Here's a humanitarian in the making.

Sasha wins a trip tothe UN for speaking her mind
Times Media Limited
Sunday Times (South Africa)
June 27, 2004
SASHNI PATHER



Sasha Rajah, a Grade 7 pupil at Summerhill School in Midrand, will represent South Africa at the Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) Youth Summit at the UN from August 22-24.

A 12-YEAR-old girl's essay on the importance of educating the youth on human rights has earned her a trip to the United Nations in New York.

The purpose of the summit is to teach young people around the world about human rights and help them become advocates for tolerance and peace. The competition was run in 20 countries.

"We were asked at school to write about why it was important to educate the youth about human rights," said Rajah, who will present her essay at the summit.

Displaying a maturity beyond her age, she wrote down all the things she considered wrong in the world and suggested ways of remedying them.

"I went to India recently with my family and was shocked by the poverty in that country and realized how fortunate we are. Most of the human rights are not even practiced there," she said.

Her parents, Lalitha and Deena Rajah, will be accompanying her.

Said her mother: "Sasha is a very bubbly child who speaks her mind and is not shy to get what she wants. If she feels something is wrong, she is always very direct about it, but in a respectful way."

Her father said she had had just one day to complete the essay.

"After reading it, I realized her potential and was very impressed. She discussed global issues and then wrote about South Africa and gave her opinion on how violations of human rights can be rectified."

Summerhill principal Sonja Anderson-Morshead said nine pupils of the school were chosen to write essays, which were sent to Los Angeles.

"We are very proud of Sasha and view this as an amazing achievement. Sasha is a very mature girl and quite serious in her thinking. She obviously gave her effort a lot of thought, and her passion for human rights was very evident."

The coordinator of YHRI in South Africa, Sharleen Wohrnitz, said her essay was the best in the country.

"Her message was very clear, and this young girl put across her viewpoints clearly. The judges looked at the content and strong message."

Rajah wrote in her essay: "As South Africans, all we read about in the local newspapers is crime, mainly murder, rape and theft. This means there are South Africans out there with no respect for human life or property.

"We, the youth of our nation, can make the difference. We can influence the lives we lead by practicing good, sound human rights and setting the example to those who totally disrespect it. Remember, you are the future: the future lies in the youth of today."

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The Youth for Human Rights International Youth Summit at the United Nations was co-sponsored by the Church of Scientology International, overseen by the Leisa Goodman, Human Rights Director of the Church of Scientology International

Here's a link to an article that appeared 4 years ago in the St. Petersburg Times. It is about Scientology, but features a great deal of information on Mr. David Miscavige, who is a great humanitarian.

The Man Behind Scientology (David Miscavige)

Ghandi was one of the great humanitarians of our era.

Here is a brief biography of Gahndi, from http://www.engagedpage.com/

Mohandas K. Gahndi was born in 1869 to Hindu parents in the state of Gujarat in Western India. He entered an arranged marriage with Kasturbai Makanji when both were 13 years old. His family later sent him to London to study law, and in 1891 he was admitted to the Inner Temple, and called to the bar. In Southern Africa he worked ceaselessly to improve the rights of the immigrant Indians. It was there that he developed his creed of passive resistance against injustice, satyagraha, meaning truth force, and was frequently jailed as a result of the protests that he led. Before he returned to India with his wife and children in 1915, he had radically changed the lives of Indians living in Southern Africa.

Back in India, it was not long before he was taking the lead in the long struggle for independence from Britain. He never wavered in his unshakable belief in nonviolent protest and religious tolerance. When Muslim and Hindu compatriots committed acts of violence, whether against the British who ruled India, or against each other, he fasted until the fighting ceased. Independence, when it came in 1947, was not a military victory, but a triumph of human will. To Gandhi's despair, however, the country was partitioned into Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan. The last two months of his life were spent trying to end the appalling violence which ensued, leading him to fast to the brink of death, an act which finally quelled the riots. In January 1948, at the age of 79, he was killed by an assassin as he walked through a crowed garden in New Delhi to take evening prayers.

Some day we will be enlightened enough that a man of peace can live in safety among his fellows.

L. Ron Hubbard

One of the true humanitarian's of all time, not only did L. Ron Hubbard dedicate his life to helping others, but he took great care to ensure to pass his knowledge and skill on to others.

There have been great men, even saints, who have helped many people. But when they left, what remained was the memory of what they could do.

But today, millions of people are living better lives because Mr. Hubbard took the care to work out exactly how anyone could learn to do what he had done.

He applied scientific method to what was traditionally the field of the humanities and came up with technology that works every time it is used, provided it is used exactly.

The results from the technology L. Ron Hubbard developed are almost inconceivable. We hear and see the shattered lives of people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol, and even those who manage to pull themselves up out of their dependencies learn they have to live one day at a time and that they will always be addicts - always plagued by the very problems they "solved" by abusing drugs and alcohol in the first place. Yet Narconon, which uses L. Ron Hubbard's technical breakthroughs, has over 75% success rate. And Narconon would like nothing better than to share it with any group that wants to use it. Yet we still have "authorities" on drug addiction asserting that it is incurable and you have to hook an addict on some other drug to cure his being hooked on the first drug. Crazy.

It is very positive to see more and more people becoming aware of the brilliance of L. Ron Hubbard and his invaluable legacy.

Traditionally each year there is an anniversary celebration for the IAS (International Association of Scientologists) and the "IAS Freedom Medal Winners" are announced.

The event takes place at St. Hill Manor in England, the location where the IAS was first established.

Mr David Miscavige is the Master of Ceremonies each year, and part of the proceedings involve the validation of those who, as members of the IAS, have contributed above and beyond the call of duty.

Here is a list of IAS medal winners from the USA:

IAS Freedom Medal Winner - Anne Archer (USA)
IAS Freedom Medal Winner - Bud Reichel (USA)
IAS Freedom Medal Winner - Keith Code (USA)

IAS Freedom Medal Winner - Isaac Hayes (USA)

IAS Freedom Medal Winner - Chick Corea (USA)

IAS Freedom Medal Winner - John Travolta (USA)

IAS Freedom Medal Winner - Jane Allen (USA)

Other Countries:

IAS Freedom Medal Winner - Anne Roberts (UK)
IAS Freedom Medal Winner - Martha Ballasteros and Javier Ramirez (Venezuela)
IAS Freedom Medal Winner - Elana Roggero (Italy)
IAS Freedom Medal Winner - Lawrence Anthony (South Africa)