The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations grants special Consultative Status to the Foundation for the Improvement of Life, Culture and Society[i].

The Board of Trustees of the Foundation for the Improvement of Life, Culture and Society [Foundation MEJORA], has just received a letter from the United Nations NGO Branch. The message informs them that the UN ECOSOC -at its Coordination and Management Meeting of July 23 of this year- has decided to grant the Foundation the recognition of ‘Organization with Special Consultative Status for ECOSOC’.

With this recognition, the Foundation will now have official representatives at the UN in Geneva, Vienna and New York. According to the United Nations website:

“The consultative status is granted by ECOSOC and gives NGOs access to both ECOSOC and its many subsidiary bodies, the various United Nations human rights mechanisms,… and special events organized by the President of the General Assembly[ii]”

https://research.un.org/es/ngo

being able to present written and oral statements to different organs such as the UN Human Rights Council, and even organize conferences of their own within the United Nations.

The UN approves the application for the Special status

The Foundation MEJORA was founded in 2015 by the Church of Scientology of Spain. It registered into the National Registry of Foundations under the Protectorate of the then Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports. As stated in its original request to the United Nations, the Foundation said that based on its:

“vision of a human development through respect for and observation of the Universal Human Rights as well as the application of core values such as human rights, equality, tolerance, respect for human life, peace, democracy and individual freedom” established its mission to “defend, promote, teach and disseminate the Human Rights as included in the Spanish Constitution as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international covenants, to promote pragmatic Scientology values and practices [note: developed by L. Ron Hubbard] aiming at the improvement of individual and social life, and to promote tolerance in all aspects of societal cohabitation…”.

In this application that has just been approved by the Economic and Social Council, the Foundation has documented and stated that:

“MEJORA’s work is done without any discrimination as to gender, sexual orientation, religion, race or ethnicity and contributes actively to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), especially regarding the SDG 3, 5, 11 and 16.”.

Fundación para la Mejora de la Vida, la Cultura y la Sociedad

It acts not only in Spain but at European and international level.

Iván Arjona-Pelado, President of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation and for more than two years of the European Office of the Church of Scientology for Public Affairs and Human Rights, has stated that:

“The Foundation for the IMPROVEMENT of Life, carries out in Spain the campaigns of ‘Youth for Human Rights’, ‘The Truth About Drugs’, ‘The Way to Happiness’ among others, and began working mainly at the national level in collaboration with other civil society organizations, the private sector, as well as public institutions. However, since three years we decided to expand its activity at European and international level, starting operations in countries such as Colombia, Belgium, Mexico, Switzerland, the United States, and many others”.

In the United Nations, they have already co-organized a multitude of conferences at UN facilities in Geneva, Vienna and even New York. These were addressing human trafficking, human rights education, religious freedom and drug prevention.

At the European level, they are registered in the Transparency Register of the European Union. MEJORA has actively participated in the Faith and Freedom Summit NGO coalition that held its last event at the European Parliament in Brussels. The Foundation for the Improvement of Life also participates in numerous initiatives, events and conferences. On the coming 6th September, it will organize the 6th Edition of the Religious Freedom Awards that among its awardees count multiple scholars and officials of recognized prestige in the field of Freedom of Religion or Belief.

For more information:

Email: fundacion[a]mejorandolasociedad.org — Web: www.mejorandolasociedad.org

By Georges Elia Sarfati
University professor in France and Israel, linguist, philosopher, psychoanalyst. He is the director of the French School of Analysis and Existential Therapy, co-founder of the Network for the Study of Institutional and Political Discourses. He holds a doctorate in Hebrew and Jewish studies at the University of Strasbourg and is the founder of the Popular University of Jerusalem.

Read More

Stay tuned to the date in which we will celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the legal obligations to the EU Charter on Fundamental Rights.

A conference/symposium will be held with relevant speakers covering the advances but also what still needs to be achieved in terms of implementation at the national level.

Don’t miss it.

What is Religion? This definition is of high significance in comprehending its importance in any society. It usually entails worship of and belief in a supreme being such gods or a personal God with a supernatural controlling power. Globally, it is essential to understand that Articles 18 of both the International Convent on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) protects everyone’s right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief. Thus, the international law prohibits any coercive action that seeks to recant, reveal, or change one’s belief or religion. However, it is worth noting that various discriminative practices that jeopardize freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) exist not only in Europe but also amongst other worldwide nations. The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) through its reports unravel the existence of prejudices in workplaces, schools, and hospitals to mention a few based on one’s religious belief. Therefore, it is crucial to capture instances of Religious Discrimination in Europe that curtails believers of their fundaments right to FoRB.

Read More

[sp_news_masonry design=”design-6″]

	    
Religious Discrimination: A Bug infesting a Free Europe
Ivan Arjona-Pelado
18/06/201925/06/2019
What is Religion? This definition is of high significance in comprehending its importance in any society. It usually entails worship of and belief in a supreme being such gods or
The UN recognizes and gives Special Consultative Status to the Foundation for the Improvement of Life, Culture and Society
Ivan Arjona-Pelado
05/08/201905/08/2019
The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations grants special Consultative Status to the Foundation for the Improvement of Life, Culture and Society[i]. The Board of Trustees of the
La Oficina de Asuntos Públicos y Derechos Humanos de Scientology obtiene reconocimiento religioso  en Europa
Ivan Arjona-Pelado
04/07/201904/07/2019
El pasado 28 de junio de 2019, el Ministerio de Justicia de España otorgó el estatus de entidad religiosa a la “Oficina Europea de la Iglesia de Scientology para Asuntos
Opinion article about Discrimination of Scientologists by Munich authorities.
Ivan Arjona-Pelado
25/06/201928/06/2019
By Georges Elia Sarfati University professor in France and Israel, linguist, philosopher, psychoanalyst. He is the director of the French School of Analysis and Existential Therapy, co-founder of the Network
SAVE THE DATE: 10th Anniversary of the EU Charter on Fundamental Rights 🗓 🗺
Ivan Arjona-Pelado
25/06/201925/06/2019
Stay tuned to the date in which we will celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the legal obligations to the EU Charter on Fundamental Rights. A conference/symposium will be held with
Special briefing: Opening the doors of Europe 🗓 🗺
Ivan Arjona-Pelado
29/05/201929/05/2019
Conference: What is Bektashism? by His Holiness Hajji Dede Baba Edmond Bahimaj 🗓 🗺
ScientologyEU Newsroom
29/05/201925/06/2019
Bektashism is a mystical school of Islam which was established by the Sufi mystic Haji Bektash Veli in the 13th Century, and survived through the ages and through many persecutions.

Bektashism is a mystical school of Islam which was established by the Sufi mystic Haji Bektash Veli in the 13th Century, and survived through the ages and through many persecutions. The current head of the Bektashi World Community is Hajji Dede Baba Edmond Bahimaj, a man whose efforts and tremendous organizational skills have greatly enhanced the spiritual influence of the community. He is the beloved leader of several millions of Bektashi believers.

Read More