Chinese celebrity superstar, Sun Li, was the guest of honour and, of course, as she has been to our bear rescue centre in Chengdu many times, spoke about her love and adventure in helping China's endangered moon bears.
Sun Li said:
“I was a little afraid because I didn't know how to communicate with the bears at the beginning. Then the staff told me that I should open my heart with love. I want to share my view with all of you that the earth belongs to every living being – and we should share the love with each other, and give our love to the bears”.
Sun Li also asked the public to join her on this adventure – and so the ripple of publicity calling for the end of bear farming goes on.
As an old friend of Sun Li, Lucky, our China PR and Education Manager was also invited to the event and told the audience that Animals Asia staff were on an adventure of their own each and every day, because there are always new challenges. Lucky said: “It brings us confidence and satisfaction when we see the bears starting their new life, instead of suffering so much pain.”
She also praised the growing mass of people supporting an end to bear farming, and said a huge thank you to Sun LI as a perfect example of a celebrity with such a strong social responsibility.
When I see such touching events like this I wonder how the bear farmers feel, knowing, as we know too, how much their bears are suffering behind closed doors. One day, as a result of people in China continuing to take such a strong stand against this truly horrible industry, the farms will be empty at last.
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The anti-bear farming movement has been moving at such a frantic pace that we can hardly keep track. Across the country, over 1.4 million people have watched the disturbing undercover film of the bears suffering on the farms, and many thousands more are driving a movement calling for the end.
Not surprisingly, the opposition has begun a dirty smear campaign, posting untruths in media stories, and hacking our website relentlessly each day in an attempt to bring us down.
Are we deterred? Not a bit. Never before have we seen such an outcry, and every opportunity now must be taken to keep the issue out there – well and truly in the public eye.
Unbelievably, the two most searched words recently on the internet in China, behind Chinese basketball player "Jeremy Lin", were thewords "bear farming". Citizens everywhere are making their disgust known about this truly evil trade.
Now, the disgust of the country is being seen in a new artistic wave of talent from compassionate Chinese illustrators, designers, photographers and artists who have taken the time to express, from their hearts, the plight of bears on the hideous farms today.
With the slogan "Every life is equal. How do you know that it won't hurt?" they are using their creativity to answer the ridiculous statement made by Fang Shuting, Chairman of the Chinese Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine who uttered the immortal words: - "The process of extracting bear bile is as easy, natural and painless as turning on a tap."
Meanwhile, support emerges from other incredible sources now that Jia Youling, a member of the national committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the state chief veterinary officer, has said that bear bile farming is immoral. “The vet's professional ethics is to cure rather than create disease. Operating on a healthy bear to create a free drip fistula is against the vet's professional ethics. From the veterinary point of view, this is slaughter, this is cruel."
Just who stands behind the surgery of these bears? The mutilation of their bodies to create the dripping hole? Who will stand up and respond to Jia Youling and our own veterinary staff and debate the veterinary science behind the draining fistulas they cut into sentient warm-blooded mammals? Who can possibly believe them when they maintain that this butchery is humane.
I wonder too what the farmers really think as they lie in bed at night knowing, as they must, how the bears under their "care" suffer so terribly?
Do they hear the clattering of the steel, or see the demented weaving of these animals, as they rock miserably to and fro in their cages? Do they feel even a shred of shame or remorse as they see the bears whither and die from the diseases that take their lives on the farms.
What do the farmers do with the bears’ bodies - and what do they do with the parts? Are the bears buried with respect and love by a team of grieving carers as they send them on to the afterlife with handmade flowers and garlands, and their favourite food and toys?
To you, the farmers - especially those who say they treat the bears like their own children - how on earth do you sleep at night?
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Although a little late in posting, this blog about my trip to Italy is no less sincere, and comes with no less gratitude to all those who made it such a perfect and memorable time. With particular thanks to Irene, our Italy Director, for writing such a beautiful summary of our days spent with friends and supporters. Irene, Giulia and Antonello for their most incredible organisation and coordination of an unforgettable few days.
Thanks especially to all in our support groups who were so welcoming and kind – and for all you do, so very passionately, in helping bear bile farming to end.
And now, with a huge and heartfelt grazie mille to all, I’d like to turn this blog over to Irene, who summarises our whirlwind mini-roadshow so beautifully.
Things never turn out quite as expected. But when Animals Asia supporters are involved, the change is always for the better. We have waited for this roadshow for nearly two years. It was May 2010 when Jill last came to Italy to open a display of photos taken by renowned photographer Rocco Toscani at our China bear sanctuary – and a lot has happened since then.
We have faced many challenges during this past year, with the economic crisis making things bitter for a lot of us, and the many unexpected natural disasters that have hit the country leaving thousands heavy-hearted. Times are changing in Asia too, with Chinese people calling for an end to the barbaric bear bile industry. As I write, I feel we are closer to meeting this goal than ever before – and the roadshow showed us just how much the people of Italy care.
First stop was VeganFest in the beautiful Tuscan countryside, where the outline of the surrounding mountains made us think of Tam Dao National Park – home of our bear sanctuary in Vietnam.
VeganFest is one of the best-known vegan and eco-friendly expos in Europe – and our heartfelt thanks go to Sauro Martella and his wife Renata “The Bio-Countess” Balducci, two incredibly generous and thoughtful people, for inviting us and making us feel at home – but above all for making the festival the perfect meeting place for animal-welfare and humanitarian organisations from all across the world. This was a place where, for five exciting days, people could share ideas, views, and learn from each other’s experiences with compassion and empathy. I would also like to thank Tommaso Palazzolo for his professional assistance before and during the event, and celebrity chef Chicco Coria for creating his delicious, and 100 per cent vegan, specialties.
There are simply no words to express our gratitude to those who shared these precious moments, laughs and sometimes tears with us – and made it all possible. Thanks to the wonderful team of brave supporters who tirelessly volunteered day and night, in the heavy rain and under the burning sun – you did such a wonderful job, devoting time and passion to our cause. And thanks to each and every one of you – old friends and new – who simply stopped by, enjoyed Jill’s exciting presentation and cheered when during the evening she received the VeganOK Award for her extraordinary achievements in animal welfare.
Then we were over to the magical city of Florence and the stunning Palazzo Vecchio for a conference.
Once again, I would like to thank everyone who attended. In particular, I would like to send my gratitude and admiration to Giorgio Ceccarelli, Founder and CEO of “I love papà” and “Figli Negati” associations, who came all the way up from Rome to honour Jill with the Mini Oscar 2011 in recognition of her services to animals and people in Asia.
Giorgio also gave Jill one of his beautiful canvasses – specially painted to celebrate the occasion – which is now proudly displayed in our Education Centre in Chengdu. And thanks to friend and writer Stefania Schiaroli for calling off all her previous engagements in order to attend and have Jill sign a copy of her latest novel. Stefania is generously donating the royalties to us.
And what can I say about City Counsellor Tommaso Grassi? Thank you Tommaso for doing the honours with so much kindness, genuine passion and respect, for your professional organisation and for showing us the true colours of Florence. Tommaso honoured Jill with a beautiful plate on behalf of the City of Florence – her third award in just a couple of days.
There is a very special place in Florence called “La Fontana del Porcellino” (the piglet fountain) – right in the New Market. It is believed that whoever puts a coin in the piglet’s mouth and rubs his snout can make a wish and will return to Florence one day. Wishes should never be shared, of course, but we are very much looking forward to both wishes coming true.
Many thanks to Giulia and Antonello who worked so hard to ensure everything went smoothly. And to Jill for being the inspiring woman she is – the beaming smiles and the superhuman capacity to deal with such a hectic agenda with grace and charm.
And most of all our heartfelt thanks to our wonderful supporters, those who donated – either financially or in kind – to ensure our roadshow was a success.
“You will always have what you have donated” – Marco Valerio Marziale, Latin poet
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Dieter Häckl, a long-time supporter of Animals Asia will soon be joining over 3,000 triathletes and 600 relay teams to take on the world's largest triathlon, "Challenge Roth" in the town of Roth, Germany. This includes a multitude of challenges - swimming 3.8km in the Main-Donau-Kanal, cycling 180km, and finally running a marathon of 42.2km. Add the heat of the summer temperature in Roth, and you have some idea of the true task that Dieter is taking on.
Dieter has been preparing intensively for this competition for many months in his free time, with the aim of raising €3,000 for Animals Asia and the 14 moon bears recently rescued in Vietnam, and now recovering from their traumatic time on a bile farm at our Tam Dao sanctuary.
Dieter is incredibly generous with his time and has long been a champion of the bears, promoting their cause at festivals in the town of Babenhausen,
Heartfelt thanks to you Dieter, from us all for this and everything you do for the bears. I can't imagine taking anything like this on, and you have our endless respect and good wishes. Big bear hugs from us all.
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A huge and heartfelt thank you - our friends in Australia - for your truly brilliant welcome during our Roadshow this month! Wonderful to see you again - and to take the opportunity to say endless thanks for your faith and help in our campaigns that are seeing such progress for the animals of Asia.
To everyone involved - whether in front or behind the scenes working so hard and passionately to see such a great turnout at events across the country - you are beyond fabulous and help to ensure that this vitally important work sees so many positive changes for the animals that need our help. I loved every single second of the madness, kindness and fun and look forward to seeing everyone again very soon.
For now, please click here to catch up on one of the busiest weeks of the year, with special thanks to Anne and Jude for their unwavering professionalism, not to mention their truly awful sense of humour, that kept us all smiling during exhausting times.
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