In observance of United Nations Human Rights Day, hundreds of students marched through Copenhagen in the name of human rights for all

More than 200 students braved inclement weather December 10 to walk 2.6 km through snow-filled Copenhagen streets for the city’s fourth annual Youth for Human Rights Walk in observance of the anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

The Church of Scientology of Denmark, which supports Youth for Human Rights and helped organize the walk,  was among the many groups participating in the initiative, along with European Network Against Racism (ENAR), Danish Muslim Aid, Ogaden Youth and Student Union (OYSU), Your Global Heart and the City of Copenhagen.

The Youth for Human Rights walk began at Blagard School and ended at the Korsgadehallen center where the students participated in a human rights conference emceed by city council member Klaus Mygind.

Nina Christensen, a volunteer with Youth for Human Rights, spoke of the purpose of the organization—to create a more tolerant and peaceful world through human rights education. She showed a series of short educational films that help young people understand and appreciate the articles of the UDHR and invited those attending to join Youth for Human Rights in next year’s march and conference.

The conference included presentations showing the need for full implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and examples of what young people are doing to bring about the implementation of its articles.

Imam Hassan from Ogaden Youth and Student Union described the plight of ethnic Somalis of the Ogaden region of Ethiopia who have been driven from their homes and country and live as refugees.  Danish rapper Ali Sufi dedicated a song to a friend unjustly imprisoned and sentenced to death in Iran. Abdul Wahid Pedersen from Danish Muslim Aid spoke of the ordeal suffered by children orphaned by the Beslan terrorist attack of 2004.

Students spoke of projects they have undertaken to learn about  and promote human rights, and talented young artists conveyed through music and dance that universal human rights can and must be accomplished.

Life Bangsbo Pedersen from the association Your Global Heart, and Bashy Quraishy of ENAR spoke of their work to secure human rights and urged the students to keep this purpose as a priority in their lives.

In his speech, Professor Claus Haagen Jensen, former chairman of the Danish Institute for Human Rights, said, “It is an historic experience that today's young people who have been taught human rights are as involved in the issue as we have seen here today.” He asked the students to join hands and agree that they will carry on working to guarantee human rights for all.

The Church of Scientology has published a new brochure, Scientology: How We Help—United for Human Rights: Making Human Rights a Global Reality, to meet requests for more information about the human rights education and awareness initiative it supports. To learn more, visit the Scientology website.

L. Ron Hubbard wrote, “Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream.” The Code of a Scientologist calls on all members of the religion to dedicate themselves “to support true humanitarian endeavors in the fields of human rights.”

Scientologists on five continents engage in collaborative efforts with government agencies and nongovernmental organizations to bring about broad-scale awareness and implementation of the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the world’s premier human rights document.