URGE UNESCO TO REJECT THE PROPOSAL FOR BULLFIGHTS TO BE RECOGNISED AS AN INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF HUMANITY
CAMPAIGNING TO END BULLFIGHTS IN PORTUGAL AND IN THE WORLD - included example letter
From: Miguel Moutinho | ANIMAL
miguel.moutinho@animal.org.pt www.animal.org.pt/
Sent: Sunday, February 19, 2006 8:59 PM
Subject: Urge the UNESCO to reject the proposal for bullfights to be recognised as an intangible cultural heritage of Humanity
Urge the UNESCO to reject the proposal for bullfights to be recognised as an intangible cultural heritage of Humanity
Portuguese and Spanish breeders of bulls for bullfights want the UNESCO, the United Nations organisation for education, science and culture, to recognise and safeguard bullfights and bullfighting activities as an intangible cultural heritage of Humanity
Two Portuguese and Spanish unions of breeders of bulls for bullfights, with the support of the International Bullfighting Association, have announced their intention to ask the UNESCO, the United Nations organisation for education, science and culture, to recognise and safeguard bullfights and bullfighting activities as an intangible cultural heritage of Humanity. With this initiative, the bullfighting industry will try to reinforce bullfighting activities through the recognition of these as cultural heritage to be praised, respected and protected, namely by Governments and Parliaments, which could block any attempt to ban bullfights wherever they exist. This is a situation in which your help and participation is crucial. It is also a very important opportunity to show to these industries that bullfights should become only a dark part of the past.
Please, write to the UNESCO (through
bpi@unesco.org ich@unesco.org cnu@unesco.pt ) and ask this organisation to reject any proposal for bullfights and bullfighting activities to be accepted, recognised or safeguarded as intangible cultural heritage of Humanity. Please ask all your supporters or your friends to participate in this initiative. If you would like to know how to help end bullfights in Portugal, please contact ANIMAL through
info@animal.org.pt
www.animal.org.pt/ :: Campaigning to end bullfights in Portugal and in the world
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Letter to UNESCO :
Sent by: Action Against Poisoning
Date: Wed, 22 Feb 2006 17:00:52 +0100
To:
cnu@unesco.pt ,
ich@unesco.org ,
bpi@unesco.org
Cc: ANIMAL
miguel.moutinho@animal.org.pt
Subject: UNESCO to reject the proposal for bullfights to be recognised as cultural heritage
:: Action Against Poisoning :: UNESCO :: BULLFIGHTS ::
LETTER TO UNESCO - ARGUMENT AGAINST BULLFIGHTS ETC
From: ActionAgainstPoisoning
To: UNESCO
To the members of the UNESCO
Subject: Arguments against bullfights
Ladies and gentlemen,
Action Against Poisoning fights animal poisoning in particular and supports animal protection in general.
We have been informed by ANIMAL in Portugal that UNESCO will be approached again to include bullfights in the Cultural Heritage list. So we repeat our arguments as these are still valid.
As we understand such a listing protects or sponsors the cultural object or tradition involved.
We are curious what bullfight-jewels are in need of UNESCO protection.
If any bullring in the world would match the Coliseum we will understand the recognition of a monument, although we wonder why that did not happen before. So we surmise it is about the traditional display of the bullfight. This tradition involves the deliberate torture and subsequent killing of bulls either inside the arena (Spain) or outside the arena (Portugal).
If a mere tradition is the measure we might as well have supported and sponsored crucifixion, witch burning and scalping. History abolished such publicly celebrated violent traditions as very bad habits and not as cultural heritage of humanity. Which is understandable as civilized society regards violence as a public order risk. More advanced societies understand that animal abuse is a potential public (mental) health threat as well.
We are amazed that so few people realize that festivals based on animal cruelty create a joyful atmosphere of "having fun", influencing children in their moral concepts on the value of life.
Witnessing a bullfight either creates disgust and depression, or admiration for perpetrators of animal cruelty.
The nature and sequence of the human acts in bullfights can be defined as sadistic. Sadism is a certified if not contagious mental illness that we do not want to spread.
On the analogy of Indian or African tribal war dances we have no objections to the museological preservation of weapons and costumes and the theatrical display of the artful music, dancing and stabbing. But leave the bulls out of it as they - like any other animal - have never asked to play a role in an animal abusing human game.
We have no objection against the preservation of whatever beautiful or silly traditions as far as they are harmless to people and animals alike. Consequently we are totally against any support of the bullfight, let alone an addition of this traditional game to a cultural heritage list.
With kind regards,
Action Against Poisoning
www.actionagainstpoisoning.com
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From: ActionAgainstPoisoning
Date: Monday, 07 Mar 2005
To: UNESCO -
bpiweb@unesco.org
Fax number: +33 (0)1 45 67 16 90
To the members of the UNESCO
Subject: Arguments against bullfights
Ladies and gentlemen,
Action Against Poisoning fights animal poisoning in particular and supports animal protection in general.
We have been informed by FLAC that UNESCO is approached to include bullfights in the Cultural Heritage list. As we understand such a listing protects the cultural object or tradition involved.
We are curious what bullfight-jewels are in need of UNESCO protection.
If any bullring in the world matches the Coliseum we will understand, although we wonder why that did not happen before. So we surmise it is about the tradition. This tradition involves the deliberate torture and subsequent killing of bulls either inside or outside the arena.
If a mere tradition is the measure we might as well have supported and sponsored crucifixion, witch burning and scalping. History abolished such publicly celebrated violent traditions as very bad habits.
It should be noted that festivals based on animal cruelty create a joyful atmosphere of "having fun", influencing children in their moral concepts on the value of life. Witnessing a bullfight either creates disgust and depression, or admiration for the perpetrators of animal cruelty.
The nature and sequence of acts in bullfights can be defined as sadistic.
Sadism is a certified if not contagious mental illness that we do not want to spread.
On the analogy of Indian or African tribal war dances we have no objections to the museological preservation of weapons and costumes and the theatrical display of the artful music, dancing and stabbing. But leave the bulls out of it.
So we ask you to decide if the bullfight, i.e. a bad habit forming a mental health threat is a worthy addition to the list of cultural heritage.
With kind regards,
Action Against Poisoning.com
euronews.ws