UNESCO
ALSO
IN 2010
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
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
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
