1st Animal Rights Conference for South-East Europe a success

October 18, 2006

The first Animal Rights Conference for South-East Europe took place in Vienna, Austria on 14th and 15th October. Though participation was open to all countries, a special invitation had been extended to groups and individuals from South-East Europe. The conference was a first meeting of this kind for those countries, where the movement has just begu to grow. More than 150 people travelled to Vienna from the following 19 countries: Croatia, Slovenia, Poland, Czech Republic, Latvia, Serbia, France, Hungary, Macedonia, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Portugal, Estonia, Ukraine, England, Finland, Ghana and Austria. Many countries had representation from more than one group, such as Romania, with 7, providing evidence that the animal rights movement is spreading. There was no entrance fee and the conference language was English. Though no restrictions were placed on participants regarding their diet, strictly vegan food was provided and a cafetaria catered with vegan burgers,

cakes and soyamilk. One of the participants from Croatia stated at the end that the conference had turned him vegan. Various information and instructional workshops and debates were presented during the two-day conferenceOn the first day, representatives from all countries summarised the status of their movements. Various workshops and activities were presented, with most focusing on sanctuary and rescue work and feral animal neutering projects, but also including such topics as campaigns against animal abuse companies improving animal protection laws. Many countries are only recently in the process of formulating their first animal welfare laws, so many activists found

the workshops useful in providing information and resouces for effective lobbying. In Croatia, for instance, a ban on fur farming is being considered, and in Serbia, a ban on all animals in circuses is being discussed. Greece, Serbia, Croatia and Hungary have already succeeded in banning wild animals in circuses, following the Austrian example. While little is ever mentioned regarding animal rights campaigning in South-East Europe, animal rights activity in this region is in fact thriving. Romanian representatives announced that for the first time ever they now have a new national vegetarian/vegan society, which is running its first campaigns. Projects involving the teaching of animal rights in schools are being picked up by different groups in different countries. In the Czech Republic, activists offer school talks on environmental ethics, where they include animal rights. In Croatia, the project includes talks on the oppression of minorities including

animals. In Estonia, an activist is employed by a school to offer animal rights classes. Twenty per cent of Estonian schools have expressed an interest in animal rights talks. Both Slovenia, led by a president, who has been vegan for 3 years, and the Ukraine have put animal protection into their new constitutions. On the second day of the conference, international campaigns were discussed in various talks and 8 workshops on 8 different animal rights topics, with the main focus being animals in circuses and the fur trade. Debates on future strategies and international cooperation had a lot of interested participants and proved to be the heart of the conference. On both days, both volunteers and participants worked from morning to well past 9 pm. One organiser, pleased with how well the conference did overall, stated, "Generally, the movements in all those countries are clearly picking up speed. In some respects, like animal circuses, there are

already remarkable achievements. It is heartening to see so many motivated idealistic activists from all over Europe willing to invest a lot of time and energy into the cause for animals." A new email activist list will be launched for South-East Europe, and another Conference for South-East Europe is expected within the next 2 years. Information about the conference can be viewed at http://www.animalconference.eu/ Peter H

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