Declaration of Sustainable Feminist Development and Innovation Human and Non-human

An important goal according to demands and agreements from the Nordic Feminist Forum in Malmo 12th to 15th of June 2014 is the opening of new territories, ideas and suggestions linked to gender equality politics for the future. The Forum document says: "New generations of feminists are expected to discover dimensions, areas, and strategies, social and economic innovations vital for how humanity may form equal and sustainable societies."

Here, such a discovery is presented: Concurrently with elite masculine societies having been formed by calculations in conflict with the planet's capacity to recreate biological resources; exploitation, pollution, gas emissions, and social inequality as prerequisite for economic growth, environmental destruction has been recognized as a theme for gender equality and universal human rights.

In accordance with the action plan from Beijing 1995 to forward the culture of peace-making, the definition of sustainable peace has evolved to include justice and equality instead of merely absence of war. This concept of sustainable peace needs further expansion to include the protection of the environment and the obligation to create peaceful relations to the Earth's other beings.

The on-going global destruction of nature and killing of animal beings with its long-term effects of ecological disaster is destroying means of subsistence by forcing people to flee or resettle due to water deficits, flooding, erosion, and water pollution. Native peoples and aboriginal peoples, women, dissenters, and activists across the globe have for centuries warned of this connection: The destruction of nature, and the mass killing of fellow animal beings, affects everyone on earth.

During the last fifty years the global exploitation of non-humans in general and the reproduction of animal bodies have escalated affecting many areas and dimensions of survival. The number of free animal beings has been decimated, counting from 1970 until today; the World Wildlife Foundation statistics, The Global LPI (Living Planet Index), showing a 58 percent decline between 1970 and 2012, and projecting a decline of 66 percent for 2020.1 In addition to the rapid decline in animal populations, more than 70 billion animals (the fish industry accounts for another 38 to 128 billion) are forcefully raised, confined, and restricted to be industrially slaughtered for the meat market.

Seemingly paradoxical, though logical, these calamities; the enormous loss of animals in wildlife and the mass slaughtering of raised and confined animals in human societies, both entail the same result of death and loss. Both phenomena are outcomes of the current global economic order that lack insights and knowledge into the intertwined and interdependent relationships between the survival of humans and non-humans, i.e. animals and nature.

The total societal costs and consequences of large-scale animal production remain to be counted. However in several reports, the United Nations (FAO 2006) has found the global and industrial animal production to be the main cause of lost biological diversity and one of the three major causes of global environmental destruction; air pollution, water pollution, water deficits, erosion, land deficits and climate gas emissions, general health, and security problems by the contributing to degenerative sicknesses, antibiotic resistance, and as a source of contagious flu (zoonosis).

Consideration of other beings as species and individuals is hitherto a hidden factor to attain good economic and social development. Respectful attitudes, policies and actions in relation to other than human beings are connected to humanitarian and non-violent endeavours, and the realization of human rights by nature conservation and human health.

In order to solve and mitigate the current global socio-economic, ecological and climate problems, feminist perspectives and policies may employ, for instance, the following innovations (in no particular order):

Conversion to socially managed concepts of economic and social development including other species affected by human activities, especially those endowed with capacity for suffering: gross national/international equality including consideration for animals and nature/ecology

Conversion to economic accountings and policies which reward non-violent business endeavours, targeting especially the conversion to plant based agricultural production

Overarching legislation and agreements abolishing violence and killing of animals (with the exception of exceptional reasons); abolishing the usage of animals as products and reproductive vessels; international legislation/agreements abolishing the destruction of the homes of free animals/environmental destruction (so called ecocide, see endecocid.se); international legislation/agreements abolishing the killing of animals for business purposes; legislation/agreements abolishing the mass killing by humans of animals living on the border of human societies, and in nature

Recognition of how violence against animals influence violence between humans, adults and children, how violence against animals affects domestic violence, and how it affects human relations and activities in general, in animal industries, as part of pornographic industry, and in conflicts and in war

Implementation of peaceful non-violent approaches, attitudes, and methods including other beings: respect for weakness/inferiority and divergence in general; non-coercive non-punishing mutual communication, in conflict, in education and learning, in social projects, towards free animals in wild life management; prohibition against the usage of animals as shields and training objects for violent military and police purposes

Adoption of, and increased investments into, research and testing employing models and devices that do not use animals; increased investments and planning for preventive health care

Inclusion of animal rights indicators where it is relevant, in official statistics, budgets, economic dealings within the state or cities or communes/municipalities, in sustainable reports, and in reports on abuse and assaults

Updated scientific facts and knowledge in research and education concerning the mental, and physiological, capacities, and sexual variations of other sentient beings; facts about humans' dependency upon other beings, humanity's dependency upon ecosystems, humanity's responsibilities as the dominant planetary species

Since 1994, the Swedish society works to integrate gender equality; research and political activism of today show that this method must be extended to encompass all existing sex variations, genders, transgender, social class, sexuality, origin/exterior, functionality, and age. To attain sustainable feminist social development goals, a reconsideration of human activities in relation to animal beings is paramount. Society creates possibilities to develop in more peaceful and sustainable ways when non-human beings are acknowledged as factual and potential victims in relation to humans and when these relations are included and considered in issues of environment, peace, and security.

Current human social crisis is a crisis for the global patriarchal culture and therefore a chance to apply critical global thinking and be thorough when demanding what is needed to build humanely, equally, and sustainably. The feminist animal rights perspective suggests theoretical reflection, education, new legislation, and practical politics.