Youth for Human Rights of Florida:
Keeping the Dream Alive

SUMMARY: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said that “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be,” and in this spirit, Youth for Human Rights of Florida is making available copies of “What are Human Rights?”


CLEARWATER: Youth for Human Rights of Florida is keeping Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream of peace and equality for all through their distribution of “What are Human Rights?” a free booklet that outlines the 30 human rights as delineated by the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in language that makes the declaration simple to understand.

The booklets are being distributed by group members and volunteers at locations throughout Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties.

The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights was originally created in 1948 by the United Nations, in order to prevent the atrocities committed in World War II from ever happening again. By educating young people in their basic rights, it is thought that they will grow up knowing that all people have rights.

And what are some of these rights? That everyone is born free and equal; that people have the right to an education; the right to a fair trial; the right to be innocent until proven guilty and 27 more.

One of the sponsors of the printing of the booklet is the Church of Scientology.

“Mr. Hubbard, our founder, once said that ‘Human Rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream,’ and Youth for Human Rights – YHR for short - really takes that to heart. This is why we support them in their endeavors,” said Pat Harney, spokesperson for the Church in Clearwater.

2011 was a busy one for the Florida Chapter of YHR. The youth pulled together and produced a Fair Trade Fashion Show at the Church of Scientology of Tampa, spearheaded the International Youth for Human Rights Walk (which occurred almost simultaneously in 30 different countries), participated in the 5th Annual Human Rights Walkathon and International Peace Day.

YHR Florida also gathered 5,000 signed petitions, which were presented to the Governor’s Office, asking for Human Rights education to be made a part of all school curriculums.

“One of the human rights is ‘Don’t discriminate’,” said Harney. “By educating people about their human rights, it is actually moving all of us toward a world that Dr. King laid out in his “I have a dream” speech – a world where people, black, white, any nationality or any race, can come together, sit down and be at the same level, one with another. This is what YHR is doing, every day.”

Persons interested in getting their own copy of the booklet are encouraged to go to the Church of Scientology of Tampa – located in the historic Ybor Square at 1300 East 8th Avenue.

The booklet is also available on line from their website – www.youthforhumanrights.org.