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INTERNATIONAL ROUNDUP In February, Tony Banks MP (now Minister for Sport) presented the Great Apes (Prohibition of Experiments) Bill 1997 to the UK Parliament. This Private Member's Bill, based on a draft by GAP-UK, would have prohibited all harmful, distressing, painful or lethal experiments on great apes in the UK. |
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The Bill was supported by prominent MPs from all three main political
parties. This 'presentation from behind the Speaker's Chair' could be blocked
from becoming law by just one MP shouting "Object!", which is what happened.
Nevertheless, this represents a very promising start.
The presentation of the Bill was greatly assisted by the supporting
MPs, and by the many people who wrote to their MPs in favour of GAP's campaign.
GAP-UK is continuing to press for changes in the legal status of the other great apes.
The need for rights for the great apes was given prominence by a letter to The Daily Telegraph, signed by Richard Dawkins, Jane Goodall, David Martin MEP, Desmond Morris, David Pearson of GAP-UK, Janey Reynolds of People Against Chimpanzee Experiments, and Peter Singer.
The letter protested against suggestions that BSE experiments be carried out on chimpanzees.
GAP Australia has donated US$ 2000 to the Primarily Primates sanctuary in San Antonio, Texas, to help build housing for up to eight chimpanzees, now at the LEMSIP laboratories, who will otherwise be sent to the Coulston Foundation to be used in experiments that could make them ill or kill them.
These funds came from Australian supporters who had indicated that they want their donations used to provide sanctuaries for chimpanzees. Primarily Primates still need more funds for this purpose.
GAP-USA has gained many new volunteers and supporters recently. US coordinator Paul Waldau has talked about the GAP to a variety of audiences, and GAP has been prominent at several important conferences:
Hosted by Land Air Water, the environmental law society of the University of Oregon, the PIELC is one of the largest gatherings of environmentalists in the world.
In a panel discussion of the GAP, Roger Fouts led off with an overview of human relationships with the other great apes. Deborah Fouts then showed the ABC 20/20 segment about Booee the chimpanzee, and Sheri Speede ended with an impassioned plea for orphans of the African bushmeat trade. This was followed by questions and a lively discussion.
Angel Gambino of GAP-USA received an award for integrating animal rights issues into the Conference.
Over 500 activists attended this conference in June. There were speeches by prominent figures, workshops on grassroots organizing and community outreach, with 'rap' sessions on controversial issues.
GAP-USA volunteers spoke to hundreds of people, collected signatures to the Declaration on Great Apes, and sold copies of The Great Ape Project book and GAP T-shirts.
Paul Waldau and Debra Erenberg (GAP-USA) joined the annual Summit for Animals in Washington, DC, in April. Some 40 groups attended.
Five sub-groups were charged with identifying movement-wide goals that everyone could work towards. In the 'animals in science and education' discussion, the goal that received most votes as "achievable and of movement-wide importance" was the GAP. The group saw GAP as a way of opening doors for all species.
In April, Steve Ann Chambers of ALDF and Paul Waldau presented GALP (see page 6) at this year's Animals and The Law Conference at Pace University, NY. The conference title was Whose Wildlife is it Anyway? - The Quest for Legal Rights for Nonhuman Animals.
The primary focus of the newly incorporated GAP NZ Inc. is work on legislation for New Zealand. A new Animal Welfare Bill (replacing the current Animal Protection Act) is likely to be introduced next year.
GAP NZ will propose an Amendment Bill at the Select Committee hearing. This would provide nonhuman great apes with Entitlements to Life and Freedom from Torture. GAP NZ is also proposing penalties for violating these rights consistent with the personhood of nonhuman great apes.