The Volunteer Ministers of the Church of Scientology of Arizona participated in the Coolidge Cotton Festival, an annual celebration of the heritage of this community, where the mild weather of the region made Arizona one of the most important sources of cotton in the USA.

The story is covered on the Volunteer Ministers Web Site.

Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard Honored at Worldwide Celebration

The Scientology Web site has an article about the annual birthday celebration of Scientology founder, L. Ron Hubbard. It was held in Clearwater last Friday, where Mr. David Miscavige was master of ceremonies for the event, this was shown in Los Angeles on L. Ron Hubbard Way.

Scientologists, friends and admirers this week are celebrating the extraordinary life of international best-selling author and founder of the Scientology religion, L. Ron Hubbard (1911-1986). In conjunction with his March 13 Birthday, more than 6,000 people gathered on L. Ron Hubbard Way in Los Angeles and another 5,000 in Clearwater, Florida to celebrate the 95^th anniversary of his birth. These events are being followed by celebrations in cities in over 120 countries around the world.

A best-selling author during his 50-year writing career, Hubbard wrote 19 New York Times bestsellers including Dianetics, which first appeared on the list in 1950 and returned again in 1988. The book has gone on to sell more than 20 million copies and become the most popular self-improvement book in the world. With more than 200 million copies of his works sold in 65 languages, Guinness World Records recently awarded Mr. Hubbard the title of the world’s most translated author. >>

ITALY AND CALIFORNIA JOINING HANDS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

I really enjoyed this story on the Scientology site that I found today.

At first glance, there are hardly two towns in the world that have less in common than Watts, California and Padova, Italy.

Watts is a classic American inner-city area. While community leaders are determined to create a cultural renaissance in Watts, media all-too often stereotyped this city by focusing on racial tension and gang violence between its Hispanic and African American populations.

On the other hand Padova, located 24 miles west of Venice, is a major political and cultural center, famous for its many Medieval and Renaissance churches, museums, and one of the oldest universities in all of Europe.

But as Ettore Botter, the Public Affairs Director of the Church of Scientology of Padova, learned this week, the most important qualities of these cities is something they have in common — the dreams of their youth.

Botter had his own dream — to forge an alliance that would transcend the differences between his ancient Italian city and this California neighborhood using UNITED, an award-winning human rights hip-hop music video that is promoted by Youth for Human Rights International in coordination with the Church of Scientology International. “Hip-hop music has become a universal language” said Botter. “Italian kids learn English these days by singing their favorite American songs.”


So when Youth for Human Rights International decided to hold a human rights workshop at Jordan High School in Watts, Botter insisted on participating and showing this film to the students.

In this music video paper airplanes serve as a symbol of tolerance, communication and solidarity among youth around the world, so Botter had the students write down their own dreams on pieces of paper made into a paper airplanes. He will bring these home with him to Italy when he returns next week, and have students in a Padova high school do the same and send their airplanes to Watts.

“L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Scientology religion once wrote ‘Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream,’” said Botter. “I believe the friendships they forge will give these youth the encouragement to make their own dreams and the dream of a better world come true.”

Scientology Celebrity Centre

Celebrity Centre International is a very special Scientology church.

According to the Celebrity Center web site:

The artist is capable of creating major effects that inspire our society and culture. Especially today in this high-tech age, where communications routinely address millions of people at a time — making the sphere of an artist’s influence almost boundless.

L. Ron Hubbard recognized the importance of the artist to society. Thus he created Celebrity Centre International — a Church of Scientology that specializes in delivering Dianetics and Scientology services to celebrities, professionals, leaders and promising new-comers in the fields of the arts, sports, management and government.

Many of the artists at Celebrity Centre are involved with the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program. For example, last November when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, John Travolta and Kelly Preston flew supplies into the area to back up the relief effort and Kirstie Ally drove a huge truckload of supplies in, as well.

A Vision of a New Civilization

There are programs that use Scientology technology in a secular application that work. They address the most serious human rights issues of our day because they put the individual into a position where he or she can survive in a highly competitive and stressful environment anywhere in the world.

These programs handle illiteracy, drug dependence, crime and immorality.

If one were able to learn new skills, no matter what skills he or she needed, that would open the door to a new future. So many impoverished people resort to drugs and crime as "solutions" to the problems they know they can never overcome in life, and Narconon, and Criminon provide the basic grounding in life skills that help one deal with stress and other factors which hold one back.