Marianne Thieme a Role Model

Thursday 28th April, 2011 Art exhibition by ex-LTTE combatants Senaka de Silva brings colours, couture and crafts to ‘Celeb Chat’ at National Art Gallery Pg 2 Pg 3 ne of the standard that has dominated our society the political and social agenda was widely respected, we must continue questions asked of me for decades. dominated by issues such as security to do everything in our power to is who my role models In the Netherlands , animal and integration, and standing up for ensure that we keep animal welfare Oare. Any creative suffering is often hidden from animal rights was contemptuously at the top of the political agenda. person who has reached the top of view, or we simply do not regarded as a subversive activity I assure you that standing up their ability and is comfortable with want to acknowledge it. Each that showed weakness rather than for animals does not mean that we doing good fi ts into my list. year in this country, millions strength. are blind to other issues. In our At the moment my role model is of factory farmed animals are That the strategy worked became manifesto we made 220 proposals Marianne Thieme. She makes me sent to slaughter after living immediately evident when the plans for people, healthcare, the economy aware of how little I have done. short and miserable lives, and for the party were launched and and housing aimed at achieving Today I am going to write her story millions of minks are killed for we were able to participate in the a better society. We want to work and beliefs in the hope that one day their fur. More than a hundred elections. towards a society where animals someone better than me will emulate thousand dogs and cats are Overnight, Green Left set out its and people get a better life. We are her shining example. dumped in shelters, and €500 new top ten election priorities, which a new political movement based Marianne Thieme is a Dutch million is spent on animal suddenly included animal welfare, on compassion, durability and politician and animal activist. experimentation every year. while previously animal welfare did respect to man, animals, nature and She is the chairperson and founder of the fi rst animal rights Q: What were your immediate party in history that is represented goals and expectations as you in a national parliament. Her Party formed the party? for the Animals has won two seats in the Dutch National Parliament, A: During the mid-1990s, a Marianne Thieme nine seats in the Dutch Provincial favorable political climate for Governments and one seat in the animals emerged. For the fi rst Dutch Senate. time in history, there was a This is, mind you, in a country that more or less animal-friendly only eats meat and cheese. A country majority in parliament. This whose people are regarded as dour came about as more progressive and without imagination. This is not parties won power from the A role model India where 50% of people , and all conservatives. the most infl uential people including not even make it into the top the Minister for Environment, The Socialist Party, Green Left, 50. Other parties also jumped the Prime Minister and leaders of the Labour Party D66 and the on the bandwagon after we opposition are all vegetarians. This Christian Union formed an animal- established the Party for the is not India where animal rights is friendly parliamentary majority. Animals. They realized that enshrined in the Constitution and animal welfare was becoming there are hundreds of animal welfare an increasingly important groups. This is not India where even issue for the electorate. One the Dalai Lama has tutned vegetarian party even wrote words into and banned chicken/meat shops in its election song letting people Dharamsala. know that animals were more environment. This is the heart of Europe than just meat! It is a fantastic She is not the odd person in However it was only on the experience to Parliament : someone who is treated election night itself that people be part of a new as a guest artist and provides the suddenly stopped laughing off movement that is comedy. Thieme has been voted our attempt to make a stand not hindered by the Political Talent of the Year by the for animals. During the existing political Dutch parliamentary press and Most broadcast of the election priorities, but instead Infl uential Woman for Farmer’s results, to everyone’s consciously breaks Incomes by the leading Dutch surprise it became through the framework. magazine on agriculture. She writes clear that Party for in all the Dutch national and regional the Animals had What has been her ne wspa pers on factory farming, scored high! experience in the parliament hunting, animal testing, bird fl u, Our ambition to been so far? Is she fi ghting for ritual slaughtering, fur, fi sheries and But the so-called animal friendly put animals on the legitimacy? “ In the last debate on vegetarianism. Here is what she has parties made it clear that not too agenda was achieved, agriculture, 80% of the time was to say: much should be expected of them. but we had to go spent on animal welfare and animal The protection of animal rights further. We knew rights for the fi rst time in history. Q: How did the Party for the featured in their party manifestos, that if the animal Does that answer your question? Animals get started? What but clearly was not a priority. Other protectionists in People from all backgrounds, contributed to the formation of parties managed to reverse and the including Christianity, are the party? dismantle animal welfare policies supporting the party. Which is the in parliament. Animals became fastest-growing political party of the A: On November 22 2006 a objects once again to eat and serve existing Netherlands . We are a secular party, historical breakthrough was the economic purposes of people. parliamentary so there is no religious approach in achieved in the struggle for This is why a plan to set up a parties could our message.” animal rights. For the fi rst Party for the Animals was made transform One of the achievements of the time voters elected members in 2002. It was set up initially as themselves into party is that the Netherlands may of a Party for the Animals to a a reminder to the parliamentary a group that soon pass a law banning halal killing national parliament.With two parties about the many good was even half of animals – where the animal is seats, we achieved a victory intentions set down in their as fanatical and killed by slashing its neck while acclaimed by champions for manifestos and to speed up tenacious as conscious – something that is routine animal rights across the globe. their implementation. We the politicians in India where the trade is run by Similar animal parties are being hoped that breathing down that the factory Muslims. The bill is expected to set up in other countries. the necks of the existing farmers use to go to a parliamentary vote this We are on the threshold of an defend the interests of month. Most Dutch favor a ban. unstoppable march towards intensive farming, then If the Netherlands does outlaw giving animals a voice and a it would not take long this procedure, it will be the fi rst environment. That promises the be. While lots of decent people place in our legal system. This for the advantage to be country outside New Zealand to do only things that matter : water for would love to make such a party , march is the result of a like- decided in the favor of so in recent years and willjoin the all without making rubbishy large the problem is – are you ready to mindedness, which transcends the animals. The Party Scandinavian, Baltic countries and useless dams, electricity for all using vote for your own wellbeing and status, political preference and for the Animal’s role will Switzerland . alternative energy , good health freedom? religious belief, and allows parties would fi nally lead be to continually stir things What I want to see in India is a and good education by making it everyone to contribute to the to justice being done for animals. up in an intelligent and determined party that stands for compassion relevant. And no corruption. What To join the animal welfare ending of this moral blind spot This was essential at a time when way. Until the time that animals are towards all people, animals and a wonderful country this could movement contact [email protected] IQ is as much a measure of motivation as intelligence, study fi nds arents if you want to improve your child’s the amount of reward offered. chances of getting into Mensa then bribe them during their IQ test, a new study suggests. A second study of 500 boys found that those who showed signs of boredom and lack of motivation – for ex- P Scientists have shown that offering a fi nan- ample yawning or looking around during the test – scored cial reward for doing well can increase their score by up lower test marks. to 20 points on the scale where the average is 100 and Mensa membership is around 150. Angela Lee Duckworth, a psychologist who led the study, said: “IQ scores may predict various outcomes in The team at the University of Pennsylvania made the life, but in part for reasons that intelligence tests weren’t fi ndings after setting out to prove that scores in the test designed for.

Load more