(Editor's Note: October 16 is World Food Day.)
PRESS RELEASE:  Source: http://www.evana.org/index.php?id=38147&lang=en
provided by Diana D.C.

On 7-8 October 2008, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the United Nations marked the anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights which assures everyone’s entitlement "to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food".  read more »

Dear Friends,

As you may recall, I wrote to you in June about ten young people held in prison in Austria since mid-May suspected of belonging to a Mafia-like organization supposedly perpetrating crimes in defense of animals.

I thought you might like to know that one of them was released in August and all the rest at the beginning of September. The media more or less ignored them for the more than three months they were in prison but now the journalists can’t get enough of them! One of them, Martin Balluch, has been invited by the Green Party to be one of its candidates in the forthcoming Austrian elections. He has been on TV and radio non-stop. He lost 20 kilos (around 40 pounds) in jail but his fire is returning. The affair is not over, however: the investigations are still going ahead and it could still come to a trial. No evidence linking the ten to any crimes has been found, even after 18 months of police surveillance but the accusation that the ten belong to a criminal organization has not been dropped. Human rights groups are therefore monitoring the situation closely. In the meantime, the ten are trying to pick up their lives and jobs….  read more »

ELP Information Bulletin (3rd of July 2008)

I suppose you will know by now that 43 days ago, Austrian police undertook 28 armed raids on homes of animal rights activist and on offices of 7 animal rights groups all over Austria. 10 people were put on remand, and still are, one of them being me. Because these police actions were completely out of any proportion and no well – founded reasons for the raids and arrests were forthcoming, I immediately went on hunger strike. I used my last means of protest against this unbelievable level of police terror and state repression.  read more »

Media Release Nov 19th 2007 from http://www.whalesrevenge.com

The Japanese Whaling fleet left the port of Shimonoseki in Japan on Sunday the 18th [Nov. 2007] for the Antarctic to kill over 1000 whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary under the guise of ‘scientific’ whaling. This kill includes 50 endangered fin whales, 50 endangered humpback whales and 935 minke whales. This is the biggest hunt since the moratorium on commercial whaling came into force more than 20 years ago and for the first time in almost three decades the Japanese want to include the humpbacks on their menu.

[Visit http://www.whalesrevenge.com for information on what you can do in protest.]

This deer hunting season in the Midwest has been up close and personal for me.  I currently live with a friend who has allowed hunting on the property of 5 wooded acres.  I endured the view of a beautiful deer hauled onto the back of a truck and calling it a "harvest".  My friend is a wildlife lover, and loves nature - but eats flesh and believes in hunting for the control of the deer population.  I do not want to lose a friend, but the practice of hunting for sport on the property where I live is not acceptable to me.  read more »

WHY VEGAN? D... Good Reason!

One of our members has offered a limited number of free copies of the DVD presentation Meet Your Meat.  These are available, one to a household, to anyone who requests them (USA only).  Produced by People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the running time of this presentation is 13 minutes, and it shows the way meat is produced in today's factory farms. If you would like to receive this, send your request to  Miles Standish

A Lost Loved One (submitted by Candi Phillips)

There's something missing in my home,
       I feel it day and night,
I know it will take time and strength
       Before things feel quite right  read more »

by Candi Phillips

Plan Your Yard for Diversity: Have a mix of grass, flower, shrub and tree species that are the same as the natural habitats near where you live. Use native species when possible because birds know these the best, and these are best suited for where you live.

Allow Part of Your Yard to Become a Little Scruffy: Birds need overgrown grass, weeds, brush piles and dead wood. When you realize the benefit to birds and other wildlife, you too can learn to appreciate a little wildness.  read more »

by Jennifer White, Summer Presentation Co-Ordinator, The Kindness Club

Most people are opposed to these terrible places of animal cruelty; however, in some ways many of us are funding puppy mills. Although that may sound strange, if you think about how such places receive their money, that statement is not far from the truth. Puppy mills operate because consumers give them money to do so!  read more »

by Candi Phillips

My lab/golden retriever mix, Mulder, is a constant source of amusement. His latest “trick” is mimicking a human smile. We are greeted after a day away with Mulder’s open-mouthed grin, often accompanied by bounding and dancing. If he could laugh, he’d enjoy these comments written by Jennifer Berman.  read more »

These chums - a baby hippo and an ancient tortoise whose age is estimated at over 100 years - were displaced by the tsunami in December 2004.  They now comfort each other in their new surroundings.

by Candi Phillips

Yesterday I was horrified to see a cat under the birdfeeder. I immediately sent out the dogs that gave chase and barked as the cat went over the fence, but wondered if the baby cardinals had truly fledged or had fallen victim to this beautiful predator. The winter 2002-2003 newsletter of the Kindness Club in Canada contained good information about protecting wildlife from cats.  read more »

by Candi Phillips

Marilyn vos Savant, listed in the Guinness Book of World Records Hall of Fame for “Highest IQ”, writes “Ask Marilyn”, a column in Parade Magazine. A recent exchange was of particular interest. Someone asked, “I had a friend who adopted animal rights as a personal cause. He dropped all friends who ate meat, saying that they condoned cruelty to animals.  read more »

by Candi Phillips

At a recent community event, I noticed a family getting out of their SUV and putting their Jack Russell terrier in a dog carrier in the back. One of the children came into the building to fill a bowl with water. When the family came in for the 90-minute event I had to say something.   read more »