During March 7 and 8, the known Italian organization LAV (Lega Anti-Vivisezione: https://www.lav.it/) was in Kosovo together with its President, Mr. Gianluca Felicett and three other representatives of LAV Trentino, such as Simone Stefani, Ms. Sara Carlin and Mrs. Maria Luisa Bertoli.
Together with this delegation, was also the Italian organization ATB – Associazione Trentino con i Balcani https://www.trentinobalcani.eu/, their director Mr. Maurizio Camin and also the associate Mrs. Chiara Menguzzato. The ATB organization has been working for 20 years in Kosovo in the areas of sustainable local development, in the areas well-being and solidarity and in several environmental protection projects, having its headquarter in Peja, Kosovo. Now, their support has been extended to the field of animal rights through our organization.
The main reason why the above mentioned organisations came to Kosovo was exactly to expand their cooperation in the country though our foundation and by becoming scientific and technical partners of the Animal Rights Foundation.
The good practices and know-how of the LAV organization in Italy will be very useful for us in Kosovo with regard to projects related to the promotion and protection of animal rights and welfare.
For a better success in improving the welfare of animals and their rights, we must have in mind that nothing can be achieved without the institutional will and engagement; – if, of course, we try to work towards sustainable principles of animal protection in general. This means, to protect/”rescue” not only 10 or 50 animals on the road or in the farm, but all animals, by providing legal bases to the highest standards for their protection and also helping to form a new institutional and political “spirit” – towards the well-being and the dignified treatment of animals in Kosovo.
Only laws and state policies can properly protect all animals in Kosovo. Their protection does not come from just some individuals acting on personal and short-term initiatives (not sustainable and high-costly). All of us as individuals, on the other hand, should commit to effective and constructive volunteerism and be part of the long-lasting structures that would protect and save all animals in Kosovo from any kind of injustice.
The Animal Rights Foundation will work and fight in every instance in this regard, so that strong institutional, legal, cultural and professional grounds can be built for the common good and the protection of animal welfare and rights in every respect. This battle will be very long and difficult, but thanks to our international and national partners, we believe that the work will be done at least easier.
We are convinced and it is also scientifically proven (in many different fields: medicine, law, permaculture, aquaculture, economics, art, etc.) that the protection of the co-habitats of this planet (animals) automatically brings improvements to people’s well-being, well. Do not forget, we share the same real home with them: the environment / nature.
The institutional meetings we had last week and which we consider to be very important for our future projects and goals, are as following:
1. The Veterinary Institute under the framework of the Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary of the University of Pristina.
2. The Food and Veterinary Agency of the Republic of Kosovo (KFVA)
3. Municipality of Pristina
And last but not least, we met Mr. Piero Cristoforo Sardi, the Ambassador of Italy in the Republic of Kosovo.
These meetings were realized during this time of the LAV and ATB’s presents, and in the near future, the Animal Rights Foundation will definitely extend its institutional cooperation even more, in many other municipalities in Kosovo.
We thank all the partner institutions for the effective meetings we’ve had and we hope that we will soon be able to carry out the planned activities together.