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we're all animals

IARD 10 in Madrid. Meanwhile, in London, over 400 people attended a dignified candlelit procession.

IARD 9 saw more than 100 events around the world, with 50 in the UK alone.

IARD 8 in Bromley, Kent. Many of the vigiles were reported in the local media.

IARD 7 in Uncaged's home town of Sheffield.

IARD 6 with a live exports vigil on the Wirral.

IARD 5 in Washington DC, USA.

IARD 4 in the Netherlands.

IARD 3 outside the Imutran offices in Cambridge.

IARD 2 outside Harlan UK in Loughborough.

Whatever you have planned, please let us know and send us reports, photos and any press clippings after the event.

International Animal Rights Day

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).

Can you organise a candlelit vigil, campaign stall or letter-writing campaign on 10 December to protest at the abuse of animals' rights to a life without pain, suffering and exploitation? Read on.

Click here to watch a video of last year's event

Campaign Support

On (or around) December 10th every year since 1998, candlelit vigils have taken 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.

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.

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.

We now have English and foreign language leaflets for International Animal Rights Day available to download. In addition, International Campaigns France have translated all information about the Declaration and Day of Action into French.

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. 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 us 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 us for a copy.

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").

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 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.