We have recently interviewed Virginia Messina, MPH, RD, who is one of the reviewers of the Position Paper on Vegetarian Diets issued in 2009 by the American Dietetic Association. The interview is naturally about the health aspects of vegan diets.

At the end of May 2009, we got an email from Łukasz Rawa, a journalist for the Grocery Portal (Portal Spożywczy) at portalspozywczy.pl. He informed us he was writing an article about the objections to the meat industry, and about the arguments put forth by critics of meat consumption. He presented us with a set of questions and requested answers. Adam Złotnicki, a member of the Empatia board, offered a considerably detailed reply. Two days later a short text appeared on the Grocery Portal’s website, entitled ‘Bad Treatment of Farm Animals Has Minimal Effect on Consumer Choices’.

Veganism – an ethical lifestyle

Veganism is a way of life  aimed at limiting to a minimum our participation in the exploitation of nonhuman animals. The most important aspect of veganism is the vegan diet since it is for food that the biggest number of animals is exploited. Therefore, such diet means rejecting animal products for ethical reasons. In other spheres of life veganism is just as consistent and rejects e.g. the breeding of animals for fur, using them in experiments, for entertainment, etc. This consistent and progressive idea and practice is becoming more and more popular in the world also because it offers various benefits to the environment.

Veganism as a lifestyle arises from the idea that humans shouldn't treat animals as resources or means to one's ends because nonhuman animals – sentient beings – have the same (as ours) interest in avoiding suffering and protecting their life. Veganism as an ethical position does not limit itself to humans and is intended to promote the development of non-animal products that benefit not only humans but other animals and the environment.

Here's our photo report of the "Forest of Hands For the Seals" demo held on 12 March 2010 in front of the Canadian Embassy in Warsaw. We have participated in similar demonstrations against the brutal hunts for seal pups since 2004.  We'd like to thank all of you who attended the demo as well as those who kept their fingers crossed.

On 2 March, in front of the Austrian Embassy in Warsaw a demo was held to express support of the 13 activists connected with the Austrian organisation VGT who are accused, among other things, of being involved in organised crime. The demo was organised by Inicjatywa Warszawska and supported by Empatia. Take a look at a few photos.

"Marine mammals - animals as commodities in the hands of humans"
- a presentation by Gabriela Gołębiowska of Empatia was given on 2 March 2010 at a meeting of the Kraków Vegetarian Club run by Renata Fiałkowska.

On 2.02.2010 a panel discussion - Strategies and results of animal activism -  was held in the Warsaw Galeria Zachęta. 

Scientific observations of recent years have indicated beneficial influence of a plant diet on children's development and decreased risk of adult age diseases later in life. Therefore, the Pediatrics Clinic Team of the Children's Health Centre invites children following a vegan diet (or nearly diet), aged 3-10, to participate in a study verifying a positive influence of a plant diet on child development. Visits to take place from 15.02.2010 - 31.05.2010. More in Polish here.

The presentation "Right to Own Fur(coats)" was given by Katarzyna Biernacka in Kraków at a meeting of Kraków's oldest Vegetarian Club run by Renata Fiałkowska, a retired actress and poet:

• about those who wear furs, show them off, buy, sell, prohibit or keep it legal and of implications thereof
• about "fur" animals whose right to own fur expires quickly and why a dog is not a "fur" animal although s/he often has beautiful fur
• about an illusory division into inhumane China and the humane West
• about statistics and the "eco" aspects of fur production
• about fur farming bans - where, when and why
• about rights of nonhuman animals

Neurokultura.pl published an article "Let the live fish speak out" by Katarzyna Biernacka. The text was written with reference to the Day of Fish and is dedicated not only to carp tortured and slaughtered in huge numbers before Christmas as part of Polish "tradition" but also to any other fish caught in many different ways, suffocating without water, put into freezers while still alive and killed, all of which aimed at satisfying humans' desire for their flesh. The article will be translated into English.

During a Vegan Week in Wrocław, our member Joanna Krupicka, who runs a vegan catering Avocado, discussed the reasons behind the vegan lifestyle on the Traffic Radio. The Interview is in Polish.

On 22 November 2009, Andrzej Pazgan of Inicjatywa Warszawska (an informal group of animal activists based in Warsaw) and two of our members - Iwona Kossowska and Adam Gac took part in a programme about fur farming on TOK FM radio.

The fish. A water vertebrate. In possession of a central nervous system - brain and spinal cord, well developed sense organs: vision, hearing, smell or touch. Able to keep memories for months, create social structures with members of its own species. Capable of feeling pain, which was proved in experiments. The fish, at the same time, has a serious problem: humans can't and won't hear her voice.

At present, Polish newspapers publish many articles discussing alleged dangers of the vegan diet. We can't leave them without a comment since we know the Position on Vegetarian Diets issued by the biggest dieteticians organisations in the world which states more than clearly that a well planned vegan diet is healthful.

The Vegan Society, the first organisation in the world uniting vegans, came into existence 64 years ago on November 1st, 1944 in England. However, it wouldn't be fair to claim that veganism was born on that day.

It's a scandal!  Another instance of making lard from innocent animals.

On 26-27 September 2009 there were four (out of a whole series of) demonstrations in Warsaw against the Festival of animal abuse in circuses - a most unfortunately annual event in the Polish capital. Check out our photo report http://empatia.pl//str.php?dz=3&id=753

Neurokultura.pl published an article "Let the live fish speak out" by Katarzyna Biernacka. The text was written with reference to Day of Fish and is dedicated not only to carp tortured and slaughtered in huge numbers before Christmas as part of Polish "tradition" but also to any other fish caught in many different ways, suffocating without water, put into freezers while still alive and killed, all to satisfy humans' desire for their flesh. The article will be translated into English.

At the end of May 2009, we got an email from Łukasz Rawa, a journalist for the Grocery Portal (Portal Spożywczy) at portalspozywczy.pl. He informed us he was writing an article about the objections to the meat industry, and about the arguments put forth by critics of meat consumption. He presented us with a set of questions and requested answers. Adam Złotnicki, a member of the Empatia board, offered a considerably detailed reply. Two days later a short text appeared on the Grocery Portal’s website, entitled ‘Bad Treatment of Farm Animals Has Minimal Effect on Consumer Choices’.

Here's an article by Darek Gzyra, Empatia's President from 2004 to 2008, where he explains why, in 2009, Empatia decided to organise an annual Vegan Week aimed at a systematic promotion of veganism in Poland. The whole article in Polish appeared at neurokultura.pl, a cultural portal.

Read the article in English.