A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT

The TRUE GREEN ALLIANCE

 (TGA)

 

On 27th February, 2016, a new South African NGO was born: THE TRUE GREEN ALLIANCE (TGA).  A board of directors was created and an interim president and CEO were appointed.  A more permanent structure will be established later in the year.

 

It is the TGA’s primary purpose to discredit the doctrine of animal rightsism within the governments and parliaments of southern Africa, and within the public domain. 

 

VISION

To create a southern African (ultimately global) society that is properly informed with regard to the principles and practices of wildlife management that understands the wisdom of, and necessity for, the sustainable utilisation of living resources (both wild and domestic) for the benefit of mankind, and that rejects the animal rights doctrine.

 

MISSION

• To educate society with regard to all aspects of the TGA vision.

• To field a fully trained, responsible and passionate team of TGA experts that will constantly and actively counteract animal rights propaganda, reverse pro-animal rights perceptions within southern African societies and governments, and that will purge society of the pernicious scourge of animal rights activism.

• To create a strong, broad-based, credible and respected alliance of individuals, businesses, other NGO organisations and organs of government, that are involved with the management of living resources; and that, collectively, will constantly strive to achieve the TGA’s vision.

 

The TGA has been endorsed by the leading members of South Africa’s wildlife industry: WRSA (Wildlife Ranching South Africa); SAHGCA (The South African Hunters and Game Conservation Association); PHASA (The Professional Hunters’ Association of South Africa); CHASA (The Confederation of Hunting Associations of South Africa); and PROA (The Private Rhino Owners Association).  Others to follow!   It can be said, therefore, that the TGA is already truly representative of South Africa’s wildlife industry in its battle to wrestle free from the destructive and irrational tentacles of the international animal rights brigade and its local camp followers. 

 

The TGA and the ANIMAL RIGHTS DOCTRINE

The TGA believes that only through the application of honest science will mankind fully understand the natural world and how to develop rational and effective techniques to manage its living resources.

 

There is a range of individual philosophies within the realm of ‘animal rights’ but most adherents hold similar foundational beliefs:

• That each individual animal should be afforded the same basic rights as humans;

• That every animal should live free from human-induced pain and suffering;

• That animals should not be exploited for any human purpose;

• That every individual animal has equal status, regardless of commonality or rarity, or whether or not the species is native, exotic, invasive or feral; and

• That it is wrong for man to take a sentient animal’s life.

 

It is the animal rightists’ purpose to ABOLISH all animal uses (both domestic and wild) by man, and to force mankind to subsist on a vegetable diet alone. 

 

The only way the animal rightists can achieve these goals is by radically changing the established lifestyles of human societies, and thereby violating a great many legitimate human rights.  All things considered, therefore, the TGA believes there is no place in responsible and civilised society for the animal rights doctrine.

 

TGA recognises that there are profound differences between animal “rights” and animal “welfare”; it is aware that many members of society, unfortunately, believe they are one and the same thing.  TGA will strive to correct this misconception.

 

In contrast with the animal rights doctrine, the true animal welfare philosophy accepts that animals provide many benefits to mankind, and that civilisation would not survive if man was denied the right to use them. The welfarists’ only proviso is that when man uses or kills an animal to obtain benefits, such practices are conducted humanely. 

The animal rightists believe that animal welfare organisations represent the greatest impediment to the achievement of their prohibition objectives because, they complain, the welfarists inculcate in society’s mind, the notion that man’s use of animals is acceptable. 

 

The animal rights philosophy, therefore, is totally incompatible with science-based wildlife management.

 

Regrettably, throughout the last 40 years - during the South African wildlife industry’s developmental phase - whilst acknowledging the animal rightists’ existence, everyone failed to recognise the danger they represented. Hunters and game ranchers, alike, tended to believe that the “greenies” were merely a bunch of fools, and that they would eventually disappear if they were ignored. 

 

Leaving the animal rightists alone, however, provided these nefarious people with an open playing field - without any opposition - on which they have, with ever growing success, been winning over the hearts and minds of southern African society. 

 

Nevertheless, as a result of the furore created by the legitimate hunting of a single black rhino bull in Namibia, the ‘Cecil the Lion’ incident, several other lesser skirmishes, and the ban imposed by major international airlines on the transportation of African hunting trophies, the danger posed by these pernicious people has now, at last, been realised. There is no longer any doubt that all facets of Africa’s wildlife industries have become major animal rightist targets.

 

The TGA is now girding its loins, therefore, to become the opposing team - representing the interests of South Africa’s wildlife industry, and all responsible organisations and intelligent nature loving people in southern Africa - that will challenge animal rightist activities at every turn.  The TGA will win - because it has justice, truth, integrity and common sense on its side... but only if everybody continues to stand together, and only if the wildlife industry and southern African society, continue to support it.  The TGA cannot fight this battle alone!

 

The TGA, therefore, invites everybody to join it: everybody who cares about the success of our wildlife industry; and everybody who cares about the future of Africa, of Africa’s people and of its wildlife. If you would like to receive the TGA news and information bulletins - free from any obligation - kindly register your name and contact details with the admin. officer Dave McRae, by email, to: daveandco@mweb.co.za.  In due course formal membership invitations will be issued.  Any enquiries from interested parties in the First World are more than welcome!

 

Ron Thomson

The TRUE GREEN ALLIANCE