Worldlog week 15 – 2014

Last Sunday, our party congress took place: a beautiful and inspiring day on which the congress established the list of candidates for the European elections. Anja Hazekamp, our Provincial Council member from the province of Groningen, will be heading the list of candidates and she will be supported by many other persons on the list, from home and abroad. The other persons on the list are:

– Maarten Biesheuvel, author
– Annemarie Postma, author
– Ewald Engelen, professor
– Jan-Peter Cruiming, entrepreneur
– Eddy Terstall, film maker
– Peter Nicolaï, lawyer
– Mensje van Keulen, author
– Jan Siebelink, author
– Guido Weijers, comedian
– Paul Cliteur, professor
– Babette van Veen, actress
– A. F. Th. van der Heijden, author
– John Coetzee, author
– Will Kymlicka, professor
– Howard Lyman, author
– Tom Regan, philosopher

We have a first with our list of candidates from various European countries and even from the United States and South Africa. Nobel price winner John M. Coetzee has attached his name to our list of candidates, as have Tom Regan, Will Kymlicka and Howard Lyman. I am very happy with this broad support! This brilliant quote of Coetzee corresponds perfectly with us:

We would have liked to participate with a PAN European list, together with European sister parties, but that is not yet permitted within the European Union. Still, the Dutch Elections Act has appeared to give room for placing citizens from other Member States and even from countries outside of the European Union on the list of candidates. A possibility which had been overlooked before, but which has been confirmed by the Dutch Electoral Council. Following its initial written permission, however, the Electoral Council has become uncertain about this first and is now studying the Elections Act… To be continued!

Here is a short photo report of the congress:

At the invitation of the Vice President of the European Parliament, I gave a speech at a conference on sustainable food last week. I spoke in Brussels about the global food crisis, the negative effects of meat consumption and the importance of a radical change in food policy in the European Union.

The conference was organised by EU Food Sense. This organisation is committed to the rights of European citizens to nutritious and affordable food, taking into account the environment, agriculture and health. Click here for my speech in English.

Last weekend, the annual conference of the French animal welfare organisation OABA (Oeuvre d’assistance aux Bêtes d’Abattoirs) took place in Paris. OABA provides advice to the French government, among other things. Click here for my video message (in French).

Critical news: a quarter of the European bumble bee species is in danger of extinction due to excessive use of pesticides.

Action is bound to come, at least, we are committed for the full 120 per cent to avert this impending disaster. An immediate ban on the use of pesticides is called for.

A beautiful Lucky shot via @Fascinatingpics!

Have a good week!

Marianne