News from our Member Societies
The Vegetarian Society UK - Press Release – August 2002
World Vegetarian Congress Elects
Vegetarian Society Chief Executive
to Chair International Vegetarian
Union.
This year The Vegetarian Society
of the United Kingdom, a member
society of the International Vegetarian
Union, was pleased to host the Union’s
35th World Congress at Edinburgh’s
Heriott Watt University. The
Congress takes place every other year
providing a forum for vegetarians
from different cultures and an opportunity
to highlight the global culture
of vegetarianism.
The Edinburgh Congress in July
brought together over 100 vegetariansocieties
and 300 participants who
share grave concerns regarding the
effect of factory farming and meat
production on the environment, on
human nutrition and health and on
animal welfare. The Congress honoured
Vegetarian Society Chief Executive
Tina Fox by electing her to
chair the IVU. Today she spoke about
her delight in accepting this role: “It
is a great honour to be invited to act
as chairperson for the IVU. Vegetarianism
is a global movement that
crosses many boundaries of race, religion
and political inclination. It is so
important that we unite to educate
people across the world on the issues
that relate to this healthy and liberating
lifestyle.”
During the Congress the International
Vegetarian Union issued a plea
to the World Summit on Sustainable
Development (WSSD), due to meet in
Johannesburg in August.
The IVU calls on the WSSD to:
“take active steps to reduce meat consumption
globally. This action is
needed in order to reduce the adverse
effect of factory farming and meat
production on the environment, on
human nutrition and health and on
animal welfare.
“The world’s population can then
live more healthily on a plant-based
diet, scarce global food resources can
be fed directly to humans rather than
wastefully to farm animals and water,
land and air quality would also be
enhanced.”
Vegetarian Society Chief Executive,
Tina Fox, commented: “A genuine
and balanced examination of these
factors can only lead to the conclusion
that action to reduce global consumption
of meat must be seriously
considered by the WSSD in their plan
for world-wide sustainable development.”
The Vegetarian Society is the oldest
vegetarian organisation in the
world. It offers an independent voice
able to promote and provide information
on vegetarianism. For more information
please contact The Vegetarian
Society Press Office on 00 44 161
925 2012, email press@vegsoc.org or
website www.vegsoc.org
CONGRATULATIONS TINA!
GOOD LUCK!
An Account of the Vegetarian Society in Russia 2000-2002
RESEARCH - The most promising
part of the activity of the Society has
been research, as it helps to improve
the status of the Society in the eyes of
medical people and of the broad public,
afterwards. Vegetarianism has
been acknowledged to be a means of
preventing and curing diseases. Two
documents by the Ministry of Health
have been issued to that effect, and a
vegetarian menu has been officially
offered as curative nutrition. A doctor’s
thesis was submitted by a member
of the Society and won high
praise from the scholarly audience. It
is the first thesis in our country written
on the curative potentialities of
vegetarian nutrition. The research
work also includes publications in
journals, giving talks at conferences
and symposiums of medical workers.
PROMOTING VEGETARIANISM
– through mass media, books
and posters is another feature of the
activity of the Society. The President
of the Society, the Director of the
Medical Center and other members of
the Society, have been interviewed on
radio and TV, participated in TV programmes,
and have spoken at conferences.
Books on vegetarianism written
by the President and Vice- President
of the Society are being sold in
vegetarian restaurants and a wellknown
vegetarian shop in Moscow at
the Moscow University.
The Vegetarian Society made a gift
of its books on vegetarianism to the
largest library in Moscow - the former
Lenin Library - and to the central libraries
of 30 other cities in Russia (regional
centers).
A new Russian Web-Site
Opening just before the Vegetarian
Congress - is one of the ways of attracting
public attention to vegetarianism.
The site will not only offer
various information on vegetarianism
but also involve the user in a dialogue,
making it possible for the user to talk
about himself/herself. But the main
thing is that a census of vegetarians
in Russia will be established: it is the
first attempt to register the vegetarian
population in our country. It is:
www.vegetus.info.
The Center for Ethical Treatment
of Animals, which is also a structural
part of the Vegetarian Society and
which promotes Animal Rights, considers
the promotion of vegetarianism
on ethical grounds as one of its priority
tasks. The Ethical Center prepared
and published text-books
(manuals) on bioethics for primary
and secondary schools as well as for
higher schools. It is enforcing courses
on bioethics in schools in Moscow
and other cities, at universities and at
veterinary schools. The problem of
enforcing an obligatory course on
bioethics at higher educational establishments
is being discussed at the
Ministry of Higher Education.
Tatyana Pavlova, President, Vegetarian
Society in Russia
ANIMAL EYES
A perfect present for all friends of
animals: available in two versions
English /Spanish or English /French,
the bilingual audio-cassette “Animal
Eyes” can be ordered for 7 Euros including
P&P from:
F. Martin (AVE),
Apartado Postal 478,
29740 Torre del Mar (Málaga)
Spain.
For whom they sing: “ The most
important testimony of the present
mental evolution of mankind is represented
by a universal movement
campaigning against cruelty and the
exploitation of other living beings.
If the moral evolution of society is
Member Societies
characterized by the way animals are
treated, we are still far from reaching
a model of civilisation based on justice.
To achieve this aim it is necessary
to condemn, ethically and legally,
the unnecessary and unjust exploitation,
for profit or entertainment,
of so called inferior living beings. To
those innocent victims of human insensibility
is dedicated this work,
conceived as a contribution to the triumph
of universal justice.
We trust that the children of the
world understand this musical message
and hope that adults will help to
divulge and promote its acceptance.”
A new book published the Vegan Society UK
”Vegan Stories” by Julie Rosenfeld.
A compilation of inspiring stories
about veganism written by vegans,
includes pictures and cartoons.
Price £7.99
This book can be ordered at the
http://www.vegansociety.com/shop/
or by letter or phone:
The Vegan Society
Donald Waltson House,
7 Battle Road,
St.Leonards on Sea
East Sussex TN37 7AA, UK
Tel. 00 44 845 45 88 244
http://www.vegansociety.com
Planning a Trip to The Netherlands?
If so, the brochure ”Gastvrij voor
vegetariers” issued by the Dutch Vegetarian
Society will come in handy.
You will find a list from A (Amersfoort)
to Z (Zwolle) in which restaurants,
hotels, camping facilities and
even Conference Centers are listed
where either a vegetarian or a vegetarien-
friendly service is offered.
The brochure is available at all
Tourist Offices in The Netherlands.
De Nederlandse Vegetariersbond
Larenseweg 26, NL 1221 CM
Hilversum, Tel. 00 35 6834796
info@vegetariers.nl
www.vegetariers.nl
© European Vegetarian Union - Contact form
| 