very practical.  We passed out copies in French of the Scientology Handbook booklets called “Assists for Illnesses and Injuries,” and after a brief demonstration got attendees right into action—practice,  practice, practice until they were confident they could use these techniques and teach them to their friends and families.

_{Seminar attendee reading the Scientology Handbook “Assists for Illnesses and Injuries” booklet.}

In the “touch assist” you tell the person you are helping to feel your finger as you touch them, to help restore communication with injured or affected body parts and the body as a whole.  I learned to say “feel my finger” in Haitian Creole—”santi dwèt mwen”—and acknowledge the person for doing so with a “thank you” (merci), “OK” (d’accord), or “very good” (très bien).

_{Seminar attendees practice the Scientology touch assist on one another.}

I demonstrated how to do the assist and attendees quickly stepped up to drill the technique on each other while I walked around making sure they were doing it correctly, referring them to the right page in the booklet when they had any questions.  The “practice” assists quickly turned into the real thing—those receiving them would suddenly look up with a smile or a sigh or a “Wow, I feel much better.”

Everyone wanted to give and receive them—teenagers, young moms, older men and women—it was amazing to watch them experience relief from pain as their tight muscles relaxed and their joints loosened up.

_{Scientology Volunteer Ministers demonstrate nerve assists, procedures developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard to restore communication with the body.}

Next was the nerve assist, which gently releases the standing waves in nerve channels, improves communication with the body and brings relief. We had them read the directions in the Scientology Handbook booklet and laid blankets down on the floor to demonstrate the assist.  They gathered around to watch and learn and then eagerly got down on the blankets to receive and give these assists themselves.  The relief they gained from these assists was remarkable.

_{Scientology Volunteer Ministers Assist Seminar in Gonaïves.}

Hurricane season rarely spares the people of Gonaïves.  As in Port-au-Prince, where lack of  building codes and standard construction practices are blamed for the inconceivable devastation of the January 2010 earthquake, in Gonaïves, too, destructive “solutions” have exacerbated the effects of natural disasters.

With oil too expensive in this country of poverty, for decades the people of Haiti chopped down their forests for charcoal to cook their food.  By 2004, little more that one percent of the forests remained. With hillsides stripped of trees, three days of heavy rains caused mudslides and floods killing over 2,500 people in Gonaïves.  Another 500 died under similar circumstances in 2008.

Our two days of seminars didn’t change that.  But we put this tool called “Scientology Assists” into the hands of more than 200 people—a skill they intend to use with their friends and families to bring relief and help make life more livable.  And we shared the news that “Something Can be done about it”—the motto of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers.

_{Hundreds of Scientology Volunteer Ministers groups have been established throughout Haiti}

Conditions in Haiti can be improved, technology does exist for raising the bar on ethics and morals, improving literacy, and   accomplishing goals. And this is all available through the Scientology Handbook and the Haiti Scientology Volunteer Ministers headquarters in Pétionville.  Here, hundreds of Volunteer Ministers groups are forming up and thousands are learning to use these tools to create a better future for their city and their country.

A ten-day anti-drug marathon brought the truth about drugs to cities throughout the Netherlands.  Five former addicts and two additional volunteers participated in the run, coordinated by staff of the Church of Scientology of Amsterdam.

The runners want to education people about drugs.  “If people really knew the truth, they would not start.  It is important to for them to see how much harm drugs cause,” said Merel Remmerswaal, Social Reform Director of the Church of Scientology of Amsterdam and spokesperson for the marathon.

Cities visited included Lemmer, Horn, Lelystad, Almere, Amsterdam, Medemblik and Urk.>>

Haiti is a land that “once was.”  Occasional patches of concrete through the rubble in the Port-au-Pince streets evidence there must once have been roads. The French-colonial hotels with their wide verandas once must have been quite elegant.  And the passenger terminal that welcomed guests flying into the country in days past is long gone—replaced by a concrete-block hangar.

It is as though a 150-foot giant rampaged through Port-au-Prince on a drunken spree with a huge hammer—the teams of 30-50 government employees wielding pick axes, buckets and shovels around town are no match for the rubble he left behind.

More than a million Haitians live in tent cities now—little has been done to rebuild and there is no place else to go.

The structures that imploded on January 12, 2010, are crumbled monuments to those who saved a few dollars by adding extra sand to the concrete and those who condoned the lack of building codes.  The schools, markets and homes spared no one, not even those who built them, when they collapsed.

For the past month, as part of the Scientology Haiti  Volunteer Minister Relief Team, I’ve been doing what I can to change this, and help the freedom-loving people of Haiti transform their “once was” country into the nation they deserve.

There is wisdom in the maxim of teaching a man to fish rather than feeding him a meal and this is the philosophy of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program; we help others by giving them knowledge they can use  to make their lives better—knowledge that is easily taught, quickly learned, and useful in everyday life.

Ranking high among the skills we teach is a body of knowledge called Scientology assists.  Administered to help people recover from illness and injury (once needed first aid has been applied), assists can also relieve loss, trauma and the spiritual factors that contribute to chronic conditions.

A Scientology Volunteer Minister demonstrates a Scientology assist in a seminar in Haiti.

For most of my stay in Haiti I’ve been living (along with Russians, French, Australians, Mexicans and of course Haitians) at the program’s headquarters in Petionville, in the hills above Port-au-Prince, training Haitian Volunteer Ministers.  And I have learned so much from the Haitian people I’ve met—their beauty, resilience and optimism despite the ordeals they’ve survived.

While in Haiti, I ventured to Gonaïves with two other Volunteer Ministers.  A group from this town had attended a Scientology assist seminar in Port-au-Prince and asked us to bring this technology to their city as they prepare for this year’s hurricane season.

The hundred-mile bus trip begins with…waiting.  The bus only leaves Port-au-Prince for Gonaïves when it is full, and we soon learned that “full” means three adults to a seat in an ancient school bus.  Our only guarantee of a seat for the three-hour trip was to sit there from 7:10 until 8:40 in the morning while the bus slowly filled up. Once underway there was one hour on an asphalt road.  The rest of the way we barreled over concrete, ruts and rock and held our breath as the bus repeatedly swerved into the oncoming traffic lane to dodge stalled trucks.

On arriving in Gonaïves I was struck by its resemblance to the black and white images of ghost towns in old American westerns.  Although spared the wrath of the January 12 earthquake, it had never recovered from the tropical storms and hurricanes that decimated the city in 2004 and 2008.

But that impression ended when our seminars began.  I was once again struck by the spirit of the Haitian people—the true descendants of those who prevailed against the military might of Napoleon’s France; the only country in recorded history to have formed a free nation from a successful slave revolt—60 years before America’s Emancipation Proclamation.

Continued…

Celebrating 83 years in the heart of Clearwater, this historical icon is available for charity functions and tours by the community as well as a special weekly Open House on Sundays

Aug 18, 2010, Clearwater—In celebration of the 83rd anniversary of the Fort Harrison, The Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization, the owner of the facility, has announced that it is hosting “Sundays at the Fort Harrison”, a weekly Open House from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm on Sundays.

The Open House features tours of the Fort Harrison highlighted by heartwarming stories of the Clearwater landmark, live entertainment and special culinary events.

“The Fort Harrison is a part of the heritage of Clearwater,” said Lisa Mansell, Community Affairs Director for the Church.  “We are encouraging groups, organizations and families to tour the Fort Harrison so that they re-connect with the history of our beautiful city.”

Built by businessman Ed Haley at the height of the Florida land boom, the stately Fort Harrison hosted the sparkling lights of Clearwater society for fashion shows, bridge tournaments, Kiwanis and Rotary Club meetings, wedding receptions and the annual George Washington’s Birthday Ball.  Many local residents remember going to their high school prom, attending cotillion or swimming in the Fort Harrison pool.

Notable guests included humanitarian Helen Keller and the Rolling Stones, who stayed in the hotel’s penthouse in 1965 writing the song “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” after an especially disappointing concert at Jack Russell Stadium.

The Church of Scientology purchased the hotel in 1975 and undertook detailed renovations to restore the aging facility to its former grandeur and beyond.  The Church’s founder, L. Ron Hubbard, worked at the Fort Harrison for several years until the church’s international administration moved to Los Angeles.

Completed in 2009, the renovation and restoration of the property started in April 2008, when it was stripped virtually bare and rebuilt from its core.  This included installation of new state-of-the-art systems—plumbing, electrical and central air and heating—as well as fully modernized professional kitchens to service the retreat’s three restaurants.  Particular care was taken to make the work and the final product environmentally friendly.  This included recycled “blue jean” insulation, high efficiency water systems to reduce consumption and energy-efficient lighting, electrical and air conditioning.

Despite all the modernization, the Fort Harrison still bears its hallmark historical touches, including the replication of the lobby’s original black wrought iron work and gold leafed moldings, resurfacing of the entire exterior as well as restoring architectural detail that had been lost in the building’s “modernization” in the 1950’s.

The Fort Harrison is the international spiritual retreat of the Church of Scientology where parishioners come from all over the world to partake of the Church’s religious services.  However, the Church has opened its doors to community groups and charitable organizations since it bought the Fort Harrison and invites them to use the magnificent Crystal Ballroom, the grand auditorium and gardens for their charity functions.

Since the Fort Harrison’s grand re-opening in March of 2009, groups such as the North Greenwood Community Coalition, Jazztorians, the Sunscreen Film Festival and the Clearwater Downtown Partnership have utilized the facility for their fundraisers.

For more information, and for scheduling tours and booking private community events at the Fort Harrison, contact Lisa Mansell at (727) 467–6860.

# # #

About the Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization: The Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization is the international religious retreat for the Church of Scientology’s millions of parishioners. Some 12,000 Scientologists travel to Clearwater every year to partake in Scientology religious services. There are over 8,500 Scientology churches, missions and groups in 165 countries. Scientology is an applied religious philosophy founded by author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard. Scientology means “study of knowledge” and its basic tenets include that man is a spiritual being who is seeking to survive. For more information visit www.scientology.org

United Nations’ International Year of the Youth was kicked off by Youth for Human Rights Florida with a petition drive in the Tampa Bay area on August 12 through August 15, gathering over 500 signatures to get human rights taught in schools and reaching hundreds of kids with the human rights message.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon says, “Youth should be given a chance to take an active part in the decision-making of local, national and global levels.”

In the spirit of the International Year of Youth, Youth for Human Rights Florida is stepping up its work, and hopes to take an active part in important decision-making issues by urging leaders in Florida to recognize that children who do not know their rights are vulnerable, and to promote the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and cause it to be taught principally in schools and other educational institutions.

To better understand the importance of including human rights education in  schools and universities’ curriculums, a person could reflect on the pain and suffering as well as the millions of innocent lives lost in and before the World Wars. Those were the events that led to the UDHR in 1948.

Ignorance is a fertile breeding ground for abuse. Knowledge empowers.

It doesn’t take a genius to improve the conditions around one. Many people from ordinary backgrounds, ordinary homes and with ordinary means, all with a common determination, could help make this a better world in some small way.

Youth for Human Rights Florida is a secular non-profit organization with the mission to educate about Human Rights both in and out of the classroom. The uniqueness of the program lies in the educational materials created in collaboration with the Human Rights Department of the Church of Scientology International. Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard stated: “Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream”.  These educational materials include youth-designed videos of the 30 Human Rights according to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, along with a documentary, “The Story of Human Rights”, booklets and an educator’s guide.

Everyone can help ensure human rights are learned by signing the petition at www.youthforhumanrights.org.