Do animals matter to you?
- Posted on Tuesday 18 March 2008 - 14:24We have in place a Universal Declaration on Human Rights, treaties and bills on gender equality and equity, children’s rights, good governance and democracy, refugees rights, prisoners of wars rights et cetra et cetra. Now we want something concrete on animals- a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare (UDAW).
Since the creation of the world animals have always been close to humans. Human beings have engaged and kept animals for various reasons. The obvious been economic and social purposes. People keep animals for money, food and companion. Despite the enormous importance of animals attached to our lives we have continued to mistreat animals despicably.
On a number of cases, for instance, we have subjected them to poor housing conditions, pain and hunger, we have refused to treat them when they fell sick, and we refused either knowingly or unknowingly to use humane methods when slaughtering them. That is how badly we have fared in animal welfare matters!
Poignantly, some people take good care of their animals; they treat them when they fell sick, feed them as per the required standards, provide them with good shelter and sometimes talk to them nicely. Do you know that animals talk? Try talk to them and they will tell you how you are supposed to treat them.
The other time I tried to engage a friend of mine in this subject, he simply laughed me off. “Hey man you must be joking! You are talking about animals while we humans have have plenty of trouble in our plates? Look the way we are grappling with absolute poverty, families go for days without a meal, malaria, tuberculosis, cholera, HIV/ AIDS is eating us, now there is Rift Valley Fever and you are talking about animals?,” he frowned.
I could understand his reaction. Most people think the same way and probably you think the same way too. To me I think people simply overlook that thin line between human and animal welfare. There is always a link between the two. My premise is that if animal welfare issues are given due attention then human welfare will be improved. If we keep animals for money or food are we not trying to improve on our welfare?
A quick scan through the media one would conclude that animal welfare in our country and more so in most parts Africa and other developing countries forms an insignificant part of our every day news coverage. Are you aware of the pain inflicted to animals transported over a long distance to the city for slaughtering? Most of these animals are normally packed many in trucks and lorries and some die on the way due to suffocation and dehydration.
A FAO study in 2004 reveals that in 2003 alone, 52,792 million animals worldwide were slaughtered for food (FAO, 2004). Sadly, slaughtering is often carried out using methods that cause avoidable suffering. Chickens, to say the least, suffer most. They are caged or crammed and forced to grow super-fast, and pushed to their physical limits in the quest for more meat or eggs.
In terms of the degree of animal cruelty, factory farming is the largest area of animal welfare concern in the world today. Severe welfare problems are inherent in intensive methods of animal rearing, such as the battery cage for egg laying hens or sow stalls for pregnant pigs. These systems of mass-producing animals or their products were first developed in North America and Western Europe. Successive crises in Europe, coupled with a ground swell of public and political opinion, has seen legislation introduced to abandon some of the worst factory farm systems.
Asia, South America and Africa are now becoming major growth areas for the development of factory farming. This growth is often supported and encouraged by western agri-business interests.
Livestock production worldwide continues to grow and is tending to move from extensive marginal land use and mixed cropping to industrial or factory farming. Nowhere is this expansion more marked than in developing countries.
According to the International Food Policy Research Institute, countries in Latin America, Asia, and Africa will be the world’s leading producers of animal products by 2020 and much of that meat will be produced in industrial systems (Delgado, 1999).
The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) is the world’s largest network for animal welfare. It brings together over 700 member societies in more than 146 countries and a whole community of individuals around the world who care about animal welfare.
Towards the end of last year, WSPA opened up a regional office for Africa in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to foresee the development of animal welfare issues in Africa and seek support from African governments, politicians, religious leaders, academicians, activists, traders, farmers, and members of the general public in addressing animal welfare matters.
According to the Africa Regional Director, Mr. Nick de Souza, WSPA’s animal welfare programmes include a mix of direct fieldwork, campaigning, education and training, and member society development.
De Souza says WSPA‘s work is focused on four priority animal welfare areas: companion animals - responsible pet ownership, humane stray management, and preventing cruelty. The second area is on commercial exploitation of wildlife - intensive farming, and cruel management and killing of wild animals for food or products. The third one falls under disaster relief for animals – basically providing relief to animals in distress from man-made or natural disasters. The last one is on farm animals - intensive farming, long distance transportation, and inhumane slaughter of domestic animals for food.
WSPA’s vision is to have a world where animal welfare matters, and animal cruelty ends.
WSPA believes that through campaigns and projects, the world’s leading global animal welfare movement for exposing cruelty and the suffering of animals will be formed. Through recognition and dialogue with all levels of government worldwide, WSPA seeks increased legislation to change the lives of animals forever.
“We will provide support, coordination and leadership to engage the power of the collective international community to tackle global animal welfare problems that no single society can address alone – creating relentless international momentum for positive change,” said de Souza.
According to him, WSPA is now working closely with stakeholders to ensure that a Universal Declaration in Animal Welfare (UDAW) is achieved and adopted at the United Nations General Assembly.
To be able to achieve this, African governments through their ministries of foreign affairs need to support the petition at the General Assembly. Animal Welfare activists, other key stakeholders and members of the general public can join the campaign to attain the envisaged declaration by signing the petition. You can do this by visiting WSPA’s homepage www.wspa-international.org
In the words of Napoleon Bonaparte, “there are two powers in the world, the sword and the mind. In the long run the sword is always beaten by the mind.” Let us join WSPA to form a movement that will defeat the ‘sword’ and create a world where animal welfare matters.
Reactions
- Posted on Wednesday 19 March 2008 13:32Wonderfully written article - the only thing I might add is that I thought the quantity of animals killed for "food" was 10 billion/year - or 27 billion if you include fish and poultry..... But, as far as I'm concerned 1 is too many. This data will only get more mind boggeling in the comming decades as it is estimated the world population and globalization will increase meat consumption by 30%...... How this will also affect the environment is a matter of great concern to many.
My family and I are vegetarians for quite a few years - our health has improved and we are relieved of the burden of having to use/abuse animals for "food". It is not necessary at all.....
“Spiritual progress does demand at some stage that we should cease to kill our fellow creatures for the satisfaction of our bodily wants.” -Gandhi
"Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet. " Albert Einstein - Posted on Monday 31 March 2008 12:18Thanks for the comment. Will cross check the figures then come back to you. I am glad to hear that you and your family are doing great even without meat. Although, myself i am not a vegetarian but i think there is need to advocate for less meat in our daily meals.
Thanks,
Jack. - Posted on Monday 16 January 2012 07:56You know, I stumbled upon this because my dog has a tumor and I was trying to find a way to treat it. Your article touched my heart, I agree totally with you on all fronts. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
- Posted on Friday 02 November 2012 08:45Great – I should certainly pronounce, impressed with your website. I had no trouble navigating through all tabs and related info ended up being truly simple to do to access. I recently found what I hoped for before you know it at all. Quite unusual. Is likely to appreciate it for those who add forums or anything, site theme . a tones way for your client to communicate. Excellent task. male enhancement I saw a lot of website but I believe this one holds something extra in it.
- Posted on Thursday 08 November 2012 04:17Rattling great information can be found on site. vigrx plus This internet site is my inhalation, very excellent style and design and Perfect written content.
- Posted on Friday 09 November 2012 01:30Only a smiling visitant here to share the love (:, btw outstanding style and design. vimax Hello There. I discovered your weblog using msn. That is a really neatly written article. I'll make sure to bookmark it and return to learn extra of your helpful info. Thanks for the post. I'll certainly return.
- Posted on Wednesday 05 December 2012 05:22I truly prize your piece of work, Great post. male enhancement reviews Yay google is my queen aided me to find this outstanding internet site!
- Posted on Thursday 17 January 2013 04:09I'd forever want to be update on new blog posts on this internet site, saved to favorites! magnum male enhancement Thank you so much regarding giving me personally an update on this theme on your web site. Please realize that if a brand-new post appears or when any adjustments occur with the current publication, I would be thinking about reading a lot more and knowing how to make good using of those tactics you discuss. Thanks for your efforts and consideration of people by making this website available.
- Posted on Monday 04 February 2013 05:43Only a smiling visitant here to share the love (:, btw outstanding style and design. are male enhancement pills safe Some genuinely grand work on behalf of the owner of this site, perfectly outstanding content material.
- Posted on Thursday 07 February 2013 10:03Thank you for being our lecturer on this issue. My spouse and i enjoyed your own article quite definitely and most of all enjoyed reading how you really handled the aspect I regarded as being controversial. You're always quite kind towards readers really like me and let me in my existence. Thank you. Full Report I don't unremarkably comment but I gotta admit thank you for the post on this special one
.
Latest News
Kenya launches universal HPV vaccine access t…17/05
Malawi Electoral body appeals for ethical…17/05
Amplats to cut 6,000 jobs in South Africa10/05
Kofi Annan: Africa plundered by secret mining…10/05
Bomb blasts rock Libyan city of Benghazi10/05
Kenya calls on UN to drop Kenyatta trials10/05
Zanu PF Spruces up Voter Victimization…02/05
Africa Oil & Gas, Finance & Investment…02/05
_footer
Home | About us | Contact | RSS | Services | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy
Copyright Africa Interactive 2013 | mail@africanews.com
Powered by React - www.react.nl
