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
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
*.*.*.*.*
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,
ActionAgainst Poisoning.com