Animal Rights 2003 East Conference Review (long)

[Guest guest]

I recently attended my first animal rights conference at Animal

Rights 2003 East in Washington, D.C. (www.animalrights2003.org),

which was held June 27 through July 2. The West coast conference

will be held in Los Angeles from August 1 through August 6. I

enjoyed the D.C. conference so much that I'm seriously considering

going to the L.A. one too!

 

I was in bliss being surrounded with like-minded people, meeting

activists and speakers, learning about the different facets of the

animal rights/advocacy/protection/welfare movement, and not worrying

about food (all of the meals were vegan). The following is a report

of what stood out for me at the conference, from the viewpoint of

someone who just started being an activist last year.

 

The AR movement is relatively new compared to other movements and

established special interest groups. So we have to take that into

account when comparing ourself to the opposition, such as hunters and

big agribusiness. However, considering the AR movement is new and

small, it is making quite a bit of progess. When the general public

is presented with the facts of cruelty to animals (e.g., factory

farming, steel jaw leg traps), they are overwhelmingly on the side of

humane treatment. An interesting fact is that approximately 95.5% of

visitors to national parks do so non-consumptively, i.e., they do not

hunt there. Hunters, which are a small minority of the population,

are extremely well organized, well funded, and very vocal. Animal

advocacy groups need to be as well organized, funded, and vocal.

 

Being involved in the political process is extremely important, even

though not many people are active. Those that meet with their

legislators and/or their staff, write letters, and/or make phone

calls in effect represent several hundred of the non-vocal

consituents. On the last day of the conference, Fund for Animals

(www.fund.org) organized a lobby day where attendees made

appointments with staff members of their legislators. About 25 of us

went to the nation's capital to discuss several bills introduced or

about to be introduced in Congress and to ask for their pro-animal

support. I couldn't believe how accessible the staff members were

and how easy it is to be a citizen lobbyist!

 

Being politically active not only means communicating with our

lawmakers at the national, state, county, and local level, but also

writing letters to newspapers, magazines, companies, overseas

governments and agencies (such as the WTO), calling in to talk shows,

etc. Make your voice heard, as the animals cannot speak for

themselves. We need to make ourselves heard over the opposition.

 

Humane education can be an extremely effective method of reducing

animal suffering. Humane education is a comprehensive field of study

and an approach to teaching that draws connections between human

rights, environment ethics, animal protection, and cultural issues.

It's about compassion toward other people, animals, and the Earth.

It was exciting to hear stories about the number of children that

turn vegetarian after just one class led by a humane educator. It

promises to be more effective than leafletting to adults, who are

already set in their ways. The International Institute for Humane

Education (www.iihed.org) offers Master's degree and certificate

programs.

 

The panel on Direct Action was equally exciting, as the speakers were

engaged in a passionate and spirited discussion on directly

liberating animals or effecting change in corporations. Campaigns

such as the Animal Liberation Front, SHowing Animals Respect and

Kindness (www.sharkonline.org) and Stop Huntinton Animal Cruelty

(www.shacamerica.net) are ways to directly help animals, as opposed

to changing public attitudes about consuming animal products or

getting legislation passed.

 

I was struck by the low number of ethnic minorities at the

conference. Out of approximatly 700 participants, I could count the

number of Asians on one hand (including myself). On the other hand I

could count all other people of color at the conference. Out of the

scheduled Engaging Women/Ethnic one-hour session, an ad hoc rap

session was held the same evening during the dinner hour, discussing

Race, Class and the Animal Rights Movement, led by Rod Coronado and

Kelly Higgins. Clearly more attention by the AR movement needs to be

made to ethnic minorities and lower socio-economic classes. The AR

movement cannot be primarily Caucasion middle-class if it is to

effect change broadly. I'm writing an article discussing this more

thoroughly and hope to have it published somewhere.

 

There was a screening of The Witness (www.tribeofheart.com) with

Eddie Lama (the star) and Jim LaVeck (producer) taking questions

afterward. Although I've seen the documentary before in the comfort

of my own home, I was more emotionally affected during the screening,

as a number of audience members started sniffling, trying to hold

back tears, during the graphic part of the movie. Afterward, they

showed us the new high-tech FaunaVision van that will be taking a

tour this summer to a number of events such as concerts. Peaceable

Kingdom, Volume 2 of the Animal People Documentary Anthalogy, will be

completed in the fourth quarter of this year.

 

So many facets and organizations exist in the animal rights/advocacy

movement. Before coming to the conference, I thought there were too

many organizations and duplicate efforts. Coming from a corporate

and left-brain background, I thought it would be more effective to

reduce the number of organizations and to support just a few large

organizations which would streamline and coordinate the different

efforts among all activists. Having heard and seen all the efforts

being made though, it has become clear to me that the movement does

need the number and diversity of organizations. We need to work on

animal rights from all angles, never letting up. The animals need as

many people as possible to speak for them, so that one day animal

cruelty can be abolished.

 

Lyman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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