All children of Mother Earth: Ecospirituality in the relationship with animals

Rosalba Nattero - Giancarlo Barbadoro

ALL CHILDREN OF MOTHER EARTH

Ecospirituality in the relationship with animals

ISBN: 9788895127521

This ebook was created with StreetLib Write

http://write.streetlib.com

Index

Foreword

INTRODUCTION

THE ANIMAL QUESTION: A CULTURAL REVOLUTION

ANIMAL RIGHTS AND ANTISPECIESISM

THE ECOSPIRITUALITY PROJECT

THE IDENTITY OF ANIMALS AND ECOSPIRITUALITY

DO ANIMALS HAVE A SOUL?

WHEN THE SUFFERING IS A SHOW

EXPERIMENTING ON ANIMALS, USELESS AND HARMFUL TO HUMANS

A CARNIVOROUS DIET DESTROYS US AND OUR PLANET

THE MANY FACETS OF ANIMAL EXPLOITATION

NATURAL PEOPLES AND THE RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER FORMS OF LIFE

THE QUESTION OF THE PLANT COMMUNITY

ANIMAL RIGHTS AND SPIRITUALITY

ANIMAL RIGHTS SUPPORTERS IN HISTORY

ALL CHILDREN OF MOTHER EARTH

CONCLUSIONS

APPENDIX

Bibliography

The Authors

Rosalba Nattero

Giancarlo Barbadoro

ALL CHILDREN OF MOTHER EARTH

Ecospirituality in the relationship with animals

Translation by Nick Youldon

Edizioni Triskel

Piazza Statuto, 15 - 10122 Torino

Tel/fax: 011 530 846

e-mail: info@triskeledition.com

web site:

www.triskeledition.com

www.rosalbanattero.net

www.giancarlobarbadoro.net

www.sos-gaia.org

2 nd Edition 2018

© Copyright 2018 - Edizioni Triskel

Ebook ISBN 9788895127521

Paper version ISBN 9788895127507

Foreword

by Enrico Moriconi

ANIMAL RIGHTS AND ANIMAL LOVERS

Attention to animals appears to be increasing in our society: large numbers of cats and dogs live in families and film clips abound on the social networks with animals as positive heroes; yet, if we analyse the life system as a whole, we still find that vegans/vegetarians are only increasing moderately, shows including animals are still prospering, hunting carries on undeterred, etc. There is an explanation for this and it lies in the difference between love of animals and safeguarding animal rights.

Love of animals has always been a constant in human society, because sharing space and time with another creature means enjoying and benefiting from its company, its playfulness and, maybe, also its dependence, which gives a feeling of superiority over the other being.

Alongside positions of this type, for some time now ideas have also been shared by which animals have feelings and should be treated as sentient beings: this is the theory underlying animal rights. There is a substantial difference: loving animals is a completely anthropocentric position, involving emotion and affection for the animal, but only those close to us, which we possess in a certain sense; the others remain outside of our circle of affections and do not capture our attention, affection and compassion. This means that people who are very attached to their puppy can nevertheless go around wearing other animals in the form of fur, or eat them or not worry at all about the fact that they are killed by hunting.

Those who believe in animal rights, however, think that every animal, whether it lives in their house or in the farm shed, has a right to live a decent life and deserves respect for its sentient nature: they are not to be eaten, not to be worn, not to be used in shows or for hunting etc.

The ideal position is biocentric not anthropocentric, meaning the life of all living beings is central. This is the gap that still divides human beings from their brothers who share the planet with them; and yet, change could be possible and it need not be difficult: it would be sufficient to see in the eyes of our cat or our dog the same look that can be seen in the billions of animals sacrificed by humans.

Enrico Moriconi, Veterinary surgeon, is the Guarantor of Animal Rights for the Piedmont Regional Authority

INTRODUCTION

The animals that accompany our lives are discreet creatures, which go part of the way with us, stand alongside us and then discreetly leave. But in that short stretch they give us so much, and not only in terms of affection or gratification.

We human animals live our lives interspersed with thousands of ups and downs, which make up the history of Mankind. We interact with one another amidst thousands of battles, both great and small, from the wars within the four walls of our home, to those with our neighbours, right down to worldwide conflicts. We are a varied humanity, made up of idealists trying to build a better world and egoists, just looking for power, money and oppression. The history of Mankind is complex and full of wars, oppression and great ideals. But all of this takes place in a large theatre, which is nature, and beside us there are other creatures which we hardly notice as part of our scenario.

These creatures, though, are not a scenario. They are living and vital realities, they are people like us, even if they have a different aspect and their own culture, habits and customs, emotions and consciousness.

But who are those that we commonly call animals? One could say they are aliens, because they have a different form from ours, different habits and customs from ours and different cultures.

If we remove animals from their roles, which, even with the best of intentions, places them in a precise part (dog, cat, etc.), then we may discover something of a surprise.

Very often, absolutely in the best of faith, we consider ourselves superior to them, as if they were babies that have to learn something from us. They are not everlasting babies. Maybe we take them in as infants and for a while we treat them as if we were their parents, but then they grow up, they have their own life-span and, once they are adult, it is often them who support us, give us strength and ease our anguish.

But those that we commonly call animals are much more than that. Since they are not hidebound by dogma, prophets or religions, they are free, sincere creatures. They live in symbiosis with Nature and that is precisely why they prove to be extraordinary beings.

Animals often surprise us with their powers, for which thousands of examples could be given. One of many: during the Tsunami, in 2004, in the Indian Ocean, which caused thousands of deaths, the animals survived. All the animals. The trumpeting of the elephants saved hundreds of people. A man trapped for weeks under rubble managed to survive because he was fed by birds.

And yet we still fall into the old habit of feeling superior, of looking on animals in a paternalistic manner, as if they needed us. What if it was the other way round? It should not be forgotten that the pharmaceutical giants spy on the great apes, in order to uncover the secrets of their therapeutic herbs.

Humanity, the biggest parasite that exists in nature, has built a world with no room for animals. Majoritarian society has taken control of the fate of humanity and annihilated other cultures, something it has done with indigenous Peoples and, even more so, with animals.

Are we superior? If so, why have we not managed to learn their languages, while they appear to understand ours very well?

Animals seem to possess a harmony, an awareness, a serenity which seems to be lacking in humans. And one should ask why.

The concept of ecospirituality might answer this question. Ecospirituality makes up for this with a concept of the Universe, Earth and everything living on it, based on parameters that are totally different from those which we are used to in the majoritarian society. Ancient philosophies, which have nowadays been relegated to historical baggage with no future and no relevance to our society, display, rather, a conception of non-human animals turned completely on its head, when compared to that which we, unfortunately, are accustomed to.

In the ancient traditions animals play a sacred role, they are the guardians of the door to the invisible. They are seen as totemic animals, there to guide and protect us.

The supposed superiority of the majoritarian society over other species prevents us from taking part in the magnificent dance that animals invite us to join.

And yet, if there is any hope of building a more harmonious world, it may lie precisely in animals. They enter our lives and our homes and they improve us. So many people have changed after sharing their lives with an animal, becoming more sensitive and more supportive, not only towards animals but also towards other human beings.

Maybe the only hope for this sick humanity lies precisely in these different brothers of ours and it is up to us to try to be receptive to their teaching, starting with those who are closest to us, by ceasing to see them as our children or younger siblings, then trying to