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More Uncaged sites:
Contact us:
Uncaged Campaigns,
5th Floor,
Alliance House,
9 Leopold Street,
Sheffield,
S1 2GY, UK
+44 (0) 114 272 2220
info@uncaged.co.uk
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International Animal Rights Day (IARD)
The 11th International Animal Rights Day (IARD) will take place
on 10th December 2008, calling for the recognition of our Universal
Declaration of Animal Rights (UDAR). English and foreign language
leaflets for International Animal Rights Day are now downloadable
from here.
Campaigners outside Sheffield University.
For the 10th anniversary of IARD
we decided to organise a national event in the UK to really lift
the profile of this unique campaign. This took the form of a
dignified candlelit
procession in Central London attended by over 400 people.
For more details about other events that took place across the UK and
around the world for the 10th annual International Animal Rights Day,
please see: www.uncaged.co.uk/iard10.htm
Can you organise a candlelit vigil,
campaign stall or letter-writing campaign on 10 December 2008 to protest
at the abuse of animals' rights to a life without pain, suffering and
exploitation? Read
on.
On this page:
See also:
IARD 2007 - UNCAGED INSPIRES GLOBAL ACTION
The 10th annual International Animal Rights Day was a huge success,
with more actions taking place in the UK and across the world than
ever before.
Thousands of activists in almost every corner of the world
united to call for animals' rights and emphasise the unbreakable link
between human and animal rights. Click here for the
full report.
Campaign Support
The Universal Declaration of Animal Rights - that animals have a right
to life free from deliberately inflicted pain, suffering, exploitation
and death - has been signed by large and small organisations representing
hundreds of thousands of people in: the UK, Argentina, Australia,
Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, France,
Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Ireland, Israel, Mexico, Luxembourg,
The Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Philippines, Poland, Russia,
Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the USA.
International
Campaigns, France, have translated into French all information, including
downloadable pdf files, about the Declaration and Day of Action.
Additionally, the following major UK animal protection organisations
have signed up to the Declaration: The Vegetarian Society, Animal Aid,
Animal Concern, the National Anti-Vivisection Society, VIVA!, People for
the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Europe) and Advocates for Animals.
Animal advocates up and down the country have joined the campaign; and
the Universal Declaration of Animal Rights has also been signed by these
British-based celebrities: Joanna Lumley, Hayley Mills, Benjamin Zephaniah,
Michael Mansfield QC, Miriam Margoyles, Uri Geller, Carol Royle, Amanda
Royle, David Shepherd OBE.
On (or around) December 10th 1998, 1999, 2000,
2001, 2002, 2003,
2004, 2005, 2006 and
2007 candlelit vigils took place at locations
across Britain, Europe, the Americas and the rest of the world, where
the rights of animals are ignored - where animals suffer pain and death.
The vigils paid tribute to the UDHR's (Universal Declaration of Human
Rights) immense significance towards the protection of human lives, and
endeavoured to take the principles contained in the Declaration one step
further to include all sentient beings.
Progress
These actions have undoubtedly led to a greater public and political
debate about the concept of basic animal rights. Political and legal procedures
have been undertaken to establish rights for great apes in New Zealand
(www.uncaged.co.uk/news03.htm). Similar concerns
have led to the cessation of the exploitation of great apes for vivisection
in the UK, and increasing public and political concern for the plight
of all non-human primates. Conversely, because of the demands of the pharmaceutical
and biotechnology industries, the genetic manipulation of animals threatens
to expand - and thus reverse a historic decline in vivisection.
What to do in Support of International Animal Rights Day
If you have not yet signed the Declaration please
do so.
Candlelit Vigils
Previous IARD's have been great success with even more groups joining
in by organising candlelit vigils. We want to build on this success, by
having even more vigils at sites of animal abuse (be it a fur farm, abattoir,
butcher's or vivisection facility).
Therefore, we call on all animal rights advocates to hold further
candlelit vigils on, or around, December 10th, in order to commemorate
International Animal Rights Day.
With darkness descending early at this time of year a vigil can have
a good impact at any time from 4.30pm without necessitating a very late
night. This also allows one to catch people driving home from work, etc.
The beauty of IARD is that animal rights campaigners can hold a candlelit
vigil outside whichever abuser of animals they choose, in the knowledge
that they are joining together with campaigners around the world in a
global call for respect for animals. Campaigns become greatly empowered
by being under the international umbrella of the campaign for the Universal
Declaration of Animal Rights.
Campaign stalls
These are a great way to engage directly with the public and explain
the philosophy behind IARD, and the concept that underpins all campaigns
against animal abuse. In this way we can reclaim 'animal rights' from
the paranoia about 'animal rights extremism'. We have posters,
leaflets and petitions specifically for use on IARD stalls. Contact max@uncaged.co.uk for more information on conducting IARD campaign stalls and to order
materials.
Letter Writing
Writing letters to local and national newspapers (including the free
ones) is a great way to gain attention for IARD. Letters pages are the
most commonly read section of a newspaper. An 'animal rights' letter
in a local paper will be read by tens of thousands of people, and may
well provoke an interesting debate in those pages. Try news and magazine
websites too. There are also hundreds of forums, discussion boards and
chat-rooms on the internet. Some require registration before posting
messages, but this is usually very easy and free. Your messages will
likely cause a great deal of thought and discussion. We have an IARD
letter template available - contact max@uncaged.co.uk.
International Action
We have received great support for this campaign from many groups in
many countries, but we need to continue to build this 'international coalition'
of organisations demanding the recognition of certain fundamental rights
of animals. You can support this campaign in several ways:
- We would really like organisations to organize and co-ordinate a coalition
of animal rights and welfare groups to sign the
Universal Declaration of Animal Rights and co-ordinate a number
of vigils.
- Whatever you have planned, even if it is just issuing a statement/press
release in the build up to the day.
- A press release to the local media would be a good idea, as many newspapers
and TV news programmes picked up on the visual aspect of last year's
candlelit vigils, in addition to the link with the anniversary of the
UDHR. Feel free to reproduce any of our literature, and to use the names
of the various celebrities that have signed up for this particular campaign
in your press release (e.g. "Stars back Declaration of Animal Rights").
Press coverage of an IARD vigil in Ipswich.
Whatever you have planned, please let us know and send us reports,
photos and any press clippings after the event.
Please pass on this information about IARD to all your friends and colleagues.
Whatever you plan to do for IARD, please contact us to let us know! We
shall keep a record of participants and actions on our website in order
to enable concerned people to get involved, and maximize the impact of
the day. We have a large stock of leaflets all about the Universal Declaration
of Animal Rights available for £3.00 per 100 (to cover some of the
post and packaging costs). For copies send cheques made payable to Uncaged
Campaigns to the address at the bottom of the page.
By continuing to make the connection between human rights and
animal rights, we can demonstrate that the two concepts are not only compatible,
but intrinsically linked. It also conveys the notion of animal rights
being the next step along the road of moral progress, building on a growing
recognition of human rights.
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