The International Association of Scientologists’ annual gathering at Saint Hill in East Grinstead marked a year of global humanitarian engagement. Attendees travelling from around the world assembled to review initiatives supported by the IAS, ranging from drug-education programmes reaching 145,000 people in 22 provinces of Guatemala to human-rights awareness activities in Australia that involved 200,000 individuals across 47 cities, towns and communities. The event also reported on The Way to Happiness programme for nearly 4,000 inmates in the Southern Philippines, associated with a 67% decrease in rule violations, as well as large-scale disaster response by Scientology Volunteer Ministers, including 2,500 VMs assisting during California’s historic wildfires and Cavalcades travelling nearly half a million miles to train a quarter of a million individuals worldwide.
The IAS honoured three Freedom Medal recipients for work in education, public awareness and community resilience. Civil-society leader Drug-Free World programme Diane Stein was acknowledged for examining procedural aspects of mental-health interventions involving minors, contributing to a Parents’ Bill of Rights, the creation of the first Parental Rights Office in the US, and 39 legislative measures linked to greater transparency. Darren Tessitore was recognised for distributing over 4 million drug-education booklets and helping reach 5.5 million students, a contribution associated with a 52% reduction in teens driving under the influence. Community advocate Nancy Cartwright was honoured for literacy and ethics programmes benefiting 250,000 learners, The Way to Happiness outreach to 6 million people, and a citywide campaign of 300 billboards and bus shelters, part of a total impact estimated at 86 million individuals. Across Europe, Scientology maintains well over one thousand community, religious and social-betterment groups in 27 countries, including more than 140 churches and missions supporting long-term humanitarian engagement.