Celebrating Human Rights by Honoring Local Heroes

Church of Scientology Los Angeles held a Human Rights Open House and Human Rights Champions Awards Luncheon to acknowledge those on the forefront of ensuring human rights for all and to share information about this vital topic.

After an uplifting performance by a youth choir, Andromeda Edison, President of Youth for Human Rights California, provided an overview of the current state of affairs both locally and across the nation.

She was followed by guest speakers Ted Meyer, a Los Angeles County Teacher of the Year who uses the Youth for Human Rights program in his classroom, and Chief Beatrice Girmala of the Los Angeles Police Department. They offered important updates from the classroom and the streets.

The Awards Luncheon portion of the event put the spotlight on the Los Angeles area human rights champions whose activities range from academics to activism.

There were eight honorees in total, including Dr. Arik Greenberg, founder of the Institute for Religious Tolerance, Peace and Justice; Hala Tweini, a sociology professor who uses the Youth for Human Rights program and its materials to inform young people about crises like human trafficking; and Marie-Paul Baxiu of The Epoch Times, who was commended for her work reporting on human rights violations.