UCLA PHILOSOPHY MAJOR ADVANCES HUMAN RIGHTS AND HER CAREER PATH

Released on = September 19, 2005, 5:42 pm

Press Release Author = Church of Scientology of Los Angeles

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Press Release Summary = Pre-law student, Vanessa Alfaro, piloted a new education plan which advances a cultural mandate voiced by humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard, "Human Rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream", as part of her internship late July. After being involved with Youth for Human Rights International, Alfaro
concludes that human rights micj become part of every child's education.

Press Release Body = UCLA Philosophy Major Advances Human Rights and Her Career Path

As part of her internship begun late in July, 22-year-old pre-law student, Vanessa Alfaro, piloted a new education plan which advances a cultural mandate voiced by humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard – “Human Rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream.” The pilot was done for Youth for Human Rights International, headquartered in Hollywood.

According to YHRI’s founder and President, Mary Shuttleworth, the reason there is so little progress in making human rights a fact, even fifty years after the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights was first drafted, is that the document is not taught in most of the countries who claim to endorse it. For the last five years she has traveled the globe to build a network of YHRI chapters in dozens of countries, as well as worked through media as diverse as internet-based art and essay contests, art festivals, youth summits, newsprint and now a brilliant award-winning music video to create the multi-media education package. Shuttleworth says that with the UNITED curriculum, YHRI hopes to build a virtual “army of youth advocates” who truly understand the importance of human rights and demand
that all nations of the world do uphold them.

Alfaro says now that she is on the other side of the project she too can conclude that human rights education must be part of every child’s education process: “I found that before studying about human rights, the prevalent concept of the students was that human ‘rights’ were little more than the opposite of human ‘bad.’ Most of the youth thought the United Nations was the same as the United States, and most did not even know that there is a Universal Declaration of Human Rights. After going through the lessons, the students actually knew that they had rights; and that it was important to uphold them; and they were very proud of this new understanding.” She went
on to say that the material seemed to “break through socio-economic
barriers” and helped youth to “envision a world of equality without
discrimination.” “Knowing their human rights in some cases encouraged them to change personally,” she said, “and many saw that they must uphold these rights to have them. It also strengthened their personal beliefs.”

Unique to the education curriculum piloted by Alfaro is a multiple
award-winning rap music video called UNITED, which tells the simple story of how a young boy bullied off the basketball court in his neighborhood launches a worldwide rally for human rights to take it back peacefully. Alfaro quickly found that UNITED with its hip hop beat and rap, was instantly embraced at YMCA of West San Gabriel Valley where she lives. But even so, the only way she could get the staff to take the project on was to recruit her younger sister to volunteer to run the classes. She has since set up projects at John Adams Middle School in Los Angeles as well as at the Echo Park Boys and Girls Club.

Alfaro encourages other students to offer their services to the Foundation. “It was a valuable experience and I know it will enhance my study of law to have taken such an in-depth look at what human rights are and how important they are,” she added. Any student also interested in administering a UNITED pilot can contact the pilot coordinator, Michele Kirkland, at Youth for Human Rights International, 323 663-5797 or email: youthhumanrights@aol.com.

Web Site = http://www.youthforhumanrights.org

Contact Details = Church of Scientology of Los Angeles
4810 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90027

Edie Reuveni
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