Milan’s Church of Scientology recently hosted a human-rights event organised by the association Diritti Umani e Tolleranza, bringing together Latin American and African community leaders from northern Italy. Led by association president Fiorella Cerchiara, participants were recognised for completing the “Uniti per i Diritti Umani” (United for Human Rights) educational programme on the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, equipping them to promote dignity, equality and mutual respect within their own communities.
Graduates of “United for Human Rights” programme in the Church of Scientology of Milan prepare to expand human-rights education projects across northern Italy
MILAN, ITALY — In recent days, the Church of Scientology of Milan hosted a special human-rights gathering organised by the association Diritti Umani e Tolleranza (recognized with UN ECOSOC Consultative Status), bringing together representatives of Latin American and African communities living in northern Italy for an evening of training, recognition and dialogue on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The event was led by Fiorella Cerchiara, president of the association, who welcomed participants and underscored the need for practical human-rights education within Milan’s diverse communities.
The participants — community leaders, association representatives and volunteers — were honoured for completing the full study of “Uniti per i Diritti Umani”, the Italian version of the international United for Human Rights education programme. The course presents the 30 articles of the UDHR through accessible materials, short films and practical tools designed for use in schools, youth groups and neighbourhood initiatives.
From study to action in Milan’s multicultural communities
With their graduation, the representatives are now equipped to bring the programme into their own communities, churches, cultural associations and informal networks. Several attendees outlined plans for workshops with youth, information meetings for parents and collaborative activities with local institutions.
The event took place in a city where questions of coexistence and equal rights have very concrete meaning. According to official data from the Municipality of Milan, more than 300,000 of the city’s 1.4 million residents are foreign nationals, representing just over 21 percent of the population. In the wider area, data for the Metropolitan City of Milan indicate around 487,000 foreign residents, about 15 percent of the local population.
At national level, Italy’s statistics and demographic reports show that the country hosts approximately 5.4 million foreign residents — roughly 9 percent of the population — confirming that foreign nationals play a significant role in the country’s demographic balance. These figures have been highlighted in recent analyses of Italy’s demographic trends, where foreign residents help counterbalance falling birth rates and an ageing population.
Across the European Union, the broader picture reflects persistent challenges. A recent Eurobarometer survey on discrimination found that majorities of respondents perceive discrimination based on being Roma, skin colour or ethnic origin as widespread in their country. In parallel, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights has documented these realities in detail; its latest “Being Black in the EU” report describes widespread racism and discrimination experienced by people of African descent, including high levels of harassment and racial profiling.
The Council of Europe’s anti-racism body, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), has likewise called on European states to address racial profiling by law enforcement and the segregation of Roma children in schools. Italy is among the countries encouraged to strengthen safeguards in these areas. In this context, the organisers of the Milan event underlined the importance of equipping local leaders with clear, accessible human-rights tools that can be used directly in their own language and cultural context.
“United for Human Rights”: a secular programme supported by Scientologists
The “Uniti per i Diritti Umani” materials used in the Milan course form part of United for Human Rights, a secular, nonprofit education initiative that provides educators, community groups and institutions with booklets, public-service videos and full teaching guides on the UDHR in multiple languages. The programme is dedicated to implementing the Universal Declaration at local, regional, national and international levels.
These resources are proudly sponsored by the Church of Scientology and Scientologists, but are designed for use by people of any belief or none and are widely employed by schools, associations, human-rights bodies and training programmes in various countries. The Milan initiative also sits alongside other European efforts in this field, such as the Council of Europe’s Compass manual for human-rights education with young people and the European-level education portals that promote human-rights and citizenship education for teachers and youth across the continent.
A European perspective: turning principles into daily practice
In a message commenting on the initiative, Ivan Arjona, representative of the Church of Scientology to the European Union, OSCE, Council of Europe and United Nations, linked the Milan graduation to wider European concerns:
“Across Europe we see how questions of migration, integration and discrimination are testing our commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” said Arjona. “What happened in Milan shows a very practical response: community leaders — many of them migrants themselves — studying all 30 articles of the UDHR and then returning home with concrete tools to explain them to children, parents and neighbours. This is how human rights stop being abstract and become daily practice in our cities.”
Arjona added: “At European level there is strong consensus on the importance of human-rights education. This kind of work at the local level complements what the Council of Europe, the EU institutions and national authorities are trying to achieve: societies where everyone, regardless of origin, is treated with dignity and has the same opportunities to participate.”
Scientology’s human-rights work in Europe
Human-rights education has long been a priority for the Scientology community. Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard famously stated that “human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream”, a quotation cited in the Church’s own human-rights materials and programmes.
In 2003, the Church of Scientology International established its European Public Affairs and Human Rights Office in Brussels, which then evolved in 2018 into an EU-recognized religious organization through the Spanish Ministry of Presidency and the EU Transparency Registry and which serves as a focal point for cooperation with institutions, NGOs and faith communities on issues such as freedom of religion or belief, anti-discrimination and human-rights education. The office operates from Brussels’ Boulevard de Waterloo, and is referenced in public registries and event listings, including EU-focused directories and the Churches of Scientology for Europe site.
Today, Scientology churches, missions and groups across the European continent support United for Human Rights and its youth branch, Youth for Human Rights International, by hosting conferences, school presentations and community events, including those marking key dates such as Human Rights Day on 10 December.
The Church of Scientology is a contemporary religion founded by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s. The first Church of Scientology was established in Los Angeles in 1954, and the movement has since expanded to thousands of churches, missions and related groups worldwide. It rallies more than 11,000 Scientology churches, missions, related organisations and affiliated groups in over 165 countries.
In Europe, Scientology is present through more than 140 churches, missions and community groups and thousands of social betterment and reform groups in many member states, including a central hub in Brussels serving the European institutions and international organisations. The Church has been recognised as a religion in a number of jurisdictions, including Spain, UK, Netherlands, Sweden, Portugal, Greece, the ECHR and more.
The Church of Scientology, its missions, groups and members are present throughout the European continent, engaged in education, prevention and community-betterment activities. Their support for secular initiatives such as United for Human Rights, Youth for Human Rights International, The Way to Happiness and the Foundation for a Drug-Free World reflects a long-term commitment to strengthening communities, promoting dignity and contributing to universal human-rights values.
Media Contact
Organization: European Office Church of Scientology for Public Affairs and Human Rights
Contact Person: Ivan Arjona
Website: https://www.scientologyeurope.org
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Address:Boulevard de Waterloo 103
City: Brussels
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