Help for Haitian Student

Getting his life back: Haiti quake survivor who got prosthetic leg in New Haven is following new career path

By Amanda Pinto, Register Staff apinto@newhavenregister.com NEW HAVEN — Five months ago, Ralph Gedeon was lying trapped beneath a pile of rubble when the engineering college he attended in Port-au-Prince toppled in the 7.0 earthquake that hit the island nation. His leg was crushed and several organs were failing when his father, after digging for a day and a half, rescued Gedeon from the tumbled remnants. Miraculously, on Sunday, the earthquake survivor stood on two legs — one of them a prosthetic — and packed his bags as he prepared to leave the Sister Ann Virginie Grimes Rehabilitation Center on Chapel Street. Gedeon’s progress is a miracle, and seeing him walk brings tears to the eyes of Dr. David Gibson, an orthopedic surgeon who teaches at the Yale School of Medicine and is affiliated with the Hospital of Saint Raphael. “This is what you do it for,” he said. “It is really heartening to see him walk.” But for Gedeon, who will now begin outpatient treatment in Rockland, N.Y., walking is only a part of his positive journey. When he eventually returns to his home country, he will have a permanent prosthesis that will even allow him to play soccer, and he’ll have an engineering degree that will enable him to help others injured in the earthquake, said Ayal Lindeman, the emergency medical technician, nurse and Scientology volunteer minister who was on a mission in Haiti when he met Gedeon, 22. Gedeon will also take classes at Rockland Community College, and will likely receive a scholarship from the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading to continue studies in engineering, Lindeman said. He will switch his concentration from electrical to mechanical engineering so he can focus on creating and improving orthotics and prosthetics to help Haiti’s thousands of amputees, Lindeman said. Gedeon has come quite a long way for a man who contemplated accepting death rather than enduring an amputation that could have left him shunned in Haiti, where amputees are degraded, Lindeman said. After Gedeon was rescued, his father, Raphael Gedeon, told Lindeman ‘I love my son, but I cannot condemn him to this life.’ At that moment, Lindeman thought of the motto on the back of his mission jacket, ‘Something can be done;’ he called his friend Gibson and promised Ralph Gedeon a leg and a life. Now Gedeon has had nine surgeries, his care has been provided at no cost by St. Raphael’s and a prosthetic donated by a manufacturer. He has been tutored, free of charge, in English. He used a cane to walk from the rehabilitation center Sunday, but routinely lifted it as he waved and joked with the small crowd of well-wishers who gathered to see him off. Of his ability to walk, Gedeon smiles and simply says, “We’re progressing.” “(I thought I would walk) because Ayal promised me, and second, I’ve seen people walking (on prosthetics) in the movies,” he said. He said his leg, which is still healing, is a bit uncomfortable, but he was full of smiles and hugs for the group—which included Marie and Marc Roseme, housekeepers in the facility who are originally from Haiti— who bid him an emotional goodbye. His father, who arrived in the U.S. Friday, said through a translator Sunday that he was at a loss for words for what his son has accomplished, and for the generosity bestowed upon him. “I don’t have an expression that would fit,” he said. “Just thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Scientology Video: Why we help

Scientology Book Helps People Cope

The book Self Analysis by L. Ron Hubbard is a Scientology book that helps people get a grip on their lives. In it, Ron says, "Probably the most neglected friend you have is you. And yet every man, before he can be a true friend to the world, must first become a friend to himself." The book has exercises you can do by yourself, or you can "twin-up" with a friend or anyone interested in improving his/her life and go back and forth, asking the questions in the book. The most remarkable things happen: You start to feel more energetic, more optimistic, you can think on your feet faster, you start to be able to come up with smart solutions to problems that were sticky or "impossible" before. It doesn't have to take long -- a half hour a day is enough to make a difference. Scientology Video: Why we help

Scientologists Gear Up for United Nations Day Against Drugs

Churches of Scientology around the world will host community drug education activities June 26 in recognition of the United Nations International Day Against Illicit Drugs and Trafficking. Steadfast drug education advocates for more than 20 years, Scientology Churches are inviting local police, officials, community leaders, parents and teens to toughen up their neighborhoods with youth-oriented drug education activities for both young and old.

“To bring about real demand reduction, people need facts they know are real and that’s been missing from most drug education programs,” says Rev. Bob Adams, spokesperson for the Church of Scientology International and a former National Football League player. “To resist a drug pusher, a peer or anyone else encouraging drug abuse, one’s knowledge about drugs has to be certain and firm.”

The Church’s community drug education programs have been conducted at a grass-roots level by both Scientologists and non-Scientologists since the mid-1980s. Adams says toughening up neighborhoods against drugs benefits everybody. “Today we are all affected by drug abuse in some way or another and it’s not just illegal street drugs and youth. Prescription drug abuse is also a huge problem. All of it directly relates to health, crime, and safety, and things people don’t immediately think of in relation to drugs, like success and economics. The truth is that today, if you’re not well educated about drugs, you are at risk.”

In addition to its anti-drug advocacy and community activation, the Church sponsors the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, the international provider of The Truth About Drugs education materials available in 20 languages. Based on authoritative surveys and studies, The Truth About Drugs series includes abundant first hand testimonials in a youth-friendly format: 13 pocket-sized booklets and short videos covering the most commonly abused drugs, a new documentary based on interviews with over 200 former addicts, which can be seen and ordered free, at www.drugfreeworld.org.

“The Truth About Drugs Documentary and booklets are upfront, poignant and real,” says Adams. “They empower youth, parents, educators, law enforcement, social workers and anyone else concerned because it’s not about scare tactics—it’s true life experiences with facts.”

The United Nations International Day Against Illicit Drugs and Trafficking was established in 1987 by UN resolution 42/112 to strengthen action and cooperation in achieving an international society free of drug abuse.

Scientology Video: Why we help

Scientology-sponsored Youth Group Brings Truth about Drugs to Los Angeles Thai New Year Festival

LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles chapter of the Drug-Free Marshals, sponsored by the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles, joined the festivities of the Songkran Festival, the celebration of Thai New Year, getting kids to pledge to live drug-free lives.

Located just blocks from the heart of Thai Town, the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles joined this year’s Songkran Festival, the celebration of Thai New Year, by helping neighborhood children avoid the tragedy of drug abuse. Scientology volunteers distributed copies of The Truth About Drugs drug-education booklets and “swore in children” as Drug-Free Marshals, a program that encourages youth to pledge to live drug-free lives and help their friends and family do the same.

Thai New Year, celebrated each year in April, is a time of renewal, marked by lighthearted fun and enthusiasm. Several blocks of Hollywood Boulevard were closed to traffic and filled with hundreds of booths, offering a variety of Thai products including food and beverages, clothing and gifts. There were also booths from community programs including the Drug-Free Marshals.

“Every 12 seconds another school-age child experiments with illicit drugs for the first time,” said Noelle North, Outreach Program Coordinator for the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles. “Our aim with the Drug-Free Marshals is to reach children with the truth about drugs before they succumb to peer pressure or pro-drug false propaganda.”

The Drug-Free Marshals program was founded by the Church of Scientology International in Los Angeles 17 years ago. The non-denominational program has been adopted by individuals and organizations throughout the United States and in many other countries as well.

For more information on drug education and prevention programs of the Church of Scientology, visit www.scientology.org.

Church of Scientology–Final Judgment of European Court of Human Rights Defend Religious Freedom

On March 8, 2010, the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of religious associations of the Church of Scientology in Surgut and Nizhnekamsk became final.

March 13, 2010—On March 8, 2010, the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of religious associations of the Church of Scientology in Surgut and Nizhnekamsk became final.

On October 1, 2009, the European Court of Human Rights delivered the judgment in the cases NN 76836/01 and 32782/03 in favor of the churches of Scientology of Surgut and Nizhnekamsk.

The final judgment of the European Court found a violation of rights of the applicants by the Russian Federation, in particular, violation of the provisions of Article 9 of the Convention (freedom of thought, conscience and religion) in the light of Article 11 (freedom of assembly and association).

The court found that “the restricted status afforded to religious groups under the Religions Act did not allow members of such a group to enjoy effectively their right to freedom of religion, rendering such a right illusory and theoretical rather than practical and effective, as required by the Convention.

“The applications for registration as a religious organization submitted by the first and second applicants as founders of their respective groups… were denied by reference to the insufficient period of the groups’ existence. Finally, the restricted status of a religious group for which they qualified and in which the third applicant existed conveyed no practical or effective benefits to them as such a group was deprived of legal personality, property rights and the legal capacity to protect the interests of its members and was also severely hampered in the fundamental aspects of its religious functions.

“In the instant case the Russian Government did not identify any pressing social need which the impugned restriction served or any relevant and sufficient reasons which could justify the lengthy waiting period that a religious organization had to endure prior to obtaining legal personality.”

President of the Church of Scientology of Nizhnekamsk, Mr. Emir Ramazanov, stated, “the judgment of the European Court not only raises the standards of the protection of freedom of conscience and freedom of association to a new level in Russia and in Europe, but also confirms that the European standards guarantee the protection even when injustice comes from national laws.”

The Scientology religion was founded by author and philosopher L. Ron Hubbard. Scientologists believe that Man is an immortal spiritual being and basically good, and that the spiritual potential of Man can be restored (i.e., man can be salvaged) within one lifetime. The first church was opened in the United States in 1954. Now Scientology has over 8,300 Churches, Missions and affiliated groups and millions of members in 165 countries. In Russia there are over 40 churches and Mission of Scientology, from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok.

Nevada Scientology Volunteer Minister Planning to Return to Haiti

Donna Cooper’s story of wanting to join the Scientology Volunteer Ministers Haiti relief effort appeared in her hometown paper, the Pahrump Valley Times , in January. Donna has returned from Haiti but is planning to go back in April with her 17-year-old daughter. Donna, mother of 8 and soon to be great grandmother, retires in 16 days. She is a veteran of the Scientology Disaster Response in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Donna mainly worked at the Volunteer Ministers compound at the Port-au-Prince Airport, where she cooked for those who were working in the hospitals. “The doctors were great,” she said. “They slept on the ground in sleeping bags just like the rest of us. They didn’t ask for special favors. They were friendly, cheerful, and never complained about anything. We didn’t have a kitchen—just a couple of two-burner hotplates. One day I grabbed two big bags of rice, 33 cans of Healthy Choice soup, four cans of peas and cooked them all together. Everyone loved it. People were so easy to please. I did laundry too, especially for the doctors and nurses, because they simply had no time to do it themselves.”

Church of Scientology Distributes Drug Abuse and Addiction Facts Internationally

Members, friends and allies of Scientologists and Church of Scientology missions and churches in countries around the world are carrying out an all-out international effort this month to do something effective about drug abuse and addiction in their communities.

Treating April as “Drug Information Month,” volunteers distribute copies of 13 separate drug education booklets, which give simple and direct facts about drugs. These free booklets cover the effects of drugs such as marijuana, alcohol, prescription drugs, cocaine, heroine, crystal meth, crack, painkillers, LSD, Ecstasy, and Ritalin (known as “kiddie cocaine”), and show how these substances destroy a person’s health, creativity, family and relationships.

Scientologists distributed over 3,000 drug facts booklets in Hamburg, Germany, and thousands more in Berlin and Dusseldorf. Volunteers in Cagliari, Italy helped several hundred people learn the truth about drugs, many of whom asked for more booklets to pass on to their friends.

Teams in Marseilles, Angers, Clermont, Bordeaux, Nice and Lyon, France passed out more than 10,000 booklets. In Paris, volunteers went right to the most notorious neighborhoods in the city, passing out booklets to at-risk teenagers and youth while local police quietly stood by to guard against retaliation from drug dealers. “Our booklets were in such high demand,” said one of the volunteers. “We had teachers coming up to us to ask for copies for their students, two medical doctors wanted them for their waiting rooms and a professor liked them so much he grabbed some booklets and joined us.”

In Amsterdam, where the sale of so-called “soft drugs” is legal and “coffee shop” is a code name for a hash bar, volunteers passed out over 500 drug education booklets. In Auckland, New Zealand volunteers handed out some 1,200 copies at a marketplace.

Countless lives are lost to drugs. Newspapers and TV news shows spotlight the famous artists who die from drug overdose, but most people have experienced personally the loss of a friend or family member through drug abuse. Many of those who resort to selling sex are supporting their habits. Our prisons are full of men and women who are there because they dealt drugs or are drug addicts who committed crimes to support their habits. Governments, nonprofit organizations and private individuals spend billions every year in an attempt to combat this tragedy. Scientologists and Scientology churches, missions and groups partner with people from all faiths, professions and walks of life to do something effective to counter drug abuse. For more information visit the Scientology video channel at www.scientology.org or www.youtube.com/ChurchofScientology

Scientology Volunteer Ministers Restore Hope in the Land of Dreams

In a very quiet way, day by day, Scientology Volunteer Ministers on the Outback Goodwill Tour help people overcome the barriers to their happiness and renew the dreams of the people of dreams—the indigenous people of the Australian Outback.

The plagues that dominate indigenous Australian culture are drug and alcohol abuse and illiteracy. In 2005, the reading levels of less than half of third year Aboriginal students and only 31 percent of fifth year students met national standards. While only 5 percent of Australia’s 10-17-year-olds are Indigenous, they make up 40 percent of all young people in the nation’s juvenile justice system. A report released in June 2009 found that Indigenous Australians are 13 times more likely to end up in jail than the rest of the population. The report found a clear link between drug and alcohol abuse and the high number of incarcerated Indigenous people.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers Goodwill Tour tackles these problems in villages and camps on a one-on-one basis, using Study Technology, the Answers to Drugs Booklet, and Scientology Assists—”spiritual first aid” that helps establish the person’s communication with his or her body to overcome the pain and discomfort often associated with withdrawal. This spiritual technology, developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, is making a difference in the lives of these people, one person at a time.

Alice Springs is a cultural meeting place for the 60,000 Indigenous Australians of the Northern Territory. An additional 2,000-3,000 Indigenous people pass through 18 outlying town camps and thousands visit the Todd dry riverbed, a sacred site that runs through the town. Volunteer Ministers have introduced hundreds living in the city and camps and those making the spiritual trek to the city to technology to help with drug addiction, literacy, ethics and morality.

An elder from Alice Springs heard about the Volunteer Ministers on the “bush telegraph” (in other words, by word of mouth) and how much their Scientology Assists had helped people. When she encountered the volunteers she had them train her to give Assists and she now uses them regularly with her own friends and family. A Lutheran pastor from Hermannsburg heard about Assists and he too is now delivering them—and has taught 30 others this technology.

With their motto “Something can be done about it,” the Goodwill Tour reaches hundreds of people each month, and through training them in these tools for better living, reach out to an entire culture.

For more information on the Volunteer Ministers Goodwill Tours visit the Scientology Volunteer Ministers website at www.volunteerministers.org.

Article by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard

Twenty-seven years ago, L. Ron Hubbard wrote an article for Freedom which contained a striking analysis of how and why riots and civil unrest occur amongst minorities in the United States.That article, which follows below, is as meaningful today as it was in 1969.

iots are not always caused by economic depravation. The bulk of American riots are caused by injustice.

Only the wealthy can afford justice. It may say there must be justice in the Constitution but it can only be obtained in upper courts.

The little fellow doesn’t have a hundred thousand dollars to fight the unjust actions of those in power.

Until there is justice for the little people, not just for the rich, there will be riots. And these riots can easily swell into complete raw red revolution.

A Black can be innocently standing on a street corner, can be grabbed, beaten, thrown in jail, and worked at hard labor all on some imaginary charge. It may say it can’t be done in the law books, but where’s his $100,000 to take it high enough for action.

I have seen a Filipino university professor hauled in for nothing, his jaw broken, held without bail, all because he was a Filipino in a white US community (Port Orchard, Washington).

I have seen jails full of men who could not even say what the actual charge against them was—but they worked like dogs every day as convict labor.

As a minister, going amongst the people, I have witnessed enough injustice to overturn a state only waiting for a spark to ignite the suppressed wrath into revolution.

Until justice applies to all, until a person is really assumed innocent until proven guilty, until it no longer costs a tenth of a million to get to an upper court, the government is at risk.

They may be very big, their sweat may have no odor, their arrogance may put them above all others, but the leaders of a nation who for one instant tolerate injustice to their poorest citizens today should have heads ready for the basket. Another 1789 is boiling up, only waiting for one big spark to flash across the Western world.

Injustice is not something in which any man with power should ever trade. It is not just a sin. It is suicide.

New Scientology Church in DC

The newest ideal Scientology church opened on Saturday--the Founding Church of Scientology of Washington DC. What a milestone! David Miscavige dedicated the new building. It is HUGE! And it is SO BEAUTIFUL!

Scientology of Baton Rouge Helps Community with Dianetics

Known throughout the region for their work in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Church of Scientology Mission of Baton Rouge provides a different kind of relief these days, using Dianetics: the Modern Science of Mental Health.

The Church of Scientology Mission of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, uses Dianetics technology to help the people of their city. Open seven days a week, the Mission provides Dianetics seminars, courses and one-on-one counseling. Dianetics is a spiritual healing technology that can help alleviate unwanted sensations and emotions, irrational fears and psychosomatic illnesses (illness caused or aggravated by mental stress).

Just over four years ago the Church of Scientology Mission of Baton Rouge was headquarters of the Scientology relief effort when the major hurricanes Katrina and Rita tore through the region in one of the worst humanitarian crises in United States history. Almost 1,000 Scientology Volunteer Ministers traveled to the area where they helped the survivors of the disaster put their lives back together.

But life’s tragedies are not always so dramatic. And for nearly 60 years people of all walks of life, religions and backgrounds have been using Dianetics technology to overcome life’s disasters, big and small, and to gain understanding and relief.

“Life is grand! Although it wasn’t always. In the not so distant past, it was murky and jaded and there wasn’t much hope for a great future,” said a woman whose Dianetics counseling resulted in her “feeling content and energetic.”

“Today I was audited on the emotions surrounding my grandmother’s death,” said a woman after her first Dianetics session. “She passed away nine years ago and I had no idea all of those emotions were still lurking just beneath the surface. It really put things into perspective for me. … It was as though the layers of an onion were being pulled apart and I could get to the root of everything that troubled me about her death, as well as the things that gave me peace.”

Dianetics uncovers the source of unwanted sensations and emotions, accidents, injuries and psychosomatic illnesses, and provides effective handlings for these conditions. “Back in 1985 I was hit by a vehicle while directing traffic during an evacuation of an approaching hurricane,” said a man who had Dianetics counseling at the Baton Rouge Mission. “While assisting a crew who were securing a live downed power line, I was struck by a vehicle and ended up on the hood and then the roof, eventually falling off the vehicle and hitting the ground. I suffered a serious injury to my left leg and right shoulder, which both required surgery to repair. I’ve experienced pain in my left knee and right shoulder ever since 1985.”

After Dianetics counseling it was quite a different scene. “As the session progressed, the pain in both my knee and shoulder began to ease. By the end of the session my pain was gone. It’s been four days since the session and as of this writing my knee has been pain free!!!”

Self-doubt and unwanted behaviors surrender to Dianetics too. “I used to smoke weed every day,” said a woman who addressed this in her Dianetics sessions. “Yesterday I was put into a situation where, before, I would have given in. But I honestly had no urge to, and it was put right in my face. I am extremely surprised and very excited to see that I don’t have to worry about whether or not I’m going to take that ‘one hit.’ Because I know I won’t.”

“I feel like I’ve visited some past occurrences that have caused me much unhappiness throughout my life, and have influenced my behavior in negative ways,” said a man who came to the Mission for the Dianetics Seminar. He found that the Dianetics counseling he received is allowing him “to face these negatives and see them in a different way, with love and truth. I feel this process is altering me for the better, giving me sanity and serenity where I didn’t have it before.”

For more information about Dianetics or to find where you can attend a Dianetics Seminar or receive counseling visit the Dianetics site at www.dianetics.org. For more information about the Church of Scientology Mission of Baton Rouge visit their web site at www.scientologybatonrouge.org.

David Miscavige Dedicates New Church in Nashsville

It was such an exciting afternoon in Nashville TN when David Miscavige was joined by celebrities and thousands of guests and Scientologists from around the world to open the newest Celebrity Centre. For the full article, visit Freedom Magazine

THE FASTEST-GROWING RELIGION IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Charting the Course for Scientology Expansion

Each year in June, top Scientologists from around the world assemble aboard the Sea Org Motor Vessel Freewinds religious retreat for the “OT Summit.” It comprises a week of briefings, seminars and strategic planning sessions presided over by Chairman of the Board Religious Technology Center, Mr. David Miscavige.

This year’s Summit marked the announcement and release of historic advances for the Scientology religion.

In this way, Mr. Miscavige keeps parishioners fully abreast of Church accomplishments, current planning and goals for the coming year and beyond. He provides them with the “big picture” of Scientology expansion and the future of the religion, including their part in the acquisition, renovation and staffing of new Churches, the utilization of new training courses and restored L. Ron Hubbard scriptural materials.>>

Scientologists from the Founding Church of Scientology in D.C. Take the Truth About Drugs to Nationals Park

Scientology volunteers from D.C. help Washington Nationals fans learn the truth about drugs.

Volunteers from the Founding Church of Scientology in Washington D.C. are committed to help keep D.C. residents from “striking out” through drug abuse.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, cocaine and crack are the most significant drug problems in Washington, D.C. The city also has a large number of long-term heroin abusers. Over the past decade, 49% of those arrested in Washington D.C. have tested positive for a controlled substance.

That’s why a team of enthusiastic Scientologists spent a recent Sunday afternoon at Washington Nationals Park, passing out drug education booklets to baseball fans at the center field gate.

Members of the Church of Scientology bring the truth about drugs to the people of the District, passing out drug education booklets at clubs, sporting events and right on the street to help young people make informed decisions to stay drug-free.

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Scientology founder, L. Ron Hubbard, said, “One has the choice of being dead with drugs or being alive without them. Drugs rob life of the sensations and joys which are the only reason for living anyhow.” These volunteers are urging their fellow D.C. residents to live their lives to the fullest, free from the disastrous effects of drugs.

For more information on the work Scientology churches and their members do to combat the drug problem visit the Scientology site.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers Goodwill Tour of Central and Western Africa

Interview with Bright Freeman, leader of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers Goodwill Tour of Central and Western Africa

The leader of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers Goodwill Tour In Central and West Africa is Bright Freeman, a native of Ghana, who found Scientology when studying at the University of Cape Town. “I searched for many years to find a solution for my people,” said Mr. Freeman. “I was born and raised in Ghana, and while that country is in pretty good shape, it is surrounded by countries plagued with hopelessness, fear and poverty”.

In 2003, in his search for answers, Mr. Freeman traveled from Ghana to the University of Cape Town, where he embarked on a study of political diplomacy, his third university degree. He chose this field to find answers for his country and Africa.

“I had tried helping my people through education as a teacher, and I had helped people as a pastor and through various human rights programs. I had tried many avenues, but in all my travels and studies, I found no answers that truly changed the condition of my people.”

It was in Cape Town that Mr. Freeman was introduced to Dianetics and Scientology by a local Scientologist.

“Africa is steeped in centuries of superstition and suppression. When I learned the study technology developed by L. Ron Hubbard and I read the Dianetics book I knew I had found the answer. I knew this would lift the darkness in Africa, a darkness that has come from ignorance. Now I am bringing the light of understanding to my people.

“The difference with this program is that we bring real solutions. I’ve spoken to diplomats who command nations, and they have personal difficulties they can’t resolve—how to raise their children so they will do well in life and continue to respect their parents, how to address marital difficulties. I have spoken to men who live in poverty, and they too have the same difficulties. No matter their station in life, people have no solutions, and with the technology developed by L. Ron Hubbard they see the difference.

“They have seen many people come and go. Some have been motivated by an effort to control and suppress, offering false hope and help. Some have been motivated by kindness, but they lacked any effective technology. But the technology of L. Ron Hubbard works, and they see it right away. We are not preaching to them, we are empowering them. This is how we will change Africa forever. Finally the African people will be able to choose their own destiny and create their own future.

“This will end the suppression and despair. I’ve seen it for myself. We’re not telling people they must belong to some new society, or rally to some idea, we restore their self-respect and give them the tools to live a better life. The technology of L. Ron Hubbard is changing Africa, and I am proud to be part of that”

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers Goodwill Tour of Central and Western Africa is a humanitarian endeavor made possible by the support of Scientologists from around the world.

For more information visit the Scientology Volunteer Ministers web site.

Church of Scientology of Tampa

The Church of Scientology Tampa has a beautiful new web site. There is something so special about this church. It is involved in the community, with real and effective help. The St. Petersburg Times reported: "The church has a contract to purchase a historic 7,000-square-foot building at 336 1st Ave. N, near Williams Park. The sale is not final, but church officials hope it will be by June. "By the end of the summer, the church plans to open a life improvement center, offering introductory Scientology courses, books by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and audio visual displays on Scientology." "The move into St. Petersburg is part of a major expansion plan by the Church of Scientology of Tampa, which two months ago was recognized at an international church event as the fastest-growing Scientology church in the world. After purchasing a property in downtown Plant City last month, the church announced plans to open life improvement centers in St. Petersburg, Lakeland, Gainesville, Cocoa Beach, Tallahassee, Jacksonville and Sarasota this year."

" 'St. Petersburg, one of the largest cities in Florida with an active urban core, was a natural next step', said Ben Shaw, a spokesman for the Church of Scientology in Clearwater.

" 'St. Petersburg is one of the most vibrant and growing cities in Florida, and we enjoy contributing to that,' Shaw said.

"According to Irons, Tampa Bay residents have bought more copies of Hubbard's seminal text, Dianetics, per capita than any other place in the world. Thirty-thousand to 40,000 copies of Dianetics sold in the Tampa Bay area in the last several years, he said.

"That has created a demand for services in St. Petersburg, Irons said."

"The church has announced its presence in recent months, setting up Dianetics booths at a recent blues festival, the St. Anthony's triathlon and the Black Heritage Festival.

"The building was built in 1913 as the headquarters for the Women's Town Improvement Association, a classic Victorian era women's organization involved in city beautification projects.

"Formed in 1888, the Women's Town Improvement Association was the first civic association in St. Petersburg, Clemmons said, and the group ultimately became active in education, temperance and women's right to vote.

"In 1930, the organization disbanded and the building was donated to the YWCA, which operated there until 1950. It was then purchased by the Dennis Hotel next door. The owners built a bridge to the second floor of the building, and made it an adjunct to the hotel.

"In 1998, City Council members voted to designate the Women's Town Improvement Association building a historic landmark.

"Clemmons uses the second floor of the building for his architectural business. The first floor is rented to Gold Coffee Shop.

"The church plans to use the second floor for introductory Scientology courses. The first floor will include a bookstore, space for personality and stress tests and state-of-the-art audio visual displays on Scientology.

"'This is something for the person who is wondering, 'What is Scientology?' and they want to find out for themselves,' Irons said."

Scientology Volunteer Ministers

A great place to go for help = visit the Scientology Volunteer Ministers site, find out about the program and locate a Scientology church or mission near you to find out more. If none close by contact the Volunteer Ministers Coordinator at vm@volunteerministers.org.

There is an interesting article today in Newstoday.com on the subject of Self-Help books.

It states:

If we walk into any big bookshop or library, we see a large section devoted to self-help books or inspirational books. The self-help book is one of the great success stories of the 20th century. The idea of self-help is nothing new. But only in the 20th century it has become a mass phenomenon. Dale Carnegie published his popular book, How to Win Friends and Influence People in 1936. Norman Vincent Peale published his equally popular book, The Power of Positive Thinking in 1952. Thousands of such books have been published in all parts of the world during the last 50 years.

Self-help books are your best friends and champions. They express a faith in your fundamental goodness and beauty that is sometimes hard to get from another person. On account of their emphasis on following your star and believing that your thoughts can remake your world, a more appropriate name for self-help writing might be the 'literature of infinite possibility'. Whatever that recognises our right to dream and then shows us how to turn the dream into a reality, will always be powerful and invaluable.

I have my own thoughts on this. I think that the reason people look for self-help books is that they can see that something needs to be improved in their lives and they are lacking in the tools to make this possible.

The wonderful thing about Scientology books: Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought, Self-Analysis and The Problems of Work.

I'd like to share some of what I got out of each of them.

Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought

This was the first Scientology techniques you can use to help a person understand their work. It includes a very helpful chapter on a Scientology concept that enambles you to establish better communication with anyone. Boy is that a useful thing to know!

Self Analysis is actually a

Earth Organization

Barbara Dakin from the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles posted this one to PR Leap.

I'm fascinated by this Earth Organization. Lawrence Anthony, the founder, is quite an amazing man and I think what they are doing is extremely important.

Here's the press release, from June 10th 2005

Every American head of household needs to know exactly how many trees are needed to provide oxygen for their family and then plant a few more. It’s amazing how few trees per family it actually takes. It is a simple solution, which, multiplied by the number of families in the US alone, could begin to reverse the trend of overloading our atmosphere with greenhouse gases," declares long-time California resident, Barbara Wiseman.

Following her recent appointment as International President of a South African-based organization, The Earth Organization (EO), Wiseman provided the keynote address at EO’s first US Environmental Conference held in Los Angeles last month."As a successful business consultant accustomed to turning around failing operations, I took a look at the current environmental statistics on planet Earth and realized that something had to be done about it - and fast," said Wiseman. "With over 50 dead zones in our oceans (massive areas which will support no life), with tens of thousands of plant and animal species going extinct every year, with billions of tons of toxins spewed annually into the air we breath, with deforestation depleting oxygen sources, with the quality of food we eat becoming less and less nutritious, the population is heading towards an unhealthy state indeed.

There was really no other choice."Wiseman, as a result of years of marketing experience, says she first studied the many surveys conducted by The Earth Organization. They gave adequate evidence that there was in the United States a very strong interest in doing something to turn things around environmentally, but that desire was accompanied by the anxiety of not knowing what they themselves could or should specifically do. "The Gallup Poll alone showed that 50-60% of those surveyed are concerned about the environment "a great deal", and that another 20% think about it "a fair amount".

When you have approximately 70 percent of the population with serious concerns about a current issue, that is huge," says Wiseman.The Earth Organization was founded by internationally acclaimedenvironmentalist, conservationist and explorer, Lawrence Anthony who lives with his wife on his private game reserve in South Africa. On returning from an extraordinary act of courage in rescuing the animals in the Baghdad Zoo early during the Iraqi War, Anthony met with Wiseman in London. Impressed by the success of her management consulting company, which has worked with government leaders in Russia, Mexico and Haiti to improve various conditions, her personal service in a refugee resettlement facility, and capped by seven successful years hosting and/producing a national radio show called "Building a Better World," Anthony invited her to join him in creating a new international environmental organization.Since then they have been building a large membership base and quickly taken on a variety of projects, "primarily with the purpose of raising the public’s awareness of how human survival is braided together with the survival of all of life on earth," says Wiseman.

"Getting educated and getting active are an important part of being an Earth Organization member. So we are currently working on a variety of projects: from saving endangered Black and White Rhinos in South Africa, to creating an historic eco-tourism alliance with 6 Zulu tribes, to creating a global tree-planting campaign, to raising awareness in large groups and organizations in the Los Angeles area on the vital importance of reusing and recycling." The Earth Organization’s first US conference, hosted by EO in a glass-ceilinged conference facility provided by the Human Rights Department of the Los Angeles Church of Scientology, brought together ecology experts and advocates.

The conference addressed both endangered species and the increasingly toxic environment. Dr. Gary Herbertson, former Chief Executive Officer of Earth Day International and an associate of 2004 Nobel Peace Prize awardee, Wangari Mathai, spoke about the United Nations Earth Charter. Licensed wildlife rehabilitator, Michael Chill, spoke on the reclaiming of natural animal habitats for a balanced environment.

Toxins as they affect the individual was the subject of a presentation by Dr. Megan Shields, a board certified family physician and expert on the eradication of toxins in the body. Dr. Carl Smith, Vice President and Senior Editor for the Foundation for Advancement in Science and Education, delved into dangerous disposal tactics of toxic materials, and Dr. Mark Gold, Executive Director of Heal the Bay, an environmental organization focused on increasing water quality of the southern California beaches, discussed the crises occurring in the ecology of the oceans of earth, especially the Santa Monica Bay, and effective strides that have been made over the past several years to handle marine pollution.

The focus of these panels was on what each individual person can do to improve the environmental quality of life around him or her.During her keynote speech, Wiseman referenced some of the writings of humanitarian and conservationist L. Ron Hubbard. Through his research Hubbard identified the dynamic principle of existence: the urge to survive, and broke this urge down into eight separate human thrusts toward survival – through self, as a family, through groups, Mankind, all living things, the physical universe, spirit and an awareness of infinity or a Supreme Being.

Rounding out the day, the first Environmental Crusader award was presented by Emmy Award winning actress and spokesperson for the Earth Organization, Michelle Stafford (Star of "The Young and the Restless") to Deb Baumann, Executive Director and Environmental Justice Specialist of the Tujunga Watershed Council for outstanding advocacy. And at the close of the conference, all attendees were invited to participate in the planting of a young tree, a "child tree"— to symbolize the care and nourishing that the earth is in need of, if it and we are to survive.

The five-foot, Majestic Beauty Indian Hawthorne was provided by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power as part of their program which offers trees at no charge to property owners whowish to lower temperatures in their homes by providing additional shade on their property (visit ladwp.com).

Support for Tom Cruise and his Stand Against Psychiatry.

Good on you, rjgiombetti, you are exactly right in your posting Tom Cruise re-ignited the debate about psychiatry--its false claims & drug hazards_Florida Medicaid restricts. I've always admired Tom Cruise, but my respect for him has gone up even more, watching him refusing to back down despite the salvo the phamra/psych syndicate is throwing at him through their minions in the media. I'm a member of Citizens Commission on Human Rights and I have seen catastrophic violations of human rights of mental patients first hand. I applaud Mr. Tom Cruise and am glad to see the support he is getting from other human rights advocates!