As the United Nations launches the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) the Brussels-based Churches of Scientology for Europe rings in the year with a roundtable on the importance of full implementation of the document.

The United Nations kicked off a year-long campaign to mark the upcoming 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, encouraging people the world over to #standup4humanrights, a campaign the Church of Scientology embraced with a human rights programs in countries across the globe.

The Brussels-based Churches of Scientology for Europe organized a human rights open house and roundtable in coordination with the Church of Scientology European Public Affairs and Human Rights Office and the Fundacion para la Mejora de la Vida, la Cultura y la Sociedad.

The roundtable began with a brief presentation on the importance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights followed by a debate on the cause of the failures encountered in its full implementation over the past seven decades. Those participating agreed that despite having been adopted by nearly every country in the world, violations of human rights abound.

One point stressed by a number of those debating the problem was the role of education in the realization of the 30 rights enshrined in the document: that illiteracy is a major block to human rights as it marginalizes major segments of society and creates the environment where demagogues can foment violence in the guise of social change.

A consensus was reached on the idea that the rights of the UDHR are also duties: that unless individuals understand the 30 articles of the Declaration and assume responsibility for demanding and enforcing them, they will never be universally realized.

Those attending were introduced to the human rights education initiative supported by the Church of Scientology, United for Human Rights and its program for young people Youth for Human Rights that bring the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to life with public service announcements and The Story of Human Rights documentary, which was screened for those attending. At the end of the conference, all guests were presented with a set of these educational materials for their use in disseminating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in its 70th anniversary year.