Volunteers from the Church of Scientology, Youth for Human Rights and Fundación MEJORA distribute edVolunteers from the Church of Scientology, Youth for Human Rights and Fundación MEJORA engage with the public in central Madrid, distributing educational materials on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the Spanish capital debates housing, civic participation and fundamental freedoms.
MADRID, Spain — 19 October 2026 — Volunteers wearing the distinctive blue shirts of Youth for Human Rights International have been distributing educational booklets to pedestrians in central Madrid, including around Puerta del Sol, where an ongoing housing protest has brought questions of social rights into public view. The street outreach brought together volunteers associated with the Church of Scientology, Youth for Human Rights and Fundación MEJORA, a Spanish foundation holding Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
Equipped with copies of What Are Human Rights?, volunteers approached members of the public and offered information about the 30 articles of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948. Photographs of the activity show volunteers speaking with pedestrians, handing out booklets and working together in the streets surrounding one of Madrid’s most recognisable public spaces.
The activity forms part of an international human rights education programme supported by the Church of Scientology. Its purpose is to make the principles of the Universal Declaration more familiar to the public through accessible educational materials and direct community engagement.
The outreach coincides with a period of heightened public attention to housing rights in Madrid. Since late September, Puerta del Sol has hosted a protest encampment calling for measures to address housing affordability and evictions, placing questions of social protection and civic participation at the centre of public discussion.
Human Rights Education on the Streets of Madrid
The volunteers’ principal educational resource, What Are Human Rights?, presents the Universal Declaration in accessible language, explaining fundamental rights through examples intended to be understandable to people of different ages and backgrounds.
Its subjects include equality before the law, freedom of expression, freedom of thought and religion, peaceful assembly, education, access to adequate living conditions and protection against discrimination.
For the Madrid volunteers, distributing these materials provides an opportunity to bring information about internationally recognised rights into everyday public settings, reaching people who might otherwise encounter the Declaration only through news reports or formal education.
The campaign is connected to the international educational work of Youth for Human Rights International and United for Human Rights. These closely associated programmes share educational resources and the objective of increasing public knowledge of the Universal Declaration, with an emphasis on younger audiences through Youth for Human Rights and broader public education through United for Human Rights.
Their resources include printed booklets, educational guides, the documentary The Story of Human Rights, and a series of public service announcements illustrating the Declaration’s 30 articles.
The Church of Scientology has supported the production and distribution of these educational materials internationally, while local volunteers and participating organisations use them in activities adapted to their communities.
Puerta del Sol: A Contemporary Setting for Human Rights Discussions
The Madrid distribution took place against the backdrop of an ongoing public debate over housing.
On 26 September, demonstrators established a protest encampment in Puerta del Sol following a mobilisation concerned with rising housing costs, tenant protections and evictions. The square, already associated with major civic demonstrations in Spain, became a visible meeting point for those seeking greater attention to the country’s housing difficulties.
The continuing protest has prompted discussion about access to affordable accommodation, the responsibilities of public authorities and the exercise of fundamental freedoms in public spaces.
These issues also illustrate the relevance of several provisions of the Universal Declaration.
Article 25 recognises everyone’s right to an adequate standard of living, including housing, food, clothing, medical care and necessary social services. Articles 19 and 20 address freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, while Article 1 establishes the principle that all people are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
Particularly relevant to the volunteers’ educational work is Article 26, which recognises the right to education and establishes that education should contribute to the full development of the human personality and strengthen respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Although the Universal Declaration is not itself a binding international treaty, its principles have influenced subsequent international human rights agreements and constitutional protections around the world.
The Madrid educational initiative is independent of the Puerta del Sol protest and does not take a position on specific political proposals advanced by the demonstrators. Its emphasis is on making fundamental human rights principles more widely understood, irrespective of individual political positions.
Connecting Local Education with European Human Rights Values
Human rights education also has a wider significance within the European institutional framework.
The European Convention on Human Rights and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union provide protections within their respective legal systems for fundamental freedoms, human dignity and equality. Although their legal scope and application differ, both reflect principles also expressed in the Universal Declaration.
Ivan Arjona, representative of the Church of Scientology to the European Union, OSCE, Council of Europe and United Nations, connected the Madrid initiative with the importance of public understanding of these principles.
“Europe’s commitment to human dignity, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law cannot depend solely on institutions or legal texts. It also depends on citizens knowing their rights and respecting those of others. At times of intense public debate, human rights education helps provide a common foundation for civic participation, peaceful disagreement and mutual respect. Making these principles understandable and accessible is a practical contribution that volunteers can make to democratic life.”
The initiative in Madrid brings this educational approach into direct contact with the public, using printed materials and conversations in ordinary urban settings rather than limiting human rights awareness to institutional discussions or specialised events.
From an International Educational Programme to Local Community Outreach
Youth for Human Rights International was established in 2001 by educator Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, who grew up in South Africa during apartheid and subsequently became involved in educational initiatives aimed at increasing awareness of fundamental freedoms.
Since its establishment, the programme has developed educational resources designed for international use, with materials available in multiple languages and formats.
The Church of Scientology’s support for human rights education is connected to the emphasis placed on fundamental freedoms by its founder, L. Ron Hubbard.
In a 1969 essay discussed in Freedom magazine, Hubbard referred to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and urged governments to observe and advance its principles. This position subsequently formed part of the background to the Church’s support for programmes promoting human rights awareness through public education.
The Church has also supported other educational and humanitarian initiatives, including drug prevention campaigns and community programmes.
Scientology has maintained a presence in Spain since the 1960s, with its first church established in 1980. Its religious activities and associated community initiatives subsequently expanded, including through the Church of Scientology of Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Sevilla, Vitoria, Bilbao, Alicante, Las Palmas and others, and volunteers active in other Spanish cities.
Fundación MEJORA, whose work includes human rights awareness and community betterment, also participates in educational and civil society initiatives in Spain and internationally. Its Special Consultative Status with ECOSOC, granted in 2019, provides a framework for engagement with relevant United Nations processes.
The Madrid outreach reflects the participation of these organisations and their volunteers in bringing educational resources to local communities, with a focus on helping individuals become more familiar with rights intended to apply universally.
About the Church of Scientology in Europe
Founded by L. Ron Hubbard, the Church of Scientology has churches, missions, affiliated groups and members throughout the European continent. Its communities support educational, preventive and humanitarian initiatives addressing human rights awareness, drug prevention, moral education and community betterment. Legal recognition of Scientology as a bona fide religion, and in certain jurisdictions as a charitable or public-benefit religious organisation, has developed through judicial and administrative decisions in several European countries. Its programmes emphasise education, prevention and voluntary participation in initiatives intended to benefit local communities.
