Today, we want to introduce you to a very special, interesting, and inspiring woman. She is one of those women who help change the way we see things, and by extension, things themselves. Her name is Marianne Thieme, and she was born in the municipality of Ede (Netherlands) in 1972.
Image: Instagram of Partij voor de Dieren
Marianne is one of the founders of the Dutch animal party (Partij voor de Dieren, founded on October 28, 2002) and was the first animal rights activist to achieve parliamentary representation worldwide. That is to say, Marianne was the first woman in the world to become a Member of Parliament for an animal party. A milestone she achieved in 2006.
Sixteen years after its founding, the Dutch Partij voor de Dieren (PvdD) has five Members of Parliament, two senators, one MEP, and 53 local representatives. And it is a global benchmark for all animal parties (12 worldwide, including in France, Spain, Austria, and Portugal), as well as for all organizations dedicated to animal protection.
For all these reasons, Marianne has a lot to say. About the party's success, but also about the lessons learned over the years. It is important to listen to her.
The reason for the animal rights movement
For Marianne, the animal rights movement goes beyond ending circuses and animal testing. It is about stopping putting human beings at the center of the universe to create a more just world for all species. It is a movement that, in reality, is a necessity, as it arises to combat the devastation we are causing to the planet and animals with the traditional and destructive anthropocentric view. But also the economic crisis, climate change, and the famines plaguing large regions of our planet.
Thus, the point is that if we don't rethink our priorities and try to create a balance between ourselves, nature, and animals, future generations will not survive.
Keys to the animal rights movement
The MP assures that the animal rights movement has become a growing social movement. It is a movement that draws on other socially established traditions such as the fight for women's rights, civil liberties, and the anti-slavery struggle. It stands as the only compassionate and supportive movement for all living beings and for our home: Earth.
Animal Rights
Thieme assures that animal rights are human obligations towards them. Therefore, we must avoid frightening them, causing them stress, making them hungry... And, in general, we must ensure that they live a life with the greatest possible freedom, according to their needs. Until this happens, we will continue to have a serious problem as a society.
Recently, Marianne Thieme visited our country to participate in the international meeting of animal parties from countless countries: from Albania to Australia, passing through our French neighbors, our cousins from Ecuador and Colombia, but also Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Serbia, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Lebanon, Cyprus, Taiwan, Oman, Moldova, Ukraine, the United States, and Morocco. The meeting was held at the Lázaro Galdiano Museum and in this edition, it focused on animal abandonment and the need to find political solutions. In fact, the leader of the Dutch party stressed the importance of these decisions not only regarding the situation of animals but also that of the entire planet. An inspiring talk that more than one person should take note of…
If you want to know more about this extraordinary woman, her work, and the animal rights movement, we encourage you to watch this talk she gave in Austria in May 2016. You can also follow her on her Twitter and Facebook.