The 2023 United Nations World Health Organization World Health Summit in Berlin October 15 to 17 had the theme “A Defining Year For Global Health Action”.  There were 63 Sessions, 370 Speakers – 52% women and 48% men – and 3,100 participants from 106 Countries.  Topics focused on included: One Health and the International Pandemic Accord.  Vegan International participated in the three-day Conference and had the following take away.

One Health.  The World Health Summit discussed the One Health Joint Plan of Action advocated by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), World Health Organization (WHO), and World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH).  The goal of One Health is to prevent future pandemics and promote sustainable health.  

One Health aims to address complex health risks with a resilient health system at the global, regional and national levels, reduce risks from emerging or re-emerging zoonotic epidemics and pandemics, control and eliminate endemic zoonotic, neglected tropical and vector-borne diseases, address food safety risks and antimicrobial resistance, and includes environmental issues. 

There is no way to prevent zoonotic pandemics while exploiting other species – which is the underlying cause of zoonotic pandemics.  There is more involved than concern about the health of some privileged animals.  It does not make any sense to vaccinate some members of some species against illness while exploiting other species by eating them, wearing them, or exploiting them in any other way for the perceived benefit of humans.   This simply does not make any sense, and will not end zoonotic pandemics.

Further, the non-communicable diseases of heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, anti-microbial resistance, obesity, and even suicide are responsible for more human deaths than pandemics.  NCDs are directly related to the meat and dairy based diet – eating the flesh of other sentient beings, and drinking the milk of Mothers of other species. 

It is a gross injustice for outrageous amounts of money to be spent on the preventable NCDs while other innocent humans suffer Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).  A small fraction of what is spent in the developed nations on the meat and dairy caused NCDs could completely eliminate NTDs from the Earth.

Vaccinating some animals, and caring for the health of some privileged animals, while recklessly and sadistically exploiting other sentient animals is not the solution to pandemics.  Completely eliminating speciesism – the abuse and exploitation of members of other species – is the only solution, and this is ignored as if it does not exist. 

International Pandemic Accord.  The 194 countries that comprise the World Health Organization are struggling to complete a Pandemic Accord by April 2024.  The Accord would comprise lessons learned from the pandemic, advance policies, prevention measures, and preparedness.  Member states have agreed that the new wide-reaching pandemic accord should be legally binding. 

A new pact is a priority and a ‘generational commitment that we will not go back to the cycle of panic and neglect’ according to WHO’s Dr. Tedros.   However, it seems like that is exactly what will happen if the underlying cause of zoonotic pandemics, speciesism, is not addressed. There is no mention anywhere of speciesism, although it is the single underlying cause of zoonotic pandemics.  It is impossible to prevent future pandemics without eliminating this underlying cause.  

This year’s Summit was held during the ongoing Israeli – Palestinian conflict which was impossible to ignore.  Berlin, the World Health Summit host city, includes a Palestinian diaspora neighborhood where I was staying by chance since the Conference Hotel was fully booked for the Speakers.

In this neighborhood, a diminutive man who had family in Gaza verbally expressed his opinion regarding the genocide.  Several tall, muscular German Police roughed up and eventually subdued the chained man.  At least 20 Police escorted him into one of several police vans, and took him to an undisclosed location for assumed further ‘persuasion’.  Later that evening I heard German Police sirens sounding exactly like WWII movies which may have been related to more genocide protestors.

One of the Palestinian shops in Berlin featured the hanging deceased bodies of sentient beings.  Only the back view of the bottom half of their bodies remained.  Their slender legs and exposed buttocks had an uncanny similarity to human legs and buttocks.  The big difference between them and the humans who own /exploit them is that there will be no genocide protests for them or little concern on their behalf.   

The origins of the genocide in Palestine go back more than 75 years to World War II.  Genocide in general goes back even further, and genocide between the species is further entrenched, and seems never to end despite the zoonotic pandemics, and the injustice of the diet related, expensive and preventable Non-Communicable Diseases of the affluent humans that exist simultaneously with the treatable and preventable Neglected Tropical Diseases of the less affluent ones.

While attending the World Health Summit, I had the pleasure of meeting some residents of Baku who were living in Berlin.  They were anxious to disclose facts about the United States oil companies’ exploitation of Azerbaijan.  There seems to be no end to injustice in the world!

There is a relationship between the genocide and exploitation of anyone of any species and money, land, power and ultimate self-destruction.  While the nations are involved in trying to prevent future zoonotic pandemics, eliminate the Non-Communicable Diseases, species extinction, habitat destruction, global warming, pollution and planetary destruction, no attention is paid to redirecting the primary underlying focus to purely altruistic goals and fully changing the trajectory that Planet Earth is currently on to one which will benefit all inhabitants of the planet and the Earth itself.

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Vegan International has been invited to participate in a High-Level event: For Nature and People: From Ambition to Action, by the Permanent Mission of Costa Rica to the United Nations, on behalf of the governments of Bhutan, Colombia, Costa Rica, European Union, France, Nigeria, United Kingdom and its partners.  This high-level event on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly aims to demonstrate a clear momentum at the highest-level in rapidly translating ambition to halt and reverse biodiversity loss into tangible and impactful actions.  Vegan International will present compelling evidence that Speciesism is the greatest threat to biodiversity, human and planetary health and requires unprecedented and immediate action.   

Berlin: October 2023

Vegan International will again participate in the United Nations World Health Organization World Health Summit.  The WHS brings together thought-leaders and decision-makers to put global health on the agenda of international politics.  The devastating consequences of climate change, ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss, and pollution, epidemics, food insecurity, water scarcity, natural disasters threaten health and well-being on a global scale.  Vegan International will demonstrate that Speciesism is the root cause of pandemics, Non-Communicable Diseases, is a major cause of air, water and land pollution, and needs to end now.

Vegan International is advocating a United Nations Convention Against Speciesism, which is the greatest threat to humans and the planet.  United Nations Conventions protect against Genocide and Torture, and protect Women and Children.  Why not protect all vulnerable individuals especially when lack of protection for all species is responsible for most current disasters?

There is growing pressure for the International Criminal Court to make Ecocide the world’s fifth international crime, alongside Genocide, War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity and the Crime of Aggression.  The island nation of Vanuatu supports Ecocide as a crime in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.  Other small island nation states also advocating this include Tuvalu, Maldives, Samoa, Antigua and Barbuda.  Bangladesh, Belgium and Finland have also expressed support for the ecocide conversation in the International Criminal Court.

There are also movements to give Nature rights, specifically: Guatemala recognizes water as a living entity.  Ecuador has enforceable non-human rights in its Constitution.  Bolivia gives ‘buen vivir’ (good living) to everyone of all species.  Argentina has the world’s only ban on salmon farming.  Uganda expressed concern for Mother Earth, all species on Earth, and the well-being of the planet.  Benin, Kenya and Zimbabwe are creating and recognizing rights for nature and all species.

While these are important, they generally overlook the greatest threat of all – Speciesism.  Lack of international enforceable protection for all sentient beings is the root cause of the NCDs, which are responsible for 75% of human deaths worldwide according to WHO, pandemics, which are zoonotic, pollution of air, water and land, as well as global warming which threatens the survival of all life on planet Earth.  There is no more effective way to resolve the complex issues facing humanity and threatening to destroy the planet than to End Speciesism.  It is a simple solution to complex problems, and most importantly, the right thing to do.  Enforceable rights belong to all the inhabitants and all species of planet Earth, not just to those in the human species.

A UN Convention is needed to promote and protect the rights of all species.  This Convention would be an internationally recognized instrument for the protection of all inhabitants of Earth.  Currently there are no international rights or protection afforded to the most vulnerable on the planet, or to the planet itself.  Speciesism, the exploitation, and violent abuse of individuals of another species, is not recognized as a category of discrimination, and is widely tolerated throughout the world.  Species other than human are excluded from any protection, are treated as objects instead of rights holders, and are subjected to violence and abuse of all kinds.  Respect for the rights of all species benefits everyone: humans, those of other species, and the planet. 

A UN Convention Against Speciesism finally ‘leaves no one behind’.  It creates a ‘place at the table’ for all inhabitants of planet Earth.  This proposed new UN Convention would bring clarity to the nature of the rights of all species, and to the responsibilities necessary to protect them.  It would view all species as rights-holders, and these rights would be in a single document.  In addition, it would raise public awareness in those nations which do not ratify this Convention.

Humans have rights, Nature is receiving some rights, when will Animals have rights?  Now is the time!

Vegan International is supported in part by Liberty 61 Books (wwwLiberty61Books.com), a specialty Publisher focusing on Non-Fiction topics including: Health, Science, Biography, Travel, Inspiration, Peace, Justice and other relevant topics.  Liberty 61 Books is dedicated to the concept of Justice, and founded on the Biblical verse in Isaiah Chapter 61: “Creator God brings Liberty to the Captives, and sets the Prisoners free.”  Published books include: “Where Do You Get Your Protein? Rethinking Food”, “A Plant-Based Lifestyle For Your And The Planet”, “Beyond The Anthropocene Epoch”, and “The Search For Raoul Wallenberg – The Truth”.

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“Some Lives Matter Less is the cause of most of what is wrong in the world”, said Christina Stefan, Director of the Institute of Global Health Equity Research, in her presentation at the World Health Summit in Washington DC last week.  “Equity is the only acceptable goal.  We all have the same vision – to have a better world.”   Unfortunately, inequity is a fact of life, where someone is born or what species they are determines their quality of life.  

The first annual Regional Meeting of the World Health Organization and  World Health Summit was co-hosted by the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University, the Consortium of Universities for Global Health, and the Association of Academic Health Centers International.  This year’s theme was “Bridging the Science to Policy Gap for Global Health”.  The feeling is that 2023 marks a crucial inflection point of sustained leadership, intentionality, and strategic and assertive engagement in global health.

No mention was made in any of the sessions that the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are linked to food choice.  Diabetes, heart disease, some cancers, obesity, antibiotic resistance, serious depressions, including suicide are currently responsible for the more human morbidity and mortality than pandemics.

Diabetes results from animal fat and cholesterol clogging the cells of humans and will not allow glucose (nutrition) to enter and nourish cells, forcing glucose to remain in the blood stream, and cause the symptoms of diabetes.   Heart disease results when animal fat and cholesterol fill human blood-vessels, restricting blood flow to the heart.  Antibiotic resistance, often fatal for humans, results from the overabundance of antibiotics fed to unjustly incarcerated individuals and then eaten by humans.  There is no cholesterol and very little fat on a plant-based diet.  This was never mentioned in any of the sessions.

Cortisol, the stress hormone in all sentient beings, exists in understandably copious amounts in individuals unjustly incarcerated and extrajudicially executed.  When these individuals are eaten, or their stolen milk is ingested by humans, the excessive amount of the stress hormone, cortisol, causes depression, often severe enough to cause human suicide. 

The Non-Communicable Diseases far outnumber the number of mortalities and morbidities from pandemics.  Like pandemics, they are almost always related to Speciesism – exploitation by one species (humans) of all other species.  These avoidable morbidities are expensive to treat and outnumber infectious diseases as the top killers globally.  They cause nearly three-quarters of deaths in the world and kill approximately 41 million people every year.  Humans who eat a whole-foods, plant-based diet do not get the NCDs.  A plant-based diet is rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, has little fat, no cholesterol, tastes and looks delicious. 

Howard Zucker, Deputy Director for Global Health at the Center For Disease Control and Prevention, said in his presentation that Health Equity is one of the five pillars of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and that the CDC’s vision for Health Equity takes a global perspective.  He said further that the CDC strives for a reduction in inequities, promotes the needs of most vulnerable, and incorporates Guiding principles for implementing Health Equity into CDC’s global policy. Unfortunately, this equity is applied to only one species, humans. 

Dr. Zucker said that health equity needs our input.  Here is Vegan International’s input: there can be no equity when the needs of only one species, not all species, and the health of the planet itself, are not taken into consideration, and solutions formulated and implemented accordingly.  It is this very inequity between the species that is responsible for the NCDs and zoonotic pandemics.

Climate was another issue discussed at the World Health Summit.  According to one of the Speakers, 20 million human deaths a year are alleged to be caused by climate, and Climate Change threatens to increase hunger by 20 percent by 2050.  There was no mention of methane which holds heat in the atmosphere many times more effectively than carbon dioxide.  It was stated that both Non-Communicable Diseases and Climate Change are getting worse.  It is also a fact that animal agriculture is increasing significantly exacerbating these problems.

According to the Lancet:

“Global food production threatens climate stability and ecosystem resilience and constitutes the single largest driver of environmental degradation and transgression of planetary boundaries.  A radical transformation of the global food system is urgently needed.”

“The animal protein culture, conventionally viewed as improved consumption in a ‘nutrition transition’, has serious environmental and health consequences.” 

“Eating plants directly rather than in meat, dairy, eggs, much less of the crop is required to deliver the same amount of protein, without the pollution and pandemics.” 

Animal agriculture is the main cause of global warming and the single greatest factor in planetary destruction.  Scientific facts prove that methane traps heat in the atmosphere more effectively than carbon dioxide, and that the massive amount of animal feces produced in factory farms is the largest source of airborne methane. 

Animal agriculture causes environmental degradation: desertification of land, destruction of forests, pollution of air, water, and land, habitat destruction, biodiversity loss, and species extinction.  Species are presently going extinct at approximately 1,000 times the natural rate.  This lack of biodiversity is a factor in the origin and spread of pandemics.

The global livestock sector is growing faster than any other agriculture sub-sector, and as animal agriculture grows, it needs more and more resources of land and water, causes more pollution of water, land, and air, and increases the incidence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and pandemics.  Much less land and water are needed to grow plant-based food directly for human consumption.

In a casual conversation with Dr. Walter Bruchhausen, from Bonn, Germany, regarding the currently skyrocketing Non-Communicable Disease health issue of Depression and Suicide, I mentioned that the stress hormone of cortisol is present in individuals eaten as food (meat), and in the milk of individuals who have been raped and their children kidnapped (dairy).  This contributes heavily to the serious health issue of depression and suicide.  Although this would be enough evidence for some people, I was surprised to learn that this crucial information cannot be taken seriously as a causative factor without clinical trials.  Why doesn’t someone do that?

Anders Nordstrom, Ambassador for Global Health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sweden, said “Health needs are different now, NCDs increased 85% in low and middle income countries.”  He mentioned antimicrobial resistance, AMR, and said health needs are changing, and “Food is not making the world healthy”.  Although he did not specifically mention the change to meat and dairy from the traditional rice, beans, and vegetables in low and middle income countries as the culprit, this would be the logical conclusion.

Even though a mass of plastic waste the size of Alaska is floating in the Pacific Ocean, and the danger of petrochemicals used to produce plastic caused the East Palestine petrochemical train derailment disaster mentioned in one of the sessions, and plastic petrochemicals are proven to produce cancer, lunch was served in mountains of plastic boxes.  The choices were beef, poultry, or veggie.  These were ‘veggie’ not vegan because they including dairy cheese.  These ran out first.  Also served were (healthful?) cans of soda and bags of potato chips.  Fortunately, a kind hotel employee was able to find another veggie lunch from somewhere, otherwise I would have had bags of high fat potato chips for lunch.

Speciesism, the exploitation and violent abuse of individuals of other species, is not recognized as a category of discrimination, and is widely tolerated throughout the world.  Species other than human are excluded from any protection, are treated as objects instead of rights holders, and are subjected to violence and abuse of all kind.  This ultimately causes pandemics, diet related diseases such as Non-Communicable Diseases, Antibiotic Resistance and some Suicides and Depressions, as well as extensive planetary degradation.

Vegan International advocates a United Nations Convention Against Speciesism which would reduce climate change, prevent pandemics, improve global health, reduce hunger, starvation and poverty, achieve food security, improve nutrition, promote sustainable consumption, promote sustainable veganic agriculture, reduce human mortality and morbidity from zoonotic disease, diet related diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, some depressions, and some cancers, sustainably manage the scarce resources of land and water, sustainably manage forests, and curtail pollution of air, water, and land, species extinction, habitat destruction,  and give justice to billions of unjustly incarcerated and exploited individuals. 

There is no way to humanely, and safely, confine and exploit animals. This has not worked. The United Nations recommendation of stricter regulations of live markets, the UN Universal Declaration of Animal Welfare, andglobal investigations have not been effective in solving the problem.  Neither have any local or national laws or ordinances.  The key to assuring a healthy planet, and the health of all individuals of all species, is to achieve justice for all inhabitants of Earth by giving enforceable rights to members of all species.  Animals are the least protected and most exploited individuals on the planet – a planet that is currently on a trajectory headed for disaster if radical changes are not implemented. 

Everyone deserves justice, and the United Nations’ “place at the table” regardless of species.   The UN motto, “No one left behind”, should apply to everyone on planet Earth, not just to one species.  There needs to be a radical, comprehensive approach.  The proposed United Nations Convention Against Speciesism which would follow the Conventions Against Genocide, Torture, Eliminate Discrimination Against Women, and The Rights of the Child.  Currently there are little or no rights or protections afforded to the most vulnerable on the planet, or to the planet itself.

A UN Convention Against Speciesism finally ‘leaves no one behind’.  It creates a ‘place at the table’ for all inhabitants of planet Earth and brings clarity to the rights of all species, and to the responsibilities necessary to protect them.  A United Nations Convention Against Speciesism is the single most important way to insure optimal good health for all inhabitants of planet Earth, the environment, as well as for planet Earth itself.

“Equity is the only acceptable goal.  We all have the same vision – to have a better world.”  Christina Stefan, Director of the Institute of Global Health Equity Research at the World Health Summit, Washington DC, April 2023.  Let’s make that equity happen!

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It is an undisputed fact documented by FAO that animal agriculture is the leading cause of Climate Change.  This was not only absent from discussions at the COP27 Conference, but according to an attendee, beef was served extensively. 

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Report, Livestock’s Long Shadow documents the impacts of the world’s livestock on the environment and the very significant contribution of animal agriculture to climate change, air pollution, land and soil, including livestock induced deforestation, water degradation, and biodiversity loss.

According to the FAO report published in 2006, the livestock sector emerges as one of the top 2 or 3 most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems at every scale from local to global including climate change. Livestock’s contribution to environmental problems is on a massive scale and “needs to be addressed with urgency”.  The livestock sector is responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions measured in co2 equivalent, which is a higher share than transportation.  Livestock are responsible for much larger shares of some gasses with far higher potential to warm the atmosphere, and it is growing significantly.  

The livestock sector is by far the single largest anthropogenic user of land, and is a key player in increased water use.  It is the largest sectoral source of water pollution, contributing to ‘dead zones’ in coastal areas.  Major sources of pollution are from animal waste, antibiotics and hormones, chemicals from tanneries, fertilizers and pesticides used for feed crops, and sediments from eroded pastures.  The report suggests animal agriculture should be a major policy issue when dealing with problems of climate change, pollution, misuse of scarce resources, loss of biodiversity.

Rising demand for food products of animal origins caused by growing incomes along with changing food preferences are increasing demand for meat and dairy livestock products and increasing the level of damage and impact on the environment.  According to FAO, “Livestock products are a contributing cause of obesity.”  The meat and dairy based diet is also linked to the Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) of diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers as well as being the single greatest cause of global warming.  Eating animals is unhealthy for humans, the planet, and most definitely for the innocent animals.

The World Health Organization said the pivotal climate talks at COP27 issues a grim reminder that the climate crisis continues to make people sick, jeopardizes human lives, and that human health must be at the core of these critical negotiations, Climate change is already affecting people’s health and will continue to do so at an accelerating rate unless urgent action is taken.  The most effective urgent action to take is to ban animal agriculture and encourage humans to adopt a plant-based diet.

“Climate change is making millions of people sick or more vulnerable to disease all over the world and the increasing destructiveness of extreme weather events disproportionately affects poor and marginalized communities,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

Small Island Nations are the most effected by global warming and suffering the most.  To their credit, they are fighting back.  Vanuatu has started an initiative to stop ecocide by making it a crime punishable by the International Criminal Court.  The Minister of Health from Fiji is quoted as saying once culture is lost, it is gone forever.  Vegan International hopes that these and other nations will see the connection between animal agriculture, ecocide and global warming and make that an international crime also.

Energy is the problem, and Sustainable Energy For All (SE4All) has the solutions.  Their SDG 7 Pavilion at the COP27 Conference offered the opportunity to engage and discuss topics of importance to a just and equitable energy transition, and they showcased how to unite global efforts on energy, climate, and development.  Vegan International applauds the SE4All initiatives aimed at ending energy poverty and supporting climate progress by reducing the contribution of energy to global warming.  Why isn’t this kind of common sense and innovative thinking being used on the real global warming problem: animal agriculture?

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“This year the World Health Summit is focusing particularly on the complex interdependency between climate change, food systems, digital transformation, peace and global health.”  Olaf Scholtz, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany.

“We are united around one goal: to end the pandemic while developing more equitable and sustainable models.”  Emanuel Macron, President of the Republic of France in the Opening Ceremony of the World Health Summit in Berlin, Germany.

The World Health Summit was attended by 4,100 people from more than 140 nations.  The three-day Conference involved more than 60 Panel Discussions with more than 200 Women Speakers and more than 200 Men Speakers. 

Some of the panels included:

“From Words To Action For Better Non-Communicable Disease Outcomes.”  According to this Panel, ‘Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes, as well as mental health disorders such as suicide, are now the dominant cause of death and disability across the world.’ 

This panel mentions ‘research’ and ‘innovative approaches’, and ‘improved access to treatment’, but not the proactive approach of adopting a plant-based diet, and eliminating meat, dairy, including cheese and yogurt, and fish.   The meat, dairy and fish based diet has been linked to the NCDs of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and some cancers due to the overabundance of fat and cholesterol only present in sentient beings who are eaten, and are not found in plants. 

Suicide is quickly becoming a leading cause of death worldwide.  Depression and suicide are linked to the meat and dairy based diet.  Cortisol is the main stress hormone present in both humans and animals in stressful situations.  Slaughter, incarceration, a life of rape, kidnapped babies, and torturous ‘milking’ are stressful for all sentient beings including animals.  Cortisol affects mood disorders, especially depression.  Excessive amounts of cortisol are ingested by humans who eat animals and drink their milk. This excessive cortisol causes human depression, often resulting in suicide.  Eating a sustainable, healthful plant-based diet can eliminate depression and suicide possibility.  

“Antimicrobial Resistance as a Global Challenge”.  ‘AMR caused an estimated 4.5 million deaths associated with bacteria in 2019, making it a leading cause of death worldwide.’

The meat and dairy based diet is the main cause of antimicrobial resistance.  Deadly AMR is caused by the enormous amounts of antibiotics forced on incarcerated animals.  These excessive amounts of antibiotics are used to keep the unfortunate individuals from perishing prematurely due to the horrendous conditions in which they are forced to live before a human profit can be made on their suffering.  These excessive amounts of antibiotics are then consumed by the humans who eat the flesh of these unfortunate individuals and drink their milk.  This was not explored in the panel.

“Engaging Globally For Planetary Health”.  ‘The narrative of Planetary Health, connecting the global challenges of Climate Crisis, Biodiversity Loss and all other planetary boundaries with human health is very powerful, engaging, and possibly game-changing regarding Science Engagement.  Engaging the public, policymakers and industry as well as opening science towards different knowledge systems and expertise is key to this concept and the opportunities to really make a difference.’  

The best way to resolve these human and planetary health issues is with a comprehensive, global initiative, and not an assortment of local, unenforceable initiatives.  Vegan International is advocating a United Nations Convention Against Speciesism to resolve planetary and human health issues effectively.

“Strengthening Pandemic Preparedness and Response”.  ‘Lessons from Ebola and Covid-19 Outbreaks’. 

This panel highlighted the importance of international collaboration in tackling global health threats but did not cover the single greatest means of prevention – avoidance.  Zoonotic pandemics result from human – animal interactions.  Exploiting and abusing animals is the cause of these pandemics.  The best way to prepare for a pandemic is to avoid it by ending Speciesism.

”The Cost of Inaction- The Importance of Pandemic Prevention at the Source.”  ‘Scientists calculate the costs of preventing further pandemics – via forest protection and improved wildlife trade regulation – over the next decade would amount to just 2% of the estimated financial damage caused by COVID – 19.  Such prevention strategies would also come with considerable co-benefits for climate and biodiversity.  Research shows the proportion of pathogens crossing from one stage to the next, from pre-emergence to pandemic stage decreases as the costs for stopping those increases.  In this inverse correlation: the earlier we prevent, the more cost-efficient it is… in solving the triple, intersecting crises of health, climate and biodiversity.’

This panel touched on important aspects of prevention but does not go far enough.  An enforceable United Nations Convention Against Speciesism would effectively prevent the next pandemic from happening, as well as promote biodiversity, reduce pollution, land degradation and reduce global warming and rising water levels.

“Healthy Planet – Healthy People”.  ‘Planetary Health is a transdisciplinary concept that addresses this crisis and the impacts of human disruptions to earth’s natural systems on human health and all life on earth.  It is an approach with aims to understand human impact on the world and how we can address it…And how we can communicate the most urgent threat to global health – the triple crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.’

Animal agriculture produces methane which holds heat in the atmosphere more effectively than carbon dioxide, produces more sewage and pollution than other industries combined, and results in habitat destruction and species extinction, the underlying causes of biodiversity loss.  There was no mention of this, and the underlying causes of many human health issues including the NCDs and pandemics – speciesism.  A simple and direct means to eliminate this cause is an enforceable law to prevent speciesism – a United Nations Convention Against Speciesism.

“One Health in Action”.  ‘The COVID-19 pandemic, the emergence of other zoonosis, along with the increasing Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) make clear that we need to approach the topic of health with a broader understanding regarding the close links between the health of humans, animals, agriculture and the environment using the so called One Health approach.  Since the diversity of species and habitats on Earth is vital to all life, including human life, it is essential to protect the natural environment in all its diversity, lessening the risk of future pandemics and vector-borne diseases.’

Vegan International has established a relationship with one of the Speakers on this panel, regarding promoting the idea of an enforceable  United Nations Convention Against Speciesism.

“The Role of Parliamentarians in the Development of A Global Pandemic Treaty”.  This Panel Discussion included Members of Parliament from Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Cameroon, Argentina, and Germany.  Vegan International has established a relationship with one of the Speakers on this panel and plans to reach out to other Speakers from the Panel.

“Lessons Learned from Covid-19”.  ‘Over the past 50 years, there has been a significant increase in the emergence of infectious diseases.  More than 70% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonoses, diseases caused by germs that spread between wild animals, farm animals, and humans.  Almost all of the pandemics we know of are zoonoses (SARS, Cov2, Ebola, and COVID-19), to name a few.  These emergences and re-emergences are deeply linked to the pressures exerted on the environment, in particular on natural habitats and biodiversity.  These pressures increase contacts between virus reservoirs in wildlife, livestock and humans.”

No mention was made of the fact that all this is the result of Speciesism, the human exploitation of other species, destruction of their habitats, biodiversity loss caused by species extinction, and the only solution is to eliminate speciesism.   Speciesism is acting on the belief that humans are superior to all other species, and that humans can exercise complete control over every aspect of the non-humans.  This prideful concept has brought humans and the planet to a precipice, which if not curtailed, will destroy both the humans and the planet itself.

“Outsmarting Pandemics”.  ‘Surveillance at the animal – human interface’ was mentioned, but it did not go far enough.   A suggestion is highly unlikely to be as effective as the enforceable United Nations Convention Against Speciesism advocated by Vegan International.

This is only a small sample of the many Panels, but I would be remiss without adding that the Hotel Berlin Central District did an outstanding job of hosting the World Health Summit, including the almost 100% healthful, sustainable, gorgeous, imaginative, and delicious gourmet lunches and breaks. Although these were not completely vegan, they were very close.  No one complained about the lack of meat and dairy, and all the Conference attendees loved them.  The items were elegant, imaginatively named, and a delight for all.  None of these plant-based offerings was boring or unappetizing.  Even the center pieces on the buffets were an inspiration – artistically arranged cauliflower heads, fresh tomatoes, and squash from sustainable sourced local farms and business.  Terra cotta pots of fresh herbs decorated the tables, and cacti in porcelain planters decorated the dining room. 

Vegan International proposes the solution to global human health crises and planetary destruction is to eliminate speciesism. 

This is the single greatest cause of human health crises: pandemics, Non-Communicable Diseases (which are currently responsible for most human mortality even compared to pandemics), global warming, pollution of air, water and land, habitat destruction, species extinction, and biodiversity loss, which are major factors in zoonotic disease, and misuse of scarce resources, are all caused by speciesism: abusing and exploiting other species for the benefit of the human species. 

Speciesism is destroying the planet and everyone on it, both humans and non-humans.

Scientific facts prove that methane traps heat in the atmosphere more effectively than carbon dioxide, making it the single greatest cause of global warming.  The massive amounts of feces in factory farms, where non-humans are exploited, tortured, and murdered, is the single largest source of airborne methane. 

Hunger and starvation in developing nations could be avoided using grain being fed to the unfortunate individuals raised to be ‘food’ in the developed nations, and instead feed that grain directly to the people who are exporting it at political subsidy induced artificially low prices while they and their children experience hunger, poverty, and starvation. 

Obscene amounts of money are spent on the meat, dairy and fish diet-related preventable Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in the developed nations while children and adults in the developing nations suffer lifetime disabilities from the inexpensive to treat, and preventable Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).  This is an inexcusable injustice of inequity.

Exploiting animals is unsustainable.  It requires more land, water and energy to raise animals for food than cultivating plant food for direct human consumption.  One acre of land can yield between twelve and twenty times more plant food than animal-based foods. 

“Global food production threatens climate stability and ecosystem resilience and constitutes the single largest driver of environmental degradation and transgression of planetary boundaries.  A radical transformation of the global food system is urgently needed.”  “The animal protein culture, conventionally viewed as improved consumption in a ‘nutrition transition’, has serious environmental and health consequences.”  “Eating plants directly rather than in meat, dairy, eggs, much less of the crop is required to deliver the same amount of protein, without the pollution and pandemics.”  The Lancet

The current Anthropocene Epoch characterized by one species (humans) dominating all other species is destroying planet Earth.  The unjust treatment of individuals who do not look or communicate like humans is a result of destructive human pride and supremacy.  This prideful, inconsiderate, self-righteous attitude is destroying human health and the entire planet.  Only when pride is superseded by compassion for all species will planet Earth become truly sustainable.

“Non-human animals are sentient beings not mere property and must be afforded respect and legal recognition” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

These unfortunate non-human individuals are unjustly incarcerated in disease ridden, horrific conditions, subjected to mutilation, violation, rape, kidnap of their children, and ultimately horrifically murdered, usually while fully conscious, all to satisfy the whims of those in power – the humans, who are making themselves and the planet increasingly unhealthy in the process.  Their lives are calling out for justice, and we are experiencing a portion of that justice now in the global health issues we are facing.  The human species will not experience peace or safety while continuing to exploit other species. 

Everyone deserves justice, and a United Nations ‘Place at the table’ regardless of species.  ‘No one left behind’, should apply to everyone on planet Earth, not just to one species.  There needs to be a radical, comprehensive approach to sustaining human health and preventing destruction of the planet.

A shift to the plant-based diet, and giving animals universal rights, would promote sustainability and remove the specter of pandemic zoonotic disease.  Animals, birds, and fish are humans’ co-habitants on planet Earth.  They are the least protected, most exploited individuals on a planet that is currently on a headed for disaster if radical changes are not implemented.

As far as I know, only one Speaker at the World Health Summit mentioned the word “Justice”.  It was Marco Lambertini of the World Wildlife Fund International in the Closing Ceremony.  Maybe if more attention was paid to this simple concept, the planet would not be in the unhealthy condition it is in now. 

The United Nations recommendation of stricter regulations of live markets, the UN Universal Declaration of Animal Welfare, global investigations, national and local laws and regulations have not been effective in solving the problem.  What is needed is a radical, comprehensive approach.  Vegan International is advocating a United Nations Convention Against Speciesism to effectively resolve this issue by giving enforceable rights to all, and to end the destructive path spaceship Earth is currently on.

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Vegan International Founder, Sharon L. Wallenberg, will participate in the United Nations World Health Organization World Health Summit in Berlin, Germany on October 16 to 18, 2022. 

The World Health Summit and the United Nations World Health Organization have joined forces to organize the 2022 edition of one of the world’s leading international, inclusive, and inter-sectoral global health conferences to bring global health actors closer to setting the agenda for a healthier future.

Participants in the Summit will focus on “Making the Choice for Health” by reflecting on pressing topics such as Investment for Health and Well-Being, Climate Change and Planetary Health, Architecture for Pandemic Preparedness, Digital Transformation for Health, Food Systems and Health, Health Systems Resilience and Equity, and Global Health for Peace.

The World Health Summit 2022 aims to strengthen exchange, stimulate innovative solutions to health challenges, foster global health as a key political issue and promote the global health debate in the spirit of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 17 “Partnership for the Goals”.

Ms. Wallenberg will the participate in the World Health Summit “Making the Choice for Health’ by emphasizing the relationship between the unsustainable meat and dairy based diet and the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) of heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, and obesity, as well as antibiotic resistance, zoonotic disease, and pandemics (United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 ‘Good Health’).

Ms. Wallenberg will also bring attention to the relationship between methane, an animal agriculture related greenhouse gas that holds heat in the atmosphere more effectively than carbon dioxide, and rapidly accelerating global warming (SDG 13 ‘Climate Action’). 

Animal agriculture unsustainably uses scarce natural resources, (SDG 15 ‘Life on Land’).  Considerably more land and water are needed to support the meat and dairy based diet than the plant-based food choice.  Additionally, meat and dairy from animal agriculture causes the ongoing devastating pollution of land, water, and air, (SDG 6 ‘Clean Water and Sanitation’).

There is a correlation between the financial subsidies given to animal agriculture in the developed nations and the resulting poverty and hunger in the developing nations, (SDG 1 ‘No Poverty’), and (SDG 2 ‘Zero Human Hunger’).  Eliminating these subsidies and promoting the plant-based rather than animal-based diet would eliminate these inequities, (SDG 10 ‘Reduce Inequities’).

In addition, Ms. Wallenberg will discuss the relationship between the ongoing war against other species, including habitat destruction, and species extinction, causing a deterioration of the dilution effect.  The dilution effect protects the human species from zoonotic pandemics by reducing or eliminating the transference of disease from other species to the human species.

Most importantly, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16 ‘Peace and Justice’ currently does not include all individuals on Earth.  It is only applied to the human species.  This is not only an outrageous injustice, but also threatens the very existence of human life through zoonotic pandemics starting with other species and spilling over to the human species, as well as destruction of planet Earth through methane induced climate change

This injustice is a major contributor to global warming, results in health pandemics and other preventable illnesses such as the Non-Communicable Diseases NCDs and takes away resources from other important health issues such as the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). The NTDs are usually preventable and treatable but cause devastating disability to the already disadvantaged and overlooked individuals in developing nations.  Adults with NTDs cannot work to support themselves, and children with NTDs cannot go to school, and remain uneducated their entire lives. 

If peace and justice (SDG 16) really was extended to individuals of all species on Earth, and all individuals on Earth really were given a ‘place at the table’, more than the majority of health issues would be eliminated. 

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The World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) published a report on baby milk formula which outlines baby formula manufacturer abuses.

The 55 billion dollar a year baby milk formula industry’s unethical and aggressive marketing practices violate international regulations.  In addition, there are serious negative impacts of baby milk formula on the health and well-being of infants and young children.  Baby formulas have been responsible for bacterial infections including cronobacter, sakazakii and salmonella which have caused infant morbidity and mortality.

The WHO / UNICEF report included 8,500 parents, and 300 health workers in Bangladesh, China, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Viet Nam.  In all countries surveyed, women expressed a strong desire to breastfeed exclusively.

The report details how misleading marketing messages reinforce myths about breastfeeding and breast milk and undermines women’s confidence in their ability to breastfeed successfully.  Breastfeeding offers a powerful defense against child malnutrition, including wasting and obesity, and acts as babies’ first vaccine, protecting them against many common childhood illnesses.  Breastfeeding also reduces women’s future risk of diabetes, obesity and some forms of cancer.

According to WHO and UNICEF, milk from cows is designed by nature to be the perfect food for baby calves, not baby humans.

Baby formula ingredients include whey and casein as a protein source. These are milk proteins are associated with type one diabetes, obesity, allergies, and autoimmune disease.  Baby formula also includes a blend of vegetable oils as a fat source, and lactose as a carbohydrate source.  Lactose is a milk sugar associated with lactose intolerance.  Also included are a vitamin-mineral mix from undisclosed sources, and other miscellaneous ingredients depending on the manufacturer.

Clearly the winners in this scenario are the manufactures who benefit financially from their aggressive and unethical marketing practices against accepted regulations, not the human parents and babies, and certainly not the exploited mother cows, and their own baby calves.

Nestle is the most famous and infamous brand in child nutrition products.  Nestle formulas include NAN, Good Start Essentials and Good Start Supreme.  According to a Nestlé Investor Seminar, the infant nutrition market is expected to expand to more than $92 billion globally by 2023.  Clearly the focus is on the health of the financial bottom line, not on human health, and definitely not on the exploited cows and their baby calves, who should have this milk.

Other companies with large market shares in the baby food manufacturing industry include Abbott Laboratories, which makes Similac, Alimetum and EleCare brands, Mead Johnson, and Beechnut.  Other baby formula manufacturers include Danone, a multinational food product company headquartered in Paris, France, Reckitt Benckiser, Abbott Nutrition, Friesland Campina, Bellamy’s Organic, Kraft, Heinz, and HiPP.

Nature has provided the best nutrition for human babies in human breast milk.  Although there are some circumstances that require nutritional alternatives, such as mortality or morbidity of the mother, or baby adoption, it is best to avoid manufactured baby formulas.  Baby formulas only enrich those individuals who place their own financial greed above the well-being of Mothers, Babies, and the unjustly exploited Mother Cows and their own babies.

WHO, UNICEF and partners are calling on governments, health workers, and the baby food industry to end exploitative formula milk marketing and fully implement and abide by the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitute requirements.  Formula milk and tobacco are the only two products for which international prohibitions on marketing exist.

In challenging times, those who are already vulnerable and neglected are the first to be further forgotten.

Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) cause illness and disability for more than one billion people globally. These people are the world’s most economically challenged therefore they are the most overlooked.  Additionally, NTDs are more likely to affect women and children who are even more vulnerable. 

Neglected Tropical Diseases are painful and debilitating, they impair child development, and cause 170,000 deaths worldwide annually, usually to women and children.  NTDs cause deformed legs, blindness, and social isolation.  Children suffer from malnutrition, cognitive impairment, stunted growth, and cannot attend school.  Resulting disabilities makes working extremely difficult, resulting in unavoidable poverty.

The heart-breaking part of Neglected Tropical Diseases is that they are relatively easy and inexpensive to prevent and treat.  Some NTDs can be eliminated with safe and effective medicines administered annually or biannually.  With a little less neglect and a little more attention, lives can be saved, and permanent disabilities can be prevented.

Simultaneously, while individuals in developing nations experience death and permanent disability from lack of funds to treat the Neglected Tropical Diseases, individuals in the developed nations are suffering from, and expensively medicating, the preventable Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and some cancers.  Eliminating the very expensive to treat Non-Communicable Diseases  (NCDs) with an inexpensive plant-based diet will not only save lives but would allow the medical and economic focus to shift to the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).

In addition, moving away from the unsustainable and unhealthy meat and dairy diet would not only eliminate the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), and accompanying expense, but would also eliminate deforestation, reduce pollution, free up financial resources and reduce climate change.   Methane from animals raised for food holds heat in the atmosphere more effectively than carbon dioxide.

All zoonotic disease, including Covid-19, HIV AIDS, Ebola, Sars, Mers, Avian (Bird) Flu, Swine (Pig) Flu, Black Flu, Spanish Flu, the deadliest disease in the history of the planet, all originated from the unjust exploitation of innocent individuals of other species. 

“As long as humans continue to be ruthless destroyers of lower living beings, they will never know health or peace.  For as long as humans massacre animals, they will kill each other.  Indeed, people who sow the seeds of murder and pain cannot reap joy, love, and peace.”  (adapted from) Pythagoras, considered the first Vegan, and ancient Ionian Greek philosopher who made important developments in mathematics, astronomy, and the theory of music.  

World Health Organization Director-General’s Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at the Munich Security Conference on February 18, 2022, “Excellencies, colleagues, friends, let me return to the question I asked at the beginning. When will the pandemic end?  It will end when we choose to end it.  Because ultimately, it’s not a matter of chance, it’s a matter of choice.  I thank you. Vielen dank.”

Make the choice to end all zoonotic pandemics, the non communicable diseases, environmental disasters, exploitation, the origin of wars, and focus on neglected issues.  Stop exploiting animals! 

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Speciesism – the exploitation of one species by another is the underlying cause of the (SARS) Covid-19 zoonotic pandemic which disrupted efforts to control other preventable diseases: malaria, polio, measles, cholera, has triggered the worst economic crisis since the 1930s, and has exacerbated worldwide inequities.

“Health does not begin in a hospital or clinic.  It begins in our homes and communities, with the food we eat and the water we drink, the air we breathe, in our schools and our workplaces,” according to Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director General.

“We cannot – we must not – go back to the same exploitative patterns of production and consumption, the same disregard for the planet that sustains all life, and the same divisive politics that fueled this pandemic.” According to Dr Rüdiger Krech, WHO Director for Health Promotion.  

These exploitative patterns focus primarily on exploitation of the defenseless animal species by the human supremacist species and have caused immense suffering to the former and a host of problems for the later including zoonotic pandemics and others including the following:

Non-Communicable Disease, NCDs, include heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, and others, currently cause seven out of every ten deaths around the world.  All of these have been linked to the meat and dairy based diet, part of the species exploitation that caused the current zoonotic pandemic.  A plant-based, no meat and dairy, diet can eliminate almost all NCDs.

“Noncommunicable diseases take a terrible health and economic toll, especially on countries that can least afford it” says WHO Global Ambassador for NCDs and Injuries Michael R. Bloomberg.

Last year, marked the 100^th anniversary of the discovery of insulin.  It has been scientifically proven that individuals with type two diabetes can reduce or eliminate the need for insulin and the accompanying costs by following a plant-based, meat and dairy free lifestyle.  Type one diabetes has been linked to infants being fed cow’s milk rather than human breast milk.

Malnutrition in all its forms has been exacerbated by COVID-19, climate change, and unsustainable use of scarce resources.  In marginalized communities, child malnutrition and food insecurity is rising. Last year, 149 million children had stunted growth due to poor diets, and other issues.  Forty-five percent of children under 5 years of age that die, have undernutrition as the underlying cause of death.

“Malnutrition in all its forms is one of the world’s leading causes of death and illness,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

Today, one third of all people around the world are affected by at least one form of malnutrition. Over 40% of all men and women, approximately 2.2 billion people are currently overweight or obese. The unhealthy fat, cholesterol, hormone, antibiotic, and disease ladened meat and dairy based diet is linked to at least 8 million deaths per year.  The current trend projects that one in two people will be malnourished by 2025, and an estimated 40 million children will suffer from obesity or overweight in the next decade.

Eliminating government subsidies on meat and dairy in the high-income nations will substantially improve human health and save lives worldwide.  Politically induced subsidies are a major driver of unhealthy food choice.  Subsidies promote deadly non-communicable disease by making unhealthy food choice artificially affordable.  Worldwide, they force low- income nations into poverty and starvation by keeping world produce prices artificially skewed.

“The pandemic has brought us to a fork in the road.  Behind us lies the path of business as usual – the path that led us to this crisis.  Before us lies a new path: the path that leads to healthier, more resilient, and more sustainable societies.”

We all need to rethink our relationship to each other – of all incomes and species – to our shared scarce resources, to the treatment of flora and vegetation, to the planet, and everything on it.

‘One Health for all on the Planet’ was announced by The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to prevent, predict, detect, and respond to global health threats, and promote sustainable development. 

One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems, and recognizes the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and inter-dependent.

The approach works to promote well-being for all.  It addresses threats to health and ecosystems, the need for clean water, energy, air, safe and nutritious food, sustainable development, and reduction of pollution and climate change.  One Health, links humans, animals, and the environment, addresses the full spectrum of disease control, and seeks to improve and promote health and sustainability. 

It is our hope that 2022 will see planet Earth move closer to a just, equitable, and sustainable future for all inhabitants of all species.

Vegan International’s United Nations participation in 2021 included:

United Nations Food Summit.  Vegan International submitting a one-minute video through the UN Non-Governmental Organization Faith and Food Coalition organized by the Center For Earth Ethics which became part of the UN Food Summit.

World Health Organization Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO).  Vegan International responded to their invitation for experts to apply to participate.

United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Climate Education Global Teaching Insights program.  Vegan International Adult Education program submitted a one-minute video through the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development.

The Vegan International Education Program consists of adult education classes which teach the consequences of food choice for human health and wellbeing of the planet.  This includes the relationship between an individual’s food choice and health, global warming, pollution, deforestation, rising waters, species extinction, and misuse of scarce resources, and other issues.

Vegan International wishes all a happy, healthy, just, equitable and enlightened 2022! 

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The International Day of Peace, observed around the world yearly every September, was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly.  In 2001, the U.N. General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the annual Day of Peace as a 24-hour period of non-violence and cease-fire devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace.

This year’s United Nations International Day of Peace theme is ‘Recovering Better For An Equitable and Sustainable World’.  United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres also urged that “We must make peace with Nature”.

Vegan International suggests that the International Day of Peace be extended to include peace on all levels, an end to all wars, and especially all aspects of the War on Nature including:

War on Disease.  The war against Zoonotic diseases, such as Covid-19, HIV/AIDS, SARS, MERS, Ebola, Avian (Bird) Flu, Swine (Pig) Flu, and others, will continue to wreck havoc on humanity until the cause, and not the symptom, is addressed.  Humanity will not stay safe with vaccines, but with an understanding of the cause of zoonotic disease, which is speciesism, the unjust exploitation of other species. and a determination to eliminate it.

War on Soil.  Soil is being destroyed and eroded by unsustainable agricultural practices.  Chemical pesticides and fertilizers are deadly and expensive.  They cause run off which pollutes ground water, are unhealthy for human consumption, and often cause fatalities for local wildlife.  Use of sustainable agriculture practices such as ‘natural’, ‘stock-free organic’, and ‘veganic’ agriculture use no dangerous and expensive chemical fertilizers or pesticides, or any disease causing animal inputs such as manure, blood, or other components which cause disease from E.coli, salmonella, and other pathogens. 

There is no risk of animal related zoonotic disease with sustainable agriculture.  Sustainable (veganic) agriculture is highly productive, self-sufficient, and has a low carbon footprint.  This is especially helpful in the developing nations since it does not need outside inputs.  Sustainable agriculture is economical and is in harmony with nature.  Veganic agriculture grosses less income because it requires rotation of fields, leaving one field unplanted and rejuvenating, but nets more income because there are no outside inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides, and there is no contamination or pollution of land.  This is especially helpful in developing nations, and is the most peaceful treatment of soil anywhere in the world.

War on Forests.  Destruction of forests to create land for grazing or to produce crops for animal agriculture causes land degradation and desertification. and exacerbates climate change by eliminating the cooling effect of forests. 

According to the New York Times, “We invade tropical forests and other wild landscapes, which harbor so many species of animals and plants – and within those creatures, so many unknown viruses.   We cut the trees; we kill the animals or cage them and send them to markets.  We disrupt ecosystems, and we shake viruses loose from their natural hosts.  When that happens, they need a new host.  Often, we are it.”

We are pushing into the last wild spaces on our planet.  We burn and plow into the Amazon rainforests so that we can have cheap land for ranching, we convert the African bush to farms, and we hunt wild animals to extinction.  So long as we keep making remote places less remote, disasters will ensue, according to global health expert Alanna Shaikh.

War on Oceans.  Currently oceans are being used as garbage dumps for plastic and other debris.  Nothing can live in the ‘dead zones’ created by this garbage.  Ocean individuals face extinction from being kidnapped, drown in air, and cut open while alive.  Developed nations subsidize fishing which keeps the market value of murdered fish artificially low while contributing to hunger and starvation in some humans.  Without subsidies, the market manipulating mechanism which enriches some human individuals at the expense of other humans, the fishing industry would collapse.  Then ocean individuals could live in peace, and humans would be incentivized to adopt the more peaceful and healthful plant-based diet.

War on Water This precious and limited resource is being squandered and destroyed by unsustainable use and pollution.  Water scarcity affects every continent, and water use is growing globally at more than twice the population increase in the last century.

The most wasteful and dangerous use of water is in animal agriculture.  Water from slaughterhouses contains nitrogen, phosphorus, fecal bacteria, pathogens, veterinary drugs, viruses, parasites, cleaning products and blood.  It enters ground water, making it unsafe for drinking, recreation or irrigation. 

Nitrates, a form of nitrogen, account for nearly all the pollution reported in slaughterhouse wastewater discharged to rivers.  Field spraying of slaughterhouse wastewater pollutes local drinking water wells with nitrates.  Water treatment systems are not able to completely filter out these pathogens from drinking water.

Nitrogen and phosphorus pollution runoff from animal agriculture causes dead zones in waterways harming ecosystems and wildlife.  Livestock and poultry incarceration facilities produce huge amounts of manure without any safe, effective way to remove it.  Manure is a major source of pollution in waterways.  

War on Atmosphere.  Global warming is universally accepted to be caused by greenhouse gasses.  Methane from animal agriculture – raising animal individuals to be eaten by human individuals – holds heat in the atmosphere more effectively than the carbon dioxide from both industry and transportation.  Methane produced in the intestines of sentient beings during digestion, is the single greatest cause of climate change.

War on Heat.  The war against heat in a warming world, requires access to sustainable cooling

Warmer temperatures globally cause hurricanes, tsunamis, wildfires, melt polar ice caps, and cause rising water to devastate small island developing nations and coastal areas.  Warmer temperatures also contribute to hunger in developing nations. 

According to the representatives of Rwanda at a recent Sustainable Energy For All conference, 50% of their food is destroyed from farm to market because of lack of cooling.  As global warming increases so does the need for cooling!

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that due to heat. approximately 14% of all food worldwide is lost after harvest on farms, and at the transport, storage, processing, and wholesale stages.  Food lost from heat has a value of more than $400 billion a year.  This does not take into considering its impact on hunger! 

War on Health.  Pandemics, zoonotic disease, antibiotic resistance, some cancers, heart disease and diabetes are all linked to the unsustainable meat, fish and dairy (milk and egg) based diet.  This war on health is caused by the exploitation, abuse and ingestion of individuals of other species by the human species.

The United Nation World Health Organization (WHO) announced that cases of human infection with avian H7N9 virus have been reported recently from exposure to live poultry.  This would include confined individuals, poultry and birds, on factory farms and in other animal agriculture facilities, live and other poultry markets.

The greatest health risk for the emergence of new pandemic strains comes when poultry, pigs and humans are in close proximity as in intensive factory farms, slaughter facilities and livestock markets.

The Journal of Disease Reversal and Prevention reports that pandemics revolve around food choices – specifically, the consumption of animals, and proposes a global moratorium on this, and re-evaluation of our food sources.

Meat, fish and dairy (milk and eggs) are linked to heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, obesity, antibiotic resistance and zoonotic diseases such as covid-19, HIV / AIDS, SARS, MERS, Ebola, Avian Flu, Swine Flu, Black Flu, Spanish Flu, and many others.  The single most effective way to end the war on health is with a plant-based diet.

War on the Vulnerable 

“In a world with enough food to feed all people everywhere, 690 million people continue to go hungry and 3 billion cannot afford a healthy diet”, according to United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Pandemics cause illness, death, and economic loss.  They also cause disproportionate suffering to women and girls from the violence of frustrated men, an increase of child brides, an increase in deaths from childbirth, and loss of education by many girls who do not return to school after the pandemic.

Economic policies in the developed nations cause hunger and poverty in the vulnerable developing nations.  Corporate influenced political monetary subsidies for the meat, dairy, egg, and fish industries manipulate prices.  Developing nations are adversely affected by this market disparity, causing hunger and poverty for the most vulnerable human individuals on the planet. 

In addition, billions of vulnerable, innocent, unjustly incarcerated, violated, tortured and executed individuals of other species have none of the rights afforded to members of the human species. 

War on Species.  Vulnerable non-humans suffer from extinction caused by habitat destruction.  Species extinction and habitat destruction make disease transmission between species more likely and more deadly.  The unjust treatment of individuals who do not look or communicate like humans is a result of human pride and supremacy.  Unfortunate individuals of other species are unjustly incarcerated in disease ridden, horrific conditions, subjected to mutilation, violation, rape, kidnap of their children, and ultimately murdered horrifically, usually while fully conscious, all to satisfy the whims of those in power – the humans.

Please join Vegan International in embracing all aspects of the International Day of Peace.  May peace on all levels extend to include all species, and all days of the year from now on. 

Arrivals and Departures!  Vegan International is pleased to announce the arrival of a new Advisory Board Member – Budjargal Byambaa, and the departure of an Advisory Board Member – Krishna Gautam.

Budjargal Byambaa is a raw fruit vegan, and one of the most capable and accomplished multi-day runners in the world.  He ran from Ulaanbaatar to Beijing – 1500 km – within one month to symbolize that Mongolia would win gold medals at the Beijing Olympics.  Bud is an ultradistance runner, and runs extreme distance events over several days, covering enormous distances at impressive speeds.  He has completed the 10-day Sri Chinmoy race five times, winning it twice.  It is the equivalent of 29 marathons.  He won the Xiamen 6-day race, holds the course record at the Icarus Florida 6-day race, national record for 24 hour running, and took the course record at the Milwaukee 6 Days In the Dome. 

Budjargal was motivated to be vegan to improve his athletic performance, but mostly by his outrage at the exploitation and abuse of animals.  Now he eats lots of raw food, mostly fruit.  “Veganism is the right choice for me, it improves my physical strength” he says.  “It helps me to transcend my physical self, moving to the next stage of my spiritual development and growth.”

Krishna Gautam, Founder, Aging Nepal, has left the Vegan International Advisory Board, and is currently retired.  Thanks for all your help, enjoy retirement!

Vegan International Founder, Sharon Wallenberg, is currently writing her third book entitled “Where Do You Get Your Protein?”  Part of the book will be based on her experiences with Budjargal. Proceeds from the sale of all three books will benefit Vegan International. 

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This is the link for the video submitted by Vegan  International to the UN Food Summit:  https://twitter.com/EarthEthicsCtr/status/1417797687701823489?s=20

Vegan International has been invited to participate in the United Nations Food Summit by faith-based ECOSOC NGO, the Center For Earth Ethics.  One-minute videos from many organizations will be included in the Center For Earth Ethics submission. 

This is the text of the Vegan International video:

“Hi! I am Sharon Wallenberg, Founder of Vegan International and a Christian.  The way I look at food goes back to the Garden of Eden. Animals ate leaves and grass, and people ate fruit and vegetables – a ‘plant-based diet’.

“Meat and dairy is linked to heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, obesity. antibiotic resistance and zoonotic diseases such as covid-19, HIV / AIDS, SARS, MERS, Ebola, Avian Flu, Swine Flu, Black Flu, Spanish Flu and many others.

“Animal agriculture causes environmental degradation: desertification of land, destruction of forests, pollution of air, land, and water, and the unsustainable use of land and water.  Methane from the animals raised for food holds heat in the atmosphere more effectively than carbon dioxide making it the single greatest cause of global warming.  Species extinction from habitat destruction makes disease transmission between species more likely and more deadly.

“This is about food, but more importantly it is a justice issue.  The unjust treatment of individuals who do not look or communicate like humans is a result of human pride and supremacy.  These unfortunate individuals are unjustly incarcerated in disease ridden, horrific conditions, subjected to mutilation, violation, rape, kidnap of their children, and ultimately murdered horrifically, usually while fully conscious, all to satisfy the whims of those in power – the humans.

“This is a charity issue.  “Of all the commandments, the greatest of these is love.”.  Love needs to extend to all the individuals regardless of species.  It is my hope that Earth is transitioning to Isaiah’s prophesized Peaceful Kingdom where “the lion shall lie down with the lamb”.  I think we can take that to mean we are all transitioning to plant-based food.  Thank you.”

A Vegan Athlete from Mongolia, long distance runner Budjargal Byambaa, has not only won the ten day Sri Chimnoy twice, but has recently won the six day 904 km / 561 mile run in Milwalkee, USA.  This has made Budjargal Byambaa only the 21^st runner ever to exceed 900 km in six days, and the fifth in the last 13 years.  The ten day Sri Chimnoy race is like running almost 29 standard marathons. 

In 2013 Budjargal broke the 24 hour national record in Mongolia after completing 182 km, and has completed the ten day Sri Chimnoy race five times.  He took first place in the six day 787 km Icarus Florida Ultrafest in 2020.  He has won many other impressive long distance races all over the world!

Budjargal Byambaa was motivated to stop eating all animal flesh and secretions years ago by thoughts of improving his athletic performance. 

“Veganism is the right choice for me.  It improves my physical strength.  It helps me to transcend my physical self, moving to the next stage of my spiritual development and growth.  Long distance running is different than any other type of running.  It needs not only physical strength, it needs my inner strength.  My thought about inner strength is, it is so powerful, and it can give me much more strength than physical strength.  Becoming vegan helped me to find my inner strength.”

Plant-based food is the most healthful, sustainable, equitable, delicious and powerful!  Try it!

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