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July 2010
Ranger Bear comic strips - Produced by ENV (Education for Nature - Vietnam)
Education for Nature – Vietnam (ENV) released a new comic book featuring the full color series of Ranger Bear comic strips that have appeared in the last 14 issues of the popular student nature magazine, Green Forest. The educational series features Ranger Bear, a national hero, and his adventures as he battles to protect nature and the environment with the help of his human and animal friends. The stories tackle conservation and animal welfare issues, including concerns about phasing out bear farming, a project on which WSPA and ENV partner.
Joining the adventures of Ranger Bear, readers discover more about Vietnam’s fascinating wildlife and the difficulties they face resulting from hunting and loss of habitat. When there is danger and fellow animals need help, Ranger Bear is on the way! From protecting coral reef and helping preserve safe habitat for migratory birds to resolving human elephant conflict and rescuing the world’s most endangered turtle, Ranger Bear gets the job done.
The new nature comic series is available in Vietnamese and will be distributed free to environmental educators and schools participating in ENV’s National Environment Education network, currently supporting educators and programs at 42 National Parks and Nature Reserves. To learn more, visit their website >> http://www.envietnam.org/
Zoe Weil of Institute for Humane Education given high accolade
For more than 25 years, Zoe Weil has based her life’s work on the conviction that the key to creating a just, compassionate, sustainable world for all lies with humane education: raising a generation with the tools, knowledge and motivation to make choices that do the most good and least harm for all and to become changemakers and problem solvers for a better world. That vision was rewarded on July 17 when Weil was inducted into the U.S. Animal Rights Hall of Fame during the 2010 Animal Rights National Conference in Alexandria, Virginia.
“To me, this wonderful award is a validation of the power of humane education to help create a compassionate world,” said Weil. “Having spent my life teaching about the interconnections between human rights, animal protection, and environmental preservation, it’s an incredible honor to have this vision honored in such a public way. That my colleagues in the animal protection movement share our belief not only in the importance of raising a generation to be compassionate and engaged choicemakers and changemakers for a humane and peaceful world, but also in the ability of humane education to achieve that goal means more to me than I can say.”
To see the full story, please see the Humane Education website.
WSPA educational games help children learn about animal welfare
WSPA’s office in Costa Rica has recently released two fun games that are excellent tools for elementary students. These games will help them understand the responsibilities we have toward pets, living conditions needed by farm animals and the freedom they deserve the wildlife.
These resources aim to develop critical thinking, decision making and a sense of civic responsibility in children, all of this in a playful and stimulating context. They are available online in both English and Spanish – Take a look and share the games with children and educators you know!
SOS Animal Protection>> http://www.wspa-latinoamerica.org/juegos/animales_mision_especial/
My animal friends>> <http://www.wspa-latinoamerica.org/juegos/mis_amigos_los_animales/>
May 2010
International Bear Association Conference is now taking place!
Victor Watkins, WSPA Wildlife Advisor, is now in Georgia to attend the 2010 International Bear Association (IBA) conference and he is reporting back on the big issues faced by the world’s bears in a dedicated blog.
The IBA conference provides bear experts (organisations and academics) with a platform to share their knowledge of issues facing bears around the world, to encourage best practice and deliver solutions. Victor is extremely passionate about protecting bears from cruelty and suffering has been a pivotal character in WSPA’s work for bears around the world for nearly two decades.
Victor’s twice-daily blog posts, which will run until Friday 28 May, will bring to life a wide range of bear welfare issues covered at the conference, including:
WSPA’s work to stop bear dancing
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bear baiting in Pakistan
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the cruel bear bile trade in Asia
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taking care of rescued bear cubs and releasing them into the wild
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our work to create and run bear sanctuaries
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how to work with and influence people to live in harmony alongside bear populations around the world
This blog can act as a great resource for you to introduce some of the issues facing bears in your classrooms. To learn more about our Bears of the World pack, please contact us at education@wspa-international.org and see the story below about what X Factor finalist Jamie Archer thinks of the Bear Pack!
X Factor Stars get the Bear Facts
Factor finalist and World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) supporter Jamie Archer took time out from the Cardiff leg of the X Factor tour to visit a local primary school to see what the Year 5 pupils have learnt about bears, since they started using the charity’s school pack.
The musician has been a supporter of the international animal charity for over a decade and took X Factor tour mate Danyl Johnson with him to Bryn Celyn Primary School, in Pentwyn, Cardiff, to drop in on the unsuspecting class and present them with a signed WSPA teddy bear.
Long time WSPA supporter
Jamie remembers seeing a campaign advert from WSPA around 12 years ago and felt moved to become a regular supporter, saying: “I started supporting WSPA when I was a teenager after seeing their campaign to free dancing bears in Greece and Turkey. It means a lot to be able to talk with school kids like the ones we met today and know that they also want to do their bit to try and protect bears and other animals from suffering unnecessary pain. It gives me hope that charities like WSPA can work with today’s children to protect the animals of the future.”
In the nineties, the brutal practice of "dancing bears" saw cubs stolen from the forest and trained to dance on their hind paws, using extremely cruel methods.
After a long battle, the charity was able to end the practice in the late nineties and have since turned its focus to India where there are still an estimated 50 bears living out their days, dragged from village to village ‘dancing’ for audiences.
Bears of the world school pack
When Jamie heard about WSPA’s ‘Bears of the World’ school pack, he decided to try and find time while on tour to stop in at a school that had been using the pack, to see how it is helping children learn about bears and the threats they can face.
Year 5 teacher, Gaye Nicholas says: “We’ve been doing some work on endangered species and the WSPA school pack fits in well. We’ve just had ‘bear week’ and the children wrote some poems about how people can help the bears. The class were really excited – they knew that they had a famous visitor coming to talk to them about their work, but we’ve been keeping their identity secret. When they saw Jamie and Danyl they went crazy!”
Danyl said: “Jamie and I were talking to the class about how it horrible it would be if the children’s pets had to go through the same things that some captive bears suffer. Like most kids their age, these children haven’t seen a bear in the flesh. But after learning about some of the cruel things that can happen to performing bears – like having their teeth and claws pulled out – it’s clear that they recognise animal cruelty when they see it.”
Jamie added: “We got to hear some of the poems the children had written about the threats that wild bears face from man – everything from poaching to be captured and made to dance or fight for ‘entertainment’. They were fantastic and really showed that the kids understood that animals can feel pain just like you and I.”
New children’s author aims to bring messages of compassion to young readers
Maggie Griffin is an animal lover based in Florida, and she aims to write books to help children understand that companion animals should be treated with kindness and compassion, and that they deserve safe and loving homes and caring people to see to their needs and look after their health and well-being.
The Tale of Three Puppies is her debut book and it follows three puppies and their interactions with the people who come into their lives, while touching on some important lessons of responsible pet ownership. To find out about how to get a copy, visit Maggie's website.
January 2010
Animal Welfare Education through Zanzibar
Great news! Animal welfare education has now been added to the Zanzibar curriculum, so all children attending primary school will be receiving animal welfare messages and learn about how to best care for animals in their communities. WSPA’s education team has worked with the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to reach this milestone, and will now help train teachers on effective teaching methods to pass these important messages on to the students.
Humane Society University degree courses now offered
Looking to enhance your education and skills in the animal protection field? Look no further than Humane Society University’s innovative online and onsite courses.
Further advancing its leadership in human-animal studies, Humane Society University (HSU), an affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States, announced in 2009 that it received a license as a higher education degree-granting institution by the District of Columbia Education Licensure Commission. The HSUS is the first animal welfare organization to receive such authority and distinction.
HSU is the first institution in the USA to offer bachelor degree programs in animal studies and the first in the world to offer a bachelor’s degree in animal policy and advocacy. The degrees are designed to educate students to qualify them for employment with one of the more than 17,000 U.S. non-profit organizations that seek to protect, provide services to or advocate for animals, and to advance scholarship in the field.
Undergraduate degrees and graduate certificates in animal studies, animal policy and advocacy, and humane leadership began in fall of last year. HSU courses are offered online, with select classes also available in hybrid and classroom formats in Washington, D.C. Courses can be taking individually or as a part of degree and certificate programs.
By providing in-depth academic curriculum in animal protection studies, HSU hopes to ensure that animal welfare concerns receive more attention, are accorded greater credibility, and become a more central research focus across disciplines.
The faculty consists of experts in the field of human-animal studies, including 26 instructors who will teach courses. Twenty of the faculty members hold doctoral-level degrees in animal behaviour, policy, psychology, sociology, literature, veterinary medicine, law and other fields.
HSU also offers professional instruction on diverse topics – everything from mastering animal sheltering basics and leadership to development to combating compassion fatigue and illegal animal fighting. Professional development courses are offered as in-person workshops throughout the country and user-friendly online courses that can fit any schedule.
HSU strives to meet the educational needs of every member of the animal advocacy community. The website, www.humanesocietyuniversity.org includes application information, course listings, and catalogues.
For more information, about HSU or educational offerings, visit www.humanesocietyuniversity.org or contact admissions@humanesocietyuniversity.org.
December 2009
Teacher workshop held in Costa Rica with support from Ministry of Education
A teacher training workshop was held in Costa Rica before the holidays for 25 teachers, all of whom showed great enthusiasm for animal welfare education. In addition, because of our cooperative relationship with the Ministry of Education, this workshop was able to be held in a state-of-the-art education institution. This is great for our team, as it could provide advanced technology and resources for future workshops.
Educational resource adapted for use specifically in India
Our great Caring for Cats and Dogs resource has now been adapted, translated, and produced in Hindi for use with our FCAW work with teachers in India. Through this process, the resource is made more effective for the audience by focusing on the aspects of companion animals and responsible pet ownership that are more prevalent in the region.
November 2009
IN AWE programmes makes strides in a new region
On the 3rd of October WSPA held its first teacher training workshop in Delhi as part of the IN AWE (International Animal Welfare Education) programme. The positive event was attended by 16 educators representing eight schools. The workshop proved a great learning opportunity for all involved, and it is hoped that attendance will grow as more workshop opportunities become available.
The teachers had the opportunity to learn more about animal welfare education as well take part in practical activities to see how animal welfare can fit into the school curriculum. Teachers were also introduced to two new resources in Hindi- Doggy Speak and a set of cross-curricula lesson plans.
It is hoped the IN AWE programme will continue to grow in India with the support of both the education authorities and local member societies.
October 2009
Animal Aid’s multi-pronged approach to helping animals
Animal Aid Unlimited in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India, runs a hospital, rescue centre and sanctuary for Udaipur’s injured and ill, un-owned street animals. Founded in 2003, Animal Aid has rescued and treated 26,000 un-owned animals suffering from injuries and illnesses. Animal Aid (AA) believes that to inspire a community to have compassion for animals, giving them the opportunity for hands-on action is highly effective.
Education to increase Awareness
AA carries out a range of activities to increase understanding about animal needs.
School presentations: Education Director, Claire Abrams, gives weekly school presentations in Udaipur’s schools, explaining the mission of Animal Aid and many ways that students can protect and save animals’ lives.
Experiencing animals: During hospital tours, guests learn how to interact with stray animals. They get an overview of the mission of AA, and learn why their doctors, staff and volunteers help animals recover and heal. They meet the animals and interact with dogs, cows, donkeys and even pigs.
Surveys: A visitor expressing interest in helping animals is encouraged and trained to conduct a neighbourhood survey. This creates the opportunity to have a neighbourhood dialogue about owned and un-owned animals’ basic need for freedom, food, clean water, and protection from cruelty. This raises consciousness about animals’ needs, and creates a natural opportunity for discussion.
AA has found that these activities are an excellent way of engaging the community and a great exercise in speaking up for animals in a non-threatening manner.
TAPA helping tsunami area animals
Tsunami Animal people alliance (TAPA) was initiated in 2005 in the aftermath of tsunami destruction in Sri Lanka. Through their determination, TAPA has successfully averted mass killings of the neglected dogs in the tsunami affected communities by offering an alternative solution to manage stray dog population and control rabies, and ultimately to achieve a stable healthy population of dogs that are safe for humans.
Education to complement programme work
Together with its CNVR program (Catch-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release), TAPA runs its education programme which aims to prevent dog bites and promote responsible pet ownership and animal welfare through increasing general public awareness. The education officer and veterinary surgeons carry out the programme through presentations and dissemination of pictures and leaflets. They also advise how to overcome the stray dog problem through animal birth control.
Dog bite prevention
Since children represent the majority of the dog bite victims, TAPA targets them with information on how to avoid dog bites and protect themselves from rabies. TAPA also approaches other levels of the community, conducting education programs for teachers, villagers, police and military officers, and other relevant authorities in the country. Evaluation is carried out before and after the training sessions to gauge how much the audience has absorbed the messages that TAPA wants to convey.
Signs of success
TAPA has successfully conducted about 60 education events since it started, directly addressing more than 8000 participants. TAPA believes that education is playing a major role in reaching the final goals more efficiently and effectively. This assists Sri Lanka’s short and long-term recovery from the tsunami by improving the linked welfare of people and animals in the tsunami zone with the change of attitudes.
With WSPA’s support, TAPA is about to launch their new education program to target younger children in primary schools and kindergartens, believing that the change comes with the next generation. Best of luck to them!
Boost to animal welfare education in Peru
Thanks to a new three-year agreement with Peru’s Ministry of Education, WSPA is developing a ‘train the trainer’ programme for teachers in the north of the country, spreading the animal welfare message as wide as possible.
The agreement, part of WSPA’s IN AWE programme, has been endorsed by the Peruvian National Commission for Cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
A proven way to reach out
Similar programmes, running in Costa Rica for 18 years, in Chile since 2006, and in Peru’s capital Lima since 2002, have already trained over 1,000 teachers, meaning an estimated 70,000 young people now have a better understanding of animal welfare.
“These programmes have been key to changing attitudes towards animals.’ explains Carlos Chacón, WSPA education manager.
Seeds of change: training the trainer
The first 120 Peruvian teachers to be trained took part in a five-day workshop run by WSPA’s Colombian education team during which they received animal welfare education and resources to teach their own students and to train other teachers as well. Peer-to-peer training is essential to the success of the programme.
Carlos explains: “Our approach is to take a core group of teachers through a comprehensive process so that they completely understand that animals can experience pleasure, pain and suffering, and that humans have the intrinsic responsibility to care for the animals they interact with.”
A fresh look at animals
Over the next three years the programme will be monitored by local WSPA member societies and Peru’s education authorities. If successful, it will be rolled out in other areas of Peru and act as a catalyst for more compassionate attitudes towards animals.
Making it official
Shortly after the first training session, WSPA staff met with Emilio Delgado, a representative from the Peruvian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO.
Mr Delgado made UNESCO’s endorsement of WSPA’s Peru-based animal welfare education work official, recognising the quality of the project being developed and indicating a future of collaboration between the two parties.
UAN’s HEAR programme shows early signs of success
In 2007, United Animal Nations, a WSPA member society, launched its Humane Education Ambassador Reader (HEAR) programme. After its first two years, initial research indicates the programme is a very promising tool for facilitating empathy and humane attitudes toward animals in children.
Children think about animals’ perspectives
Through the programme, trained volunteers lead students through stories, discussion and activities that allow children to explore the human-animal bond. The programme teaches basic animal behaviour and encourages perspective-taking: to imagine what it might be like, for example, to be a cat who is hungry and alone, or to have a dog as a friend. Children are encouraged to determine for themselves what it means to be humane and are asked questions like, “Can an animal and a person communicate?” “What would it look like?” and “Why would we listen?”.
Programme links to the curriculum
Discussion and Activity Guides accompany each of the 12 books used in the HEAR program; these guides were developed by professional educators and align to academic content standards. HEAR volunteers visit schools, after-school programmes and other structured learning environments to provide children with the opportunity to share thoughts and think critically about our responsibilities towards the animals in our communities.
Initial research supports the programme’s value
A pilot study of the effectiveness of this programme was carried out by Inverness Research Inc., a group that focuses on assessing education programmes in the United States. Through video analysis, student work assessment, and interviews with readers and teachers, the researchers concluded that the HEAR programme provides students with thought-provoking and engaging learning opportunities and adds value to their daily studies.
Additionally, it is believed that HEAR is a robust and potentially scalable model that can be reproduced by volunteers. Also, because it is not an isolated experience for children (volunteers lead five weekly sessions, at 30-90 minutes each) it has the potential to give students more opportunity to explore their feelings and better understand the humane concepts reinforced and built upon from each proceeding session.
To learn more about the HEAR programme and how you can get involved, see the UAN website.
September 2009
Elementary school welcomes well-known WSPA ambassador
Por Thissadee Sahawong, animal welfare advocate and Thai TV personality, joined the teachers of Satit Chula U Elementary School when they undertook humane education training with WSPA.
At the school, Por Thissadee helped the WSPA education team to train 30 teachers from Chulalongkorn University Elementary School Division (a top ten elementary school in Thailand).
The humane education chain
During the day, Por Thissadee said “I’m excited because this is my first time working with senior, experienced teachers who are keen to pay attention to animal welfare.” He added, “After today, I’m confident they will pass the knowledge from this class to their students, and the students will in turn be kind to their pets.”
Ambassador for animals
Por Thissadee, WSPA Asia ambassador, has previously joined the education programme on school visits to Satit Mor Sor Vor Pratumwan School and Satit Mor Sor Vor Prasanmitr (see story from Oct 2008 below).
He has been a success with both children and teachers, inspiring them to learn more about animal welfare in the classroom and apply it outside. Leading by example, Por Thissadee adopted a puppy from WSPA member society SCAD.
August 2009
First IN AWE teacher workshop in Vietnam
WSPA's first teacher training was held in Vietnam for 24 teachers after an initial visit resulted in many requests for such training. Various external meetings were held with other groups to establish other ways to extend our education work in the region.
Member society taking IN AWE forward in Brazil
A teacher training workshop for 15 attendees was run by member society SOS 4 Patas - Centro de Proteção de Defesa dos Animais (CEPRODAR), in Resende, with the support of WSPA and the Secretary of Education. This is significant in that it shows the initiative of a member society to take on the IN AWE project, strengthening the programme's growing sustainability.
“I read to animals” helps children and pets
The Best Friends Animal Society in the USA has developed the ”I Read to Dogs” programme under its Education Ambassador scheme to give children aged 5-12 the opportunity to learn compassion towards animals at the same time as discovering the joy of reading. Best Friends brings together Therapy Dogs as well as other companion animals and their handlers, trained Education Ambassador volunteers to enable children to gain self-confidence by reading to the dogs and other pets during events held in libraries and schools.
The children first learn some basic principles about animal care, responsibilities and safety. For instance, one program teaches children how to be safe around dogs, including always ask before petting a dog and that they should never pull dogs’ ears or take their toys away. They are then introduced to the ‘reading animal’ of the day and invited to read a story out loud to it.
Best Friends has found that reading with pets is a great way to improve a child’s reading skills as the animals listen attentively and do not judge, laugh or criticise. In addition it enables the sharing of unconditional love and affection between the animals and the children.
Children are encouraged to read aloud to pets of all kinds, either at organised sessions, at home or even to stuffed toys if there is no opportunity to interact with a live animal.
Best Friends is looking for candidates to become Education Ambassadors who will take the “I Read to Animals” scheme into their local schools and libraries. Those with a teaching background, parents, grandparents, youth programme leaders and those with a love for and experience of animals are welcome to apply. You must be over 21 and Best Friends will need to carry out a thorough background check.
To learn more about the programme please see the Best Friends website.
June 2009
SCAD Education Day proves promising for companion animals in Bangkok
WSPA member society, SCAD, is working hard to address the problem of stray companion animals in Bangkok through education and intervention. In an effort to engage the community, they held an Education Day in Kittiya, southern Bangkok, to raise awareness about the health needs of dogs and other animals. Visitors were offered free rabies vaccinations and other treatments for their dogs by local vets volunteering the services, and interactive activities were held to pass on important messages to the owners regarding their pets’ needs. Additionally, the need for an increase in animal welfare education for children was recognised, as children were not as knowledgeable about the issues as adults were. The day was very positive, and it indicated successes of SCAD’s previous efforts to develop a comprehensive spay/neuter and education campaign in the village as well as to encourage understanding about companion animals, the stray population problem, and their role in addressing the issues.
Read the full article in the Bangkok Post
To learn more about SCAD, visit their website.
May 2009
Wantok A Hit in Port Moresby
School children in Port Moresby, capital of the Pacific nation Papua New Guinea, are going mad for Wantok, a puppet dog which features as part of a new Pacific teaching pack for 6-7 year olds created by RSPCA Queensland. The Wantok lesson encourages children to relate their own needs and behaviour to those of animals and take an active stance in caring for their own animals or those in the community.
RSPCA PNG made a strategic decision to prioritise humane education, leading to the recruitment of 7 paid humane educators. The teaching team benefited from a week long training session delivered by RSPCA Queensland Education Director Kelly Ireland. Over 12 classes in 8 schools were visited reaching approximately 700 students during the training. Since then the team has been going strong and even being praised for their teaching style and methods by classroom teachers who are picking up tips from the PNG teachers!
There is much demand for the lesson and Wantok is quickly becoming Port Morseby’s newest celebrity.
To access the Wantok Lesson, please search RSPCA Queensland in the author field of the IN AWE database search.
March 2009
Humane Education takes flight with the publication of Lucky
The Avian Welfare Coalition – a coalition of animal protection organisations, avian rescue groups, veterinarians and conservation organisations – together with WSPA and other animal welfare groups, is proud to announce the publication of Lucky by Monica Engebretson, an educational children’s book that gently awakens children to the plight of captive birds and birds captured in the wild.
Based on a true story, Lucky tells the tale of a rainbow lorikeet who is captured in the wild and sold as a gift to a young Indonesian boy named Kersen. Eventually Lucky lives up to his name and regains his freedom with the help, kindness and understanding of Kersen.
The story is also a perfect fit for a wide educational curriculum including geography and culture of Indonesia, the natural history, behaviour, and physical characteristics of parrots and tropical forest ecosystems, real-life conservation efforts and most importantly it teaches a valuable lesson about why wild animals belong in their native habitats.
100% of the proceeds from the sale of this book benefits avian welfare, rescue and conservation to help birds like Lucky. To find out more visit www.luckythelorikeet.com.
February 2009
UNESCO unit gives endorsement to IN AWE programme.
The Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) unit of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in the Asia –Pacific has recently given its written endorsement for WSPA’s IN AWE (International Animal Welfare Education) programme.
Derek Elias, the Chief of Unit, signed the endorsement in a letter dated the 27th January. The letter explains the reasons for the endorsement, citing strong linking between both the ethos and methodology of the IN AWE programme and the goals of UNESCO for education within the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.
The links highlighted in the document include the support for ethical and critical thinking, promotion of values education and the embracing of sustainable development issues.
The Asia- Pacific Bureau has previously supported the IN AWE programme by reporting on its teacher training workshops.
UNESCO’s Decade of Education for Sustainable Development aims to integrate the principles, values, and practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education and learning.
November 2008
Healthy animals are cool
In 2006 a member society in Brazil, Focinhos Gelados (Cold Snouts), signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Secretary of Education of São Paulo State, to establish the educational programme “Healthy animals are cool.” The programme aims at teaching primary school children about responsible pet ownership, welfare of working horses, and animals in entertainment. To date, this programme has reached 387 facilitators and 170,000 children through its workshops.
Patumwan University Demonstration School
On the 10th of November students at Patumwan University Demonstration School were treated to surprise teacher. A lucky class of grade seven students received their science lesson from Thai Channel 3 star Por Tissadee.
Por is championing the IN AWE (International Animal Welfare Education) programme in Bangkok through holding demonstration classes in local schools. The lessons aim to show students and teachers alike that animal welfare can be successfully incorporated into school curricula. Through his work with WSPA and the IN AWE programme Por is becoming an accomplished teacher!
In order to further promote the IN AWE programme the lesson was filmed by two television channels and will be included in upcoming shows.
The IN AWE programme is going from strength to strength in Bangkok having gained support from the local education authority,the Office of Basic Education Commission and UNESCO. This success means WSPA will extend the programme to a further two provinces next year.
Students carrying out the activity based on the WSPA “Bears of the World” information pack.
October 2008
Emmerdale star helps out with World Animal Week
World Animal Week kicked off on 4th October, and Vet surgeries all over the UK supported WSPA with special events during World Animal Week (4th to 10th October). Staff at the Manchester Veterinary Clinic invited pupils from a local primary school to take part in a children’s drawing competition and the winner, Aidan, 8, and two runners up Joshua and Connor, both aged 4, were presented with a certificate and prizes by Dominic Brunt at the surgery.
Dominic Brunt plays vet Paddy Kirk in ITV 1 soap Emmerdale.
Money raised from this year’s World Animal Week will be used to fund mobile veterinary clinics in a number of countries that cannot afford any aid for their stray animals themselves.
The children and their siblings are obvious animal lovers, and they enjoyed taking part in this contest to draw their ideal pets. By organising such events, we can encourage stewardship towards animals and pass on information about responsible pet ownership and animal care to children.
World Society for the Protection af Animals (WSPA) drawing competition with Dominic Brunt and winning children
TV Star Por Tissadee Sahawong, WSPA Asia Ambassador, Stands Up for a World Where Animals Matter
Since last year WSPA has received the generous support of Thai TV3 star Por Tissadee Sahawong. In his role as WSPA Asia Ambassador, he helps to promote WSPA’s vision of a world where animal welfare matters and animal cruelty ends.
Recently, Por Tissadee joined WSPA education activities at Satit Mor Sor Vor Prasanmitr School and also visited WSPA member society, SCAD. At the school Por Tissadee proved himself to be a great teacher and the students thoroughly enjoyed and paid enthusiastic attention towards the topic of ‘Your Pets’. During the lesson the young participants learnt about the basic needs of animals and the responsibility of being a pet owner.
Por Tissadee’s passion for animal welfare is clear; he continued to say “Every time when I join with WSPA, I’m always happy because I can give a voice to animals who cannot speak for themselves. I started supporting WSPA through promoting the Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare (UDAW) which aims to achieve international recognition for animal welfare and today I’m proud to be part of the new education programme. I hope that through activities like this children will have greater compassion for animals and wont’ commit acts of cruelty towards them”.
September 2008
First Teacher Training in Bangkok a Success
On Saturday 6th September, WSPA held its first teacher training workshop in Bangkok. The event was attended by 44 teachers representing 18 schools from around the city. The workshop was held to provide International Animal Welfare Education (IN AWE) training to both primary and secondary school teachers.
Teacher training workshops are a vital and integral part of IN AWE. During workshops teachers have the opportunity to learn about Animal Welfare Education and its importance and benefits, receive resources and materials and discuss how aspects of Animal Welfare Education can be integrated into their lessons.
After the success of this inaugural workshop WSPA will run further introductory sessions later this year, as well as provide follow-up training and support for the participants of this event. Other IN AWE events planned this year in Thailand include training for pre-service teachers and demonstration classes. In the upcoming year IN AWE workshops will also take place in India and Vietnam.
Animal welfare story book launched in Tanzania
The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) has supported the translation of an educational story anthology, first published in 2006 as The Unlikely Burden, into Swahili.
Already used successfully in Kenyan classrooms (see story below), this translation – entitled Mzigo Usiyoyamkinika – aims to reach a greater number of children throughout East and some parts of Central Africa.
The appearance of high-profile guests at Mzigo Usiyoyamkinika’s Tanzanian launch – which was organised by WSPA’s Africa office – generated national press and television news coverage, helping increase awareness about animal welfare education opportunities within the country.
The Hon Mrs Salma Kikwete, Tanzania’s first lady and an advocate of child education initiatives, led the event. She was joined by ministers, vets and the local director of the Jane Goodall Foundation (which works closely with WSPA in Tanzania) to welcome young readers to the book launch and talk to them about animal welfare and conservation.
Over 200 schoolchildren attended the launch, led by a brass band and carrying banners with animal welfare messages. They then took part in the day’s activities: performing in skits on the importance of wild animals and a play discouraging poaching, drawing animals, and reading excerpts from the book.
In her speech, the first lady focused on what this accessible educational resource can achieve. She said: “There is a very thin line between animal cruelty and cruelty to other human beings”, and added that the anthology will not only be beneficial to the children but to the community as a whole. She then signed copies for the children.
WSPA donated 150 copies of Mzigo Usiyoyamkinika to the office of the first lady for distribution.
More information and images from the launch >>
August 2008
A Braver New World for children
Bravely conquering the cold and damp Nairobi weather, and making their way to the lush green gardens of the Lower Kabete Junior Academy, over 40 school children, joined by their parents, teachers, writers and volunteers, spent a colourful and inspiring afternoon combining work and play.
The kiswahili translation of ‘The Unlikely Burden‘, sponsored by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) was launched by award winning author Stanley Gazemba, reading the title story of the book written by him. The launch was an opportunity for children, parents and teachers alike to remember the importance of animal welfare in their daily lives.
July 2008
WSPA education programme gets high-level recognition
An influential global body has officially endorsed WSPA’s International Animal Welfare Education (IN AWE) programme.
The International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organisations (IAHAIO), founded in 1990, is a global umbrella organisation officially recognised as a working partner-NGO of the World Health Organization in the area of human-animal relations. It gathers together national associations and related organisations interested in advancing the understanding and appreciation of the link between animals and humans.
At their annual meeting in July, the IAHAIO Board endorsed the IN AWE programme. Dr Dennis Turner, IAHAIO President, said:
“The IN AWE programme of WSPA is one of a kind and has been sorely missed in the educational materials available to date. The materials are well-designed, easy to use and therefore potentially, very effective. Our member organizations are doing their part by making the programme better known within their respective countries.”
The IAHAIO declarations, which can be found on their home page: www.iahaio.org, especially the ‘Rio Declaration on Pets in Schools,’ recognise the importance of animal welfare education in formal school curricula to promote feelings of respect for, and knowledge about other living creatures. All of their declarations about the keeping of pets or their involvement in animal-assisted therapy programs require housing of the animals to meet high welfare standards and safeguards to prevent harm to (including stress), or misuse of the animals.
“IAHAIO's conferences have always welcomed abstract submissions on children and the human-animal bond, e.g. about studies demonstrating the relationship between the development of empathy towards people and animals.”
“We look forward to working together with WSPA on other projects in the future since our joint efforts with WSPA and WHO to produce the educational materials Caring for Cats and Dogs were very rewarding to all parties involved and beneficial to both animals and school children” said Dr Turner who is also a member of WSPA’s governing body.
June 2008
New animal education website launched in Brazil: School is Cool!
In collaboration with educators from the School of Nature in Brasilia, Brazil, and the Ministry of Environment, WSPA launched a new Portuguese website: www.escolaeobicho.com.br/ (School is Cool).
This website will be a meeting point for all teachers working on animal welfare education in Brazil, particularly those involved in WSPA programmes in Brasília and in the Lower Amazon. Information on animal welfare education, educational resources, news etc. are featured on this site. There is a link to the WSPA-Brazil website.
Spanish speaking teachers may also use this website as it is easier to read than speak Portuguese.
Background
In 2007 the WSPA International Animal Welfare Education (IN AWE) programme was expanded from the Amazon region to Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. In October 2007 a work agreement was signed between WSPA and the Escola da Natureza – EN (School of Nature) - introducing WSPA into the Federal District Secretariat of the Education programme "Parceiros da Escola" (Schools' Partners).
This was a major step which not only expanded the IN AWE programme both in terms of geographic area and number of teachers and education secretaries involved but also brought this programme closer to the attention of the Ministry of Education, which is seated in Brasilia.
On 28th June WSPA Brazil Development Manager, Elizabeth MacGregor, participated in the closing ceremony of the first Animal Welfare Education course “Respect for all Forms of Life – School is Cool”, coordinated by Cristina Torres, and supported by Dr. Ana Nira and Marcia Zizzi, WSPA representative staff in Brasilia.
Speeches and songs were composed for ‘School is Cool’ and animal welfare education materials and methods were presented by teachers who had participated in the course. At the end of the ceremony teachers received copies of the WSPA CD ROM “Caring for Care for Cats and Dogs” and PETA’s Portuguese dubbed DVD “Sharing the World”.
It is hoped that the new website www.escolaeobicho.com.br/ will introduce concepts of animal welfare to a greater number of teachers, and that it will empower them to integrate messages of kindness, respect and compassion for animals in their lessons.
May 2008
Costa Rican education committed to animal welfare
Costa Rican Minister of Education, Dr. Leonardo Garnier, signed an agreement with the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), which will help to educate teachers about topics such as respect for animal life and a responsible and compassionate relationship between children and animals.
The main objective of the agreement is to promote the development of children’s sensitivity towards living beings, and also a citizen’s responsibility feeling that will promote harmony between people, animals and nature. The idea is to favour values of respect, goodness, and solidarity towards animals, which contributes as well to build more positive relationships within human societies.
This is a cooperation agreement aimed to continue with the development of a WSPA educative programme called “Respect to all forms of life”, which currently is frame worked within the Government’s initiative “Peace with Nature”, promoted by the National President Mr. Oscar Arias.
The programme will be funded and developed by WSPA in coordination with the Ministry of Education of Costa Rica. Part of the planned activities will be launching a pilot project to train teachers about strategies and techniques to embed animal welfare issues and humane values within the school curricula.
Dr. Garnier said that this agreement will help to create a more harmonious relationship between students and all kind of living beings, between people and nature.
Carlos Chacón, WSPA’s Education Manager in the region, said that this agreement aims to integrate animal welfare into the school context and support educators in their formative work. This is why the programme will use diverse educational resources, and foster learning processes and collaboration among teachers in order to promote the whole project, and reach an increasing number of teachers and students.
First “Animal Club” e-Bulletin of 2008 Released
Animal Club™ is an education initiative of Voiceless Limited, based in Australia. The 3rd issue of the Animal Club e-bulletin is now available online. This e-bulletin is filled with animal activity ideas and news, plus worksheets to be downloaded and used in the classroom.
Find out more (link to: http://www.animalclub.org.au/images/stories/ebulletin/issue3.pdf)
April 2008
Humane High School Teaches Students to Make Their Voices Heard for Animals
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has launched Humane High School, a new online service learning program for middle- and high-school students. Offerings include free courses, educational videos, study/activity guides, service learning ideas, and career advice.
Service-learning is a teaching strategy that combines meaningful community service with instruction and adult-guided reflection. Humane High School is a valuable resource for teens looking to meet these academic requirements while helping animals.
"Humane High School connects academic instruction to a student's real life experiences," said Stephanie Clark, Humane High School principal and manager of outreach and training for Humane Society Youth, The HSUS's youth education division. "It asks students to think critically about issues affecting animals and provides action steps to reinforce learning, such as writing a letter to an elected official. All the while, students are combating cruelty in their communities, and learning valuable skills that can be used in internships and in the workforce."
The first Humane High School course, "Using the Legislative Process to Speak Up for Animals," teaches students how government works, how to research issues and develop a message, and how to communicate with elected officials. Courses are instructor-led and free to students. Students must receive an 80 percent or higher grade on assignments and exams to pass the course. Students may enroll in courses and download other Humane High School resources at humanesociety.org/teens.
Humane High School complements a range of HSUS programs for students and educators, including the Mission: Humane advocacy program for K-12 students, the KIND News newspaper distributed to 35,000 elementary school classrooms nationwide, and the Certified Humane Education Specialist training program. Learn more at humanesociety.org/youth or call 860-434-8666.
Humane Society Youth is a division of The Humane Society of the United States, the nation's largest animal protection organization — backed by 10.5 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty — On the web at www.humanesociety.org.
Bangkok Students Celebrate Earth Week
On 25th April the International School of Bangkok held the "Earth Fair", aimed at raising students’ awareness of global issues and attended by 1900 school pupils, 2000 people altogether. WSPA Asia education staff were in attendance, running a booth with the Thai Society for Conservation of Wild Animals (a WSPA member society). The most popular attraction was a ‘sound cave’, developed by the Thai Society for Conservation of Wild Animals. On entering the cave, children listened to wild animal noises then were asked to identify which animal species’ were heard.
March 2008
'Respect for all forms of life’ conference, Santiago, Chile
On 27th March, around 300 participants, including veterinary students and education students, lecturers, Ministry of Education, CONAMA (environmental agency) and the Universidade de las Americas gathered for the ‘Respect for all forms of life’ or ‘Respeto a toda forma de vida’ conference in Santiago, Chile.
Carlos Chacón from the WSPA Costa Rica office represented the Education team. Meetings with Universidade de las Americas were very positive and WSPA are now to conduct a curriculum analysis to find out where animal welfare education can be integrated in the Initial Teacher Training course to then run a pilot.
Additionally, a MOU with the Chilean Ministry of Education and with CONAMA has now been sent to WSPA Costa Rica office for signing. This was a very successful outcome to the conference.
Education meets celebration in Costa Rica
Students in San José received educational materials on animal welfare as they celebrated the Costa Rican government’s support for the Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare (UDAW).
The event, which took place in the main public square of the capital on March 5 2008, was attended by more than 100 children and many teachers and parents.
Demonstrating government support for UDAW, the Minister of Education, Dr. Leonardo Garnier, collected petition signatures from the audience and participated in a video testimonial supporting animal welfare.
Dynamic learning
The Costa Rican government considers humane education to be an essential part of its ongoing “Peace for Nature” initiative, and provided activities at the event to engage the children with the animal welfare message.
A play looked at issues facing wildlife animals in captivity and the importance of being a responsible guardian for companion animals, and one school performed songs about local wildlife and good citizenship in relation to animal welfare.
The children expressed great concern about the welfare of animals and their interest in learning more.
Diego, 10 years old, said “animals are living beings as we are, they can feel and know when they are loved or not”. Daniela, 11 years old, believes a UDAW would “help prevent cruelty against animals and reduce their suffering.”
Ongoing education
Primary school children who attended the event will be completing assignments and using their new educational materials in the classroom, focusing on “why animals matter to me” and their understanding of the UDAW.
Secondary-level students at the event expressed their interest in developing animal welfare activities in their schools and volunteering for community work to improve the lives of animals.
Costa Rica has a long history of providing animal welfare education, which WSPA has developed for use across the Latin America and the Caribbean. WSPA’s animal welfare education programme – IN AWE – has been endorsed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
More about UDAW >>
What has the Vet got to do with Domestic Violence?
Source: Animal Law News on Animal Law Blog
Research from Monash University (Australia) entitled “The Relationship between Family Violence and Animal Abuse: An Australian Study” indicates a link between domestic violence and animal abuse. The research is due to be published later in 2008.
Read the story here >>
“One of the Family” Reaches Thousands of Children
Royal New Zealand SPCA (RNZSPCA) report
It’s a sad fact that too many of the 11,000 complaints of animal cruelty and neglect received each year by the SPCA are at the hands of children or teenagers. This is the foundation of the SPCA’s “One of the Family” campaign, recently introduced into schools by the energetic, fleet-footed Norm
Hewitt.
February 2008
“The Unlikely Burden” translated into Swahili
AFRICANS EDUCATING THE NEXT GENERATION ON ANIMAL WELFARE: WSPA Africa Celebrates the Translation of “The Unlikely Burden and other stories” into Swahili
The Unlikely Burden and other stories is a children’s book of short stories which aims to transform perceptions of animals in Africa. A rising population, along with deepening poverty, is putting pressure on Africa’s wildlife, working animals and food animals. In turn this impoverishes the humans dependent on them. Millions of people in Africa are dependent on working animals, but animal welfare standards are often low. The title story in The Unlikely Burden and other stories highlights this symbiotic relationship where the village bully is forced to accept help from a donkey he has mistreated.
Dr Noah Wekesa, Kenyan Minister for Education, Science and Technology wrote the foreword to the book. Some of Africa’s most celebrated authors have contributed unpublished stories free of charge, including Jomo Kenyatta literature prize winners Ken Walibora and Ruth Wairimu and journalist Rupi Mangat. The illustrations are by a young Kenyan artist, Kevin Amenya.
The anthology for children aged 9 - 14 looks set to become an approved school text book in many African countries, thanks to the activities and discussion plans included. WSPA has distributed the book to schools in Kenya and other African countries with a grant from the World Animal Network. Yvonne Owuor says: “Read this book with your children!”
11 year old reader Andrea Kenneth from Nairobi says: “The goats were funny and the book made me wonder how it is to be a goat. Some of the stories go from sad to happy and some leave you in suspense – I like that.”
The Unlikely Burden and other stories is now available in English and Swahili. If you would like a copy for your organisation or school, please contact Raphael Omondi, Education Manager, WSPA Africa, email: raphaelomondi@wspaafrica.org
RSPCA People With Dogs Project
A new scheme aimed at reducing intimidating and anti-social behaviour with dogs on London's streets was launched in Brixton. The 'People With Dogs Project', supported by the Mayor of London, brings together three leading animal charities - Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, The Blue Cross and the RSPCA - with the Greater London Authority, the Metropolitan Police and Wandsworth Council.
A gritty short film produced by the 'People With Dogs Project' was unveiled as part of an educational pack exploring the issues surrounding dog ownership. It is targeted specifically at young people and fronted by popular Brixton MC Wordsmith, a keen dog lover.
ASPCA® Announces New Chapter In Humane Education
NEW YORK, February 4, 2008
The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® launched a new chapter in its national Humane Education program: “Henry’s Book Club,” at www.aspca.org/henrysbookclub. This is a new, online, interactive program designed to expose young readers to quality humane literature and increase awareness of animal welfare among children.
January 2008
Teaching Kids to Save the Dogs
Taken from the Phuket Gazette, January 12-18, 2008
After a series of meetings with Phuket’s director of education, the Soi Dog Foundation will commence an education program in schools around the island. The first class will be held with pupils from Muang Thalang School early this year. If successful, the program will be expanded to more than 60 schools in Phuket.
Gill Dalley of the Soi Dog Foundation devised the program. Mrs Dalley was recently nominated as Asian of the Year by Singapore’s Channel News Asia, making her the first non-Asian to be nominated for the award. Mrs Dalley, who lost her legs three years ago after rescuing a dog from a flooded water-buffalo field, will be featured in a documentary about her work with Phuket’s dogs. The documentary will be shown in 15 Asian countries later this year.
Speaking about the education program, Mrs Dalley said, “We are excited about this development. It is something I have wanted to do for a long time. I firmly believe that the only way we can change people’s attitudes to animals is through educating the next generation. There is a desperate need to reduce the stray population. The program will explain to children the work of the Soi Dog Foundation, focusing on sterilization. The lessons will teach children how to be responsible pet owners and will focus on HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s message to his people regarding the country’s stray dogs”, she said.
“HM The King, in the forward to his book about his dog Tongdaeng, requested his people to adopt stray dogs, rather than import expensive luxury breeds, which take a toll on the economy of the country. As he pointed out, stray Thai dogs are usually humble and faithful to their owners. They are also are extremely intelligent. Most have the desirable qualities people want from a pet dog,” added Mrs Dalley. “The first lesson will be held at the Phuket dog shelter. As well as structured lessons, there will be activities and interaction with the dogs. Our aim is that the children will learn to understand dogs and the problems they face. We want to inspire them to become the eyes and ears of their community, reporting to us about stray dogs in need of sterilizing and persuading owners to have their own dogs sterilized, rather than allowing them to breed and add to the problem”, she explained.
Waraporn Jittanonta, who has worked extensively with the International Red Cross and UNICEF, will co-present the lessons with Mrs Dalley. Nick Anthony of Indigo Real Estate, who has offered to donate several thousand copies of his recent children’s book about his own ex-stray dog Princess Sausage, described the program as “wonderful news”. I wish them every success in this venture. Clearly, there is a need for it. With Phuket’s population growing along with the amount of garbage on the streets, the stray-dog population on the island should also be increasing. However, it isn’t – mainly because of the Soi Dog Foundation’s efforts in sterilizing more than 17,000 dogs and cats in Phuket.
It could be argued that frequent road kills are factor in the lack of a population increase, but the number of dogs killed on the roads is tiny and countered by the number of puppies brought onto the island each week for sale at pet shops and markets. Studies show that in areas almost completely cleared of dogs, the numbers rapidly increase again to their former level within a few months. Major poisoning campaigns were carried out in Bangkok for years before they were outlawed as inhumane. The population never decreased. Similarly, in Bali, where the number of stray dogs is estimated to be around 500,000, such campaigns have been fruitless.
Next year, a research team funded by the Australian government will spend several weeks on the island to study the methods used and see if these methods can be used to deal with feral cats in Australia.
The Soi Dog Foundation are a WSPA Member Society based in Thailand. They have received funding and support from WSPA for their work.
To contact the Soi Dog Foundation, visit their website at www.soidog.org, email john@soidog.org or call 070 508 688 (International dialing code required).
Other Education News Sites
The following websites also contain news stories related to animal welfare education:
ASPCA Blog
Maintained by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
www.aspca.org
Humane Education Blog
Maintained by the Institute of Humane Education
www.humaneeducation.org
WSPA is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
