Russian animal rights organisation VITA

NEWSLETTER 1/2003

GREEN LIGHT FOR ANIMAL RIGHTS

After long months of red tape, the Russian animal rights organisation VITA got officially registered in spring. Having overcome the obstacles drawn by the bureaucratic machine, VITA can now be there for the animals.

LEARN MORE ABOUT VITA'S WORK FOR THE ANIMALS

From June 2003 VITA will produce a quarterly newsletter to inform you of the latest developments in our animal rights work. Interested in any additional information? Please don't hesitate to contact us. In this newsletter you can read about VITA's activities during the last 6 months.

NEW YEAR EVE - THE ANIMALS ALSO PARTY?

VITA activists spent the 2002/2003 New Year eve in the of Moscow city centre to hand out leaflets calling people to choose for the fur- and meat-free lifestyle. A veal and a piglet on the front page of the leaflet would say: "Happy New Year to you! ... And maybe also to us … We also want to party tonight!" This followed by: "Begin the New Year without eating killed animals - go vegetarian!" Overjoyed and good-humoured, passers-by welcomed VITA's leaflets.

VITA TO REACH PEOPLES' HEARTS VIA MEDIA…

Mass media is undoubtedly one of the most powerful means of reaching millions of people. In 2003 VITA launched a media campaign to inform the population of the problems of fur-wearing, experiments on animals, meat and fish consumption, genetic engineering, bullfights, circuses, dog fights, mass inhumane euthanasia of animals in Russian veterinary clinics, and others. These items were covered in press and various radio- and TV-programmes. Anti-fur media casts were supported by the famous Russian writer Gennadij Gladkov.

… AND VIA NEW LEAFLETS

VITA has produced 5 new leaflets on the following topics:
- general on various animal-related problems;
- vegetarianism;
- veganism;
- testing on animals;
- atrocious photo services with wild animals (a new kind of "entertainment" in Russia).

RUSSIAN WINTER WITHOUT FURS? POSSIBLE!

Last winter 11 Russian students registered to take part in the international student competition for the best anti-fur poster and campaign organized by the Fur Free Alliance. VITA helped FFA make the necessary arrangements for the Russian students to also participate. Though none are not nominated, the Russian contestants will get VITA recognition rewards for the participation, and their works will be exhibited during the October 2003 VITA press-conference on the fur-related problems.
Congratulations to the Fur Free Alliance on the successful initiative!

FFA AND VITA: TOGETHER FOR THE FUR-FREE HUMANITY

VITA's official registration was marked by it's admittance to the Fur Free Alliance - an international movement to put down the fur production. Various animal protection organisations around the world are the members of the alliance.

WANT TO CURE - LEARN TO KILL?

Together with InterNICHE, an international organisation for abolishing animal tests in education, VITA campaigns against animal tests in veterinary, medical and biological schools. There are humane alternatives for all the animal experiments, many of which are irrelevant and very painful, or even fatal for the animals. To promote cruelty-free alternatives VITA sends educational materials to the relevant schools, gives presentations, holds talks with the responsible school officials, and consults individual students who conscientiously object to animal tests.

LUCKY ESCAPE FROM THE FREEZING COLD

Last winter was particularly cold in Russia, and VITA activists rescued a number of animals and birds dying in the freezing cold. The sufferers were fostered in the apartments of the VITA activists. Lena Maroueva, VITA director and veterinarian, when necessary provided them with veterinary care, after which the birds were released, and the animals placed.

40 STRAYS IN THEIR NEW HOME

Real estate being expensive in the Moscow region, VITA activists can only keep the rescued strays at their homes. VITA also runs a sanctuary for 40 rescued stray cats at the country house of the VITA co-founder Konstantin Sabinin, who also takes care of the animals.

TORTURED TO ENTERTAIN THE TOURISTS: THAI ELEPHANTS…

On May 30th VITA carried its second action in front of the Thai embassy in Moscow. The participants demonstrated against the atrocious "trainings" of the endangered elephants in Thailand to teach them circus tricks which would attract tourists to the country. VITA activists appealed to the Thai authorities to pass the law that would forbid atrocious trainings, and called to the general public not to visit the country until the law is passed. The international campaign against the elephant maltreatment in Thailand had been initiated by PETA, and similar protests have also taken place in other countries.

… AND SPANISH BULLS

VITA has appealed to over 50 travel agencies in Russia to inform the tourists planning to spend their vacation in Spain of the coming "human race" in the city of Pamplona (July 5th). This initiative was aimed at attracting participants from Russia to the event.

PETA has initiated "the human race" to replace the atrocious spectacle known as "running of the bulls". Participants from different countries run in the Pamplona streets nude… or not, to make the new tradition replace the atrocious one in future. A great idea, PETA!

"Running of the bulls" is annually organized in Pamplona. Feared young bulls, released into the city streets and gouged with sticks by the public, often run into buildings and break their horns or legs. In the evening they will be killed on a ring during a bullfight.


VITA TO TACKLE INDIVIDUAL CASES OF ANIMAL MALTREATMENT

At the moment VITA investigates, and when necessary campaigns against the following individual cases of atrocities towards animals:
- fattening and consuming dogs by some individual Koreans living in Russia;
- maltreatment of wild animals used for the photo services;
- shooting of strays;
- Russian websites publicizing sadistic murder of animals, such as models crushing mice with the heel point of their shoes.

TOGETHER WE ARE STRONG

- VITA supports animal protection initiatives and campaigns in different regions of Russia and former Soviet republics by providing information and advice, sending relevant materials, and approaching the organisations, responsible for animal maltreatment in the regions;
- VITA took part in various ecology- and animal-related activities and seminars, such as an ecological seminar in Kiev, the Ukraine, the Moscow workshop "Companion animals: issues and answers", organized by the Humane Society of America, and other.

A THESIS ON ANIMAL RIGHTS AT A LINGUISTIC UNIVERSITY?
UNTHINKABLE, BUT TRUE!

This spring VITA translator Annie Kyuregyan successfully defended her thesis at the Moscow City Regional University. The title of the work was "Importance of Bioethics in modern world. Bioethics and up-bringing of children". It is certainly sensational for Russia that the choice of this kind of topic for a thesis had been approved by the professors of the university. After a year of hard work, Annie deeply impressed the professors during the defence, and got an excellent mark.

Annie is now a qualified linguist and a teacher of English and German. We wish her much success with her post-graduate studies, during which she is planning to proceed with her valuable research. The results will be reported on in Annie's doctoral thesis.



--Tanja Maroueva


For additional information please contact us at:

e-mail: Elena-Maroueva@yandex.ru, or tanja_eric@bluewin.ch
address:
VITA, attn. Elena Maroueva
Russia 115191
Moscow
Mytnaya str 62-93