The Young Indian Vegetarians (YIV)  organised their 36th annual Vegan Christmas lunch on Sunday 11 December 2016.  Around 110 people enjoyed a variety of mouth watering dishes. Representatives from local churches, voluntary organisations and local school teachers were present. The leader of the Council and vegetarian Tony Newman, MP Steve Reed and councillors were present too. They said the event is a great example of how the Indian community is playing a crucial role in promoting friendship amongst communities in Croydon.  AIA Patron Nitin Mehta, the founder, said that the event was started 35 years ago with the idea of fostering friendship and understanding by sharing food together. The other aim was to introduce English friends to the delights of Indian vegetarian food. The same goals drive the annual lunch. Guests also were given a display of Yoga postures by 7 year old Yoga master Ishwar Sharma.

From left to right: Vinaybhai Kuntawala, Lilaben jethwa, Pratibhaben Jethwa, Pratibha Mehta and Nitin Mehta. 

 

 

By Lara Smallman, Director of the Jewish Vegetarian Society (JVS)

AIA members were delighted to attend the inaugural meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Vegetarianism and Veganism (APPGVV) on 6th December 2016 at the Houses of Parliament.

The new group is funded by the Vegetarian Society, the Vegan Society and Vegetarian for Life  and the secretariat is provided by NCVO.

At the inaugural meeting Christina Rees MP was elected as chair and the other committee members include Henry Smith MP and Kerry McCarthy MP. 

The first meeting was on the subject ‘What does Brexit mean for vegetarians and vegans?‘ and talks were given by Stephen Pugh on the future of guidance for vegetarian and vegan labelling; Dr Kinesh Patel on the labelling of medicines with ‘lifestyle choices’ and Jeanette Bowley on veganism as a protected belief.

The APPGVV has been set up to look at the issues affecting vegetarianism and veganism.  The group will meet four times a year to hear representations from academics, the food industry, charities, campaigners and interested individuals.  Further information can be found at their website at http://vegappg.org.uk/

By Marian Hussenbux

I offer the following, including some personal memories, as a few snapshots of Joan’s life.

Joan inspired many demonstrations and protests over the years, several of which Khalid and I attended. Particularly memorable as they benefited from interfaith involvement was the march Meditate to Liberate in 2004 in Cambridge, co-organised with the Buddhist Amida Trust and led by the Dharmavidya, Dr. David Brazier, against the plan to open another vivisection laboratory, which never came to fruition; in Oxford, where a new vivisection lab was later established, the touching silent vigil A Witness to Suffering took place in 2006, again in concert with the Amida Trust; at our meeting afterwards in the Quaker Meeting, refreshments were kindly offered by Sikh friends; Joan’s Fast for Felix, also in Oxford, honoured the monkey who represented the thousands of his kind sacrificed in laboratories. Once again, members of the Amida Trust gave active support.

Khalid’s photo shows her leading a protest in Cambridge, with her Christian friend the late James Thompson, the Animal Padre.

Joan was for many years an active committee member of Quaker Concern for Animals, latterly a life member, and QCA supported the Phone Line Joan had set up in Cambridge, a means by which members of the public who had urgent problems with a suffering animal, or simply a request for information, could get her direct attention and help. She was always generous with her time and energy.

Deeply concerned about how war devastates all species, Joan invited Bruce Kent to speak at our 2003 AGM, after which QCA became an affiliate of his Movement for the Abolition of War.

Joan was made a crew member of the Sea Shepherd Marine Conservation Society, in 2005 joining their expedition to Brazil on a monitoring exercise.

In 2008, the RSPCA’s Lord Erskine Award honoured her work for the animals. This award, which is presented “to an individual or organisation not necessarily directly associated with the RSPCA” commemorates animal welfare pioneer Lord Erskine of Restormel, who, in 1809, successfully introduced a Bill to Parliament “to prevent malicious and wanton cruelty to animals”.

Joan said: ‘I was surprised to get this award from the “Establishment”, but happy to have the opportunity to make a short speech in which I focused on the need for the RSPCA and Animal Rights movements to learn about each other’s activities; at present both are astonishingly unaware of the great work done by both and we need each other.’

Joan had a long and productive life and she will be remembered with admiration and affection as a significant figure in the animal rights movement, innovative, indomitable and tenacious.

A legacy of activism for the animals has been left us which many will carry forward, in particular younger people, whom Joan greatly valued and for whom she has been an inspiration.

The Community of Creation : expanding the circle of compassion

Friday 24 March 2017 – Sunday 26 March 2017

At the Quaker Study Centre – Woodbrooke

Ensuite Fee: £238.00, Standard Fee: £218.00

Course Details

Are you concerned with animal suffering? Do you question the moral justifications for their ill-treatment? Do you have an awareness of them as precious creatures of God? This course will introduce key themes in the field of Animal Theology within the context of the Quaker faith. Looking at biblical, Buddhist and scientific understanding, we will ask how our lives of active witness might realise the common bonds we share with other species, and extend our vision of the peaceable kingdom.

Course Leader Information

Martin Layton is a Senior Programme Leader at Woodbrooke. His interest is in exploring how Quaker spirituality strengthens our lives of active witness.
Steve Palmer is a teacher and a percussionist. The Gandhian idea of ahimsa has inspired him to look for practical ways to extend his own circle of compassion.  

For further details go to:

https://www.woodbrooke.org.uk/courses.php?action=course&id=11319

The Animal Interfaith Alliance (AIA) is very disappointed at the newly released recommendation by EFRA that the RSPCA should be stripped of  its prosecution powers.  The recommendation comes from the EFRA Enquiry into the effectiveness of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 with regard to domestic pets, to which AIA submitted evidence earlier this year.

The enquiry was supposed to investigate important issues such as how effective the Animal Welfare Act 2006 was with regard to protecting companion animals, particularly in the area of online sales and advertising, and covered key issues such as the over-production of companion animals, puppy farms and the current crises in the numbers of unwanted dogs, cats and equines.

But it appears that these important issues have been overshadowed by the Enquiry’s recommendation that the RSPCA should be stripped of its prosecution powers. 

An AIA spokesperson said, ‘It is very disappointing that the EFRA Enquiry should make this recommendation and it appears that the whole enquiry was a sham, organised by a pro-foxhunting minority who dominated the committee to ensure that they would be protected from future prosecutions for their illegal hunting activities.  What a wasted opportunity to address the urgent issue of the over-production of companion animals’.

AIA applauds the excellent work of the RSPCA in enforcing current animal welfare legislation, often in very difficult circumstances.  It would be marvellous if the police, local authorities and the CPS fully took on this responsibility and it was not left to a charity to undertake this work.  But with their own issues over the allocation of their limited resources, this hasn’t happened and is unlikely to happen in the future.  If the RSPCA does not prosecute and enforce existing animal welfare legislation, then who will protect the most vulnerable animals in our society?

AIA member organisations and many others remembered the animals who gave their lives in war at the ASWA memorial service for animals at the Park Lane Animals in War Memorial at 3.00pm on Sunday 13th November. 

The service was led by Revd. Dr Helen Hall and included readings from Revelations, War Horse and Glowworms; intercessions by Revd. Professor Martin Henig and an address by Pen Farthing of Nowzad Dogs.  After the two minutes silence, wreaths were laid for the millions of animals who have given their lives in war.

They had no choice.

Happy Interfaith Week.  This week The Animal Interfaith Alliance will be celebrating the the fact that all faiths share The Golden Rule – to treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself – and that those ‘others’ include all sentient beings.