help for animals in Asia

[Guest guest]

Dear Patricia:

 

As a veteran of more than 30 years in the animal protection

cause, first as a donor, then as a volunteer, and finally as a

full-timer (beginning in 1986), it is with a heavy heart that I

point out to you and others that real improvements in the treatment

of animals have always come as a result of relentless effort by

people working to change things in their own countries and not as a

result of people in foreign countries contacting diplomats.

Outside pressure has no positive effect whatsoever unless it

is orchestrated as an accompaniment to equal or greater pressure

coming from within.

Concessions granted by governments as result of outside

protest have always been short-lived (for example, the " end " of

Canadian sealing claimed as a great victory by IFAW and other

multinational animal welfare groups in the 1980s, which was gradually

resumed and now claims the lives of more seals than at the peak of

the harp seal massacres that so appalled the world) or meaningless

(for example, the Korean law that made dogmeat " illegal " in the early

1990s which was enacted as a result of protests led by IFAW mainly,

but also WSPA, and was never intended to be enforced).

There is an enormous need for the wealthy multinational

animal welfare organizations to get involved in Asian animal issues,

but through investing some of their considerable assets within the

Asian countries on humane education programs, paid advertising, and

empowerment of native-born activists via training and financial

assistance -- not just organizing a picket once or twice a year in

front of the Korean embassy in Washington or the Chinese embassy in

London, which may provide good media and photo opportunities to

impress their donors but may only aggravate Chinese and Korean

officials who view such actions as cultural imperialism (if American)

and neo-colonialism (if British).

The reality is that humane values blossomed first in Asian

countries and spread into British and then American culture after the

British encountered the concepts of " ahimsa " and the centuries-old

animal shelters in India. Asians need to view the spread of humane

values in their countries as a rekindling of their own ancient

teachings of compassion and natural harmony, and not as " Westerners

trying to impose their values. "

Expecting PETA or In Defense of Animals (or IFAW, WSPA, or

HSI) to save the animals of Asia will get you nowhere fast unless

they are going to come to Asia and spend some real time and money

working on the problems.

 

--Kim Bartlett, Publisher of ANIMAL PEOPLE Newspaper

 

 

>Envelope-to: anpeople

>PV1mail

>Mailing-List: list aapn ; contact aapn-owner

>Delivered-mailing list aapn

>List-Un: <aapn- >

>Sat, 29 Nov 2003 14:48:46 EST

>Fwd: FWD: Animal trade resumes

>

>Good Evening:

>

>I forwarded the below article to Kristie from " In Defense of Animals. " She

>has promised me that she will contact officials in China to see what can be

>done about these barbaric practices and will be in contact with me soon. I'll

>share her reply with the aapn group. Thank you.

>Patricia

>

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Kim:

 

Thank you very much your letter. In Defense of Animals is a very strong

organization that I believe works beyond the boundaries and usual limitations of

some animal rights organizations. I believe Kristie, from In Defense of

Animals, meant more than just contacting officials. I don't have her e-mail

anymore, but I believe she meant that she and her organization were planning to

work

hard on this issue of animal trade in Southern China and this may very well

include working with other animal rights organization from the native country

itself as well as with the government of China.

 

I truly believe that In Defense of Animals along with the help of people who

care about animals may be able to bring about a change for the better, even if

it will take longer than we would like to. As a person who truly cares

about animals, I intend to do everything that is in my power to help in any way

whatsoever any suffering animals, especially animals in Asia which are so

terribly abused. Thank you again, and for all you do to help animals.

 

Regards,

Patricia