The Manifest

FAIR AND SAFE FUTURE FOR ALL ANIMALS

Animal Justice party (EOP) aims at Finland, where humans and other animals have equal rights to a full life and safe future. EOP promotes the fair treatment of all animals and aims at sharing information on injustice and suffering that Finns have so far ignored.

Life on earth is an ecosystem, of which humans are only one part. Despite this, homo sapiens drives its own interests at the expense of other species and even the whole ecosystem on this planet. Acting like this, humans jeopardize not only their environment but their own future. Despite research results and alarming changes, a life style based on the utilization of natural resources and animals is still acceptable. This practice, meat norm, allows humans to use animals as a means of production, food, entertainment, and clothing. A society that is based on meat norm is ethically and ecologically unsustainable. Therefore, meat consumption can no longer be considered citizens’ private issue but a fact that threatens the continuity of life and the future of the whole globe. This is why meat norm and the behavior it leads to must be discontinued.

EXPLOITATION AND THE MORAL RESPONSIBILITY OF HUMANS

Exploiting animals is morally and ethically wrong, because animals as feeling creatures have an absolute value that does not depend on humans or monetary value imposed on them. Meat norm, which accepts the killing and utilization of animals, is based on an outdated and wrong idea that regards humans as unique and more superior beings. Because humans are capable of moral and rational thinking does not mean that humans are more valuable than other animals. Quite the contrary, wider human capabilities result in wider responsibility of other living creatures.

The fact that humans are able to repress and utilize other individuals does not make it justified. Freedom of an individual cannot hinder the freedom of other individuals, such as animals, which is why captivity and suffering surpass the limits of equitable individual freedom. Therefore, otherness does not justify unfair treatment, because it is not logically sound to value differently the needs of humans and animals only because individual capacities and deficiencies are different. Even if different species have different typical qualities, all animals share basic common needs, of which avoiding pain and anguish, and aiming at pleasure are essential. Nobody who has observed animals closely doubts that non-human species are capable of feeling, suffering and enjoying being alive.

Because animals can value their lives, they must have the same right to being alive as humans have. We cannot exclude world from our moral circle and utilize creatures just because they belong to “other species”, whose capacities and needs are different from ours. A life style based on utilizing animals is not only morally and ethically irresponsible, it is also ecologically unsustainable. Society based on meat norm already now surpasses the tolerance of our environment. If human population growth follows estimations and meat norm continues to prevail, the future is going to be totally unsustainable. In order to fight climate change and conflicts that arise because of scarce food and water supplies, we must stop the inefficient recycling of calories. Government has to stop subsidizing the production of animal-based produce and start supporting the consumption of plant-based goods. To produce one kilogram of meat requires 10 kilograms of fodder, and one litre of cow’s milk requires a thousand litres of drinking water. Our planed does not tolerate this.

FROM THE CULTURE OF VIOLENCE TO RESPECTING LIFE

Ethical and ecological problems related to the utilization of animals must be exposed and the meat norm must be discontinued. EOP’s goal is a society where animal justice is considered in all legislation and all activities related to animals. This goal has to be realized with political means and implemented so that the rights of non-human species are considered and valued equally to current human rights. The goal of EOP is to make animal rights equal to human rights.

In order to realize these goals, society has to abandon the utilization of animals as a means of production. Utilizing other species for food, entertainment, science, sports, and other human activities must come to an end. This means also that the commercial production of pets has to discontinue. Humans do have a responsibility also in the future to take care of those animals that already live here and depend upon human care, but this has to be done respecting their species-specific needs and interests.

Discontinuing the meat norm and making the society vegan is the lifeline of our future. This is not because of ecological reasons only, but because the fair treatment of animals is the minimum requirement for our own moral and mental wellbeing. It is difficult to promote righteousness and nonviolence between humans in a world where humans are allowed to treat other humans “like animals”. When meat counters, animal testing and fur farms finally belong to the history, the culture of violence also disappears.

EOP is the only party in Finland, whose aim and primary goal is to liberate animals. We support and appreciate the work of nongovernmental organizations that have promoted animal justice, and we want to reach our goals in cooperation with them. Human being as a creature is not ready yet. We want to help Finnish people to develop as individuals and to raise their awareness of issues that are a prerequisite for wider mental changes. Implementing animal justice leads humans to a society that is safe and affluent in a sustainable way. Realizing EOP’s goals is the beginning of not only respecting animals but respecting all kinds of humanity and life. Your own pulse throbs on the neck of all beings.