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			{{short description\|Anti-speciesist political think tank}}
	{{multiple\|
			{{Infobox organization
	{{POV\|date=April 2017}}
			\| name = Sentience Politics
	{{COI\|date=March 2017}}
			\| full_name =
	{{Update\|date=December 2017}}
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			\| purpose = Reducing suffering of ]
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			\| location = ], Switzerland<ref>{{Cite web\|last=\|first=\|title=Who we are\|url=https://sentience.ch/en/who-we-are/\|access-date=2021-12-07\|website=Sentience\|language=en-US}}</ref>
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			\| owner = <!-- or \| owners = -->
			\| sec_gen = <!-- or \| gen_sec for General Secretary -->
			\| leader_title = Co-Presidents
			\| leader_name = Katherine Hermans<br />Naoki Peter
			\| leader_title2 = Managing Director
			\| leader_name2 = Philipp Ryf
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			\| website = {{URL\|https://sentience.ch/en}}
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	'''Sentience Politics''' is an ] political ] with the goal of reducing the suffering of all ] beings. Founded in 2013,<ref name="about">{{cite web \|url=https://sentience-politics.org/about/ \|title=About Us \|author=Sentience Politics \|accessdate=November 20, 2016}}</ref> their activities include political campaigns—such as ongoing ballot initiatives for ]<ref name="LausitzerRundschau">{{cite web \|url=http://www.lr-online.de/nachrichten/brandenburg/Buergerbegehren-fuer-vegane-Gerichte-in-Kreuzberger-Kantinen;art310462,5638147 \|title=Bürgerbegehren für vegane Gerichte in Kreuzberger Kantinen \|date=October 11, 2016 \|accessdate=December 8, 2016}}</ref><ref name=watson>{{cite web \|url=http://www.watson.ch/Front/articles/268090491-Volksinitiativen-f%C3%BCr-vegane-Menus-an-Schulen-und-Heimen \|title=Volksinitiativen für vegane Menus an Schulen und Heimen \|date=March 23, 2014 \|accessdate=January 8, 2017}}</ref><ref name=Bartsch>{{cite web \|url=http://www.luzerner-rundschau.ch/stadt/detail/article/luzern-mag-es-vegan-0094933/ \|title=Lucerne mag es vegan \|date=October 6, 2016 \|accessdate=January 1, 2017 \|author=Lisa Bartsch}}</ref><ref name=blick>{{cite web \|url=http://www.blick.ch/news/schweiz/zuerich/neue-volksinitiative-lanciert-kommt-jetzt-der-vegan-zwang-in-zuerich-id3634583.html \|title=Kommt jetzt der Vegan-Zwang in Zürich? \|date=March 7, 2015 \|accessdate=January 8, 2017}}</ref> and fundamental rights for ]<ref name="krafft">{{cite web \|url=http://www.lematin.ch/matindimanche/idee-donner-droits-primates-chemin-ble/story/26143475 \|title=L’idée de donner des droits aux primates fait son chemin à Bâle \|author=Camille Krafft \|date=July 10, 2016 \|accessdate=November 15, 2016}}</ref>—and research on how to most effectively reduce the suffering of human and non-human sentient beings.<ref name="agenda">{{cite web \|url= https://sentience-politics.org/research/research-agenda/ \|title=Research Agenda \|author=Sentience Politics \|accessdate=November 16, 2016}}</ref>

			'''Sentience Politics''' is a Swiss ] political organization with the goal of reducing the suffering of ].<ref>{{Cite web \|last=www.sentience.ch \|first=Sentience Politics, Basel \|title=Who we are \|url=https://sentience.ch/en/who-we-are/ \|access-date=2022-04-21 \|website=Sentience \|language=en-US}}</ref> Founded in 2013,<ref name="about">{{cite web \|url=https://sentience-politics.org/about/ \|title=About Us \|author=Sentience Politics \|access-date=November 20, 2016}}</ref> their activities include political campaigns, such as ballot initiatives for ],<ref name="LausitzerRundschau">{{cite web \|url=http://www.lr-online.de/nachrichten/brandenburg/Buergerbegehren-fuer-vegane-Gerichte-in-Kreuzberger-Kantinen;art310462,5638147 \|title=Bürgerbegehren für vegane Gerichte in Kreuzberger Kantinen \|date=October 11, 2016 \|access-date=December 8, 2016}}</ref><ref name=blick>{{cite web \|url=http://www.blick.ch/news/schweiz/zuerich/neue-volksinitiative-lanciert-kommt-jetzt-der-vegan-zwang-in-zuerich-id3634583.html \|title=Kommt jetzt der Vegan-Zwang in Zürich? \|date=March 7, 2015 \|access-date=January 8, 2017}}</ref> ] for ]<ref name="krafft">{{cite news \|url=http://www.lematin.ch/matindimanche/idee-donner-droits-primates-chemin-ble/story/26143475 \|title=L'idée de donner des droits aux primates fait son chemin à Bâle \|author=Camille Krafft \|newspaper=Le Matin \|date=July 10, 2016 \|access-date=November 15, 2016}}</ref> or a ban on ].<ref name=":0" />
	Sentience Politics was established as a project of the Effective Altruism Foundation, whose other projects include ] and the Foundational Research Institute.<ref name=eaf>{{cite web \|url=https://ea-foundation.org/projects/ \|title=Projects \|author=Effective Altruism Foundation \|accessdate=January 8, 2017}}</ref>

			== History ==
	Sentience Politics is now an independent Swiss association.<ref name=indep>{{cite web \|url=https://sentience-politics.org/de/sentience-politics-wird-ein-unabhaengiger-verein/ \|title=Sentience Politics wird ein unabhängiger Verein! \|accessdate=January 30, 2018}}</ref>
			Sentience Politics was established as a project of the Effective Altruism Foundation, whose other projects include ] and the Foundational Research Institute.<ref name="eaf">{{cite web\|author=Effective Altruism Foundation\|title=Projects\|url=https://ea-foundation.org/projects/\|access-date=January 8, 2017}}</ref> The project used to conduct research on how to most effectively reduce the suffering of human and non-human sentient beings.<ref name="agenda">{{cite web \|author=Sentience Politics \|title=Research Agenda \|url=https://sentience-politics.org/research/research-agenda/ \|access-date=November 16, 2016}}</ref> This work is now being done by the independent ], which was founded in 2017 while Sentience Politics continues to do primarily political work.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Institute \|first=Sentience \|title=Introducing Sentience Institute \|url=http://www.sentienceinstitute.org/blog/introducing-sentience-institute \|access-date=2022-04-22 \|website=Sentience Institute \|language=en}}</ref>

			Sentience Politics has been operating as an independent Swiss association since 2017.<ref name="indep">{{cite web \|title=Sentience – Who we are \|url=https://sentience.ch/en/who-we-are/ \|access-date=January 30, 2018}}</ref>

			== Positions ==

			=== Cultured meat ===

			Sentience Politics advocates for the use of ] to meet ], ], and human health challenges, arguing that ] inflicts significantly less pain on animals, has significantly lower land and water use and is healthier during production and consumption. To promote the use of ] Sentience Politics advocates for private and public funding of academic research and increasing awareness of the possibilities of ].<ref name="culturedmeatposition">{{cite web \|url=https://sentience-politics.org/files/cultured-meat-revision.pdf \|title=Cultured Meat: An Ethical Alternative To Industrial Animal Farming - Policy Paper \|date=June 2016 \|access-date=May 19, 2021}}</ref>

			=== Fundamental rights for primates ===

			Sentience Politics considers humans one of many ] species and advocates to treat equal things equally while treating unequal things different based on the existing differences. The think tank describes non-human primates as highly intelligent, social beings, that can experience pain, remember past events, plan future events and have a fundamental interest to live and remain unharmed. Following this position Sentience Politics argues that non-human primates are equally deserving of the right to experience no harm and not being killed as human primates.<ref name="fundamentalrightsposition">{{cite web \|url=https://sentience-politics.org/files/Grundrechte-fuer-Primaten.pdf \|title=Grundrechte für Primaten - Positionspapier \|date=April 2016 \|access-date=May 19, 2021}}</ref>

			=== Sustainable Food ===

			Sentience Politics considers the animal industry to be a driver of environmental problems through ] and ], world ] through ], price increase for ], ] of local farmers and ], Swiss ] through high ], health issues through ], ], ], ] and ] risks, and ] through slaughtering, ] and behavioral disorders. To address these shortcomings Sentience Politics advocates for promoting plant-based cooking skills, increasing the range of plant-based product offers, and solidifying the basis of decision-making through recommendations and research.<ref name="sustainablefoodposition">{{cite web \|url=https://sentience-politics.org/files/sustainable-food-2020.pdf \|title=Grundrechte für Primaten - Positionspapier \|date=2016 \|access-date=May 19, 2021}}</ref>

	== Campaigns ==		== Campaigns ==
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	=== Fundamental rights for primates ===		=== Fundamental rights for primates ===

	In June 2016, Sentience Politics began collecting signatures for a ballot initiative on fundamental rights for ] in ], Switzerland.<ref name="drompt">{{cite web \|url=http://www.lecourrier.ch/140202/une_initiative_veut_limiter_les_souffrances_des_primates \|title=Une initiative veut limiter les souffrances des primates \|date=June 23, 2016 \|~~accessdate~~=November 15, 2016}}</ref> The proposed reforms would revise the cantonal constitution to include "right to life and respect for the physical and mental integrity" for non-human primates. According to Sentience Politics, Basel's existing animal welfare regulations are not sufficient to protect primates from death and suffering, for example in pharmaceutical experiments and in confinement at the ].<ref name="krafft" /> If adopted, the reform would ~~allow~~ observational studies on primates but very few medical experiments, and would require the Basel Zoo to make significant changes in its primate breeding and enclosures.<ref name=watson1>{{cite web \|url=http://www.watson.ch/zoo/Region%20Basel/213385350-Schluss-mit-Affen-Versuchen--Basler-Tiersch%C3%BCtzer-fordern-Gleichstellung-von-Mensch-und-Affe \|title=Schluss mit Affen-Versuchen: Basler Tierschützer fordern Gleichstellung von Mensch und Affe \|date=June 24, 2016 \|~~accessdate~~=November 20, 2016}}</ref> ~~The~~ campaign is ~~supported~~ by ~~several~~ ~~Green~~ ~~Party~~ ~~members~~.<ref name="~~drompt~~" />		In June 2016, Sentience Politics began collecting signatures for a ballot initiative on fundamental rights for ] in ], Switzerland.<ref name="drompt">{{cite web \|url=http://www.lecourrier.ch/140202/une_initiative_veut_limiter_les_souffrances_des_primates \|title=Une initiative veut limiter les souffrances des primates \|date=June 23, 2016 \|access-date=November 15, 2016}}</ref> With the submission of 3,080 valid signatures to the Basel State Chancellery, the initiative was officially handed in on September 16, 2017.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Bericht: Kantonale Volksinitiative "Grundrechte für Primaten" \|url=https://www.grosserrat.bs.ch/dokumente/100394/000000394083.pdf}}</ref> The proposed reforms would revise the cantonal constitution to include a "right to life and respect for the physical and mental integrity" for non-human primates. According to Sentience Politics, Basel's existing animal welfare regulations are not sufficient to protect primates from death and suffering, for example in pharmaceutical experiments and in confinement at the ].<ref name="krafft" /> If adopted, the reform would have allowed observational studies on primates but very few medical experiments, and would require the Basel Zoo to make significant changes in its primate breeding and enclosures.<ref name=watson1>{{cite web \|url=http://www.watson.ch/zoo/Region%20Basel/213385350-Schluss-mit-Affen-Versuchen--Basler-Tiersch%C3%BCtzer-fordern-Gleichstellung-von-Mensch-und-Affe \|title=Schluss mit Affen-Versuchen: Basler Tierschützer fordern Gleichstellung von Mensch und Affe \|date=June 24, 2016 \|access-date=November 20, 2016}}</ref> According to Sentience Politics' former Managing Director Meret Schneider, the campaign is a first step in extending rights to non-human animals.<ref name="krafft" />

			The initiative was initially declared invalid by the Basel parliament because, as per their assessment, it violated higher-level law. The Basel Court of Appeal and, in second instance, the ], however, came to a different conclusion.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Hoskyn \|first=Jonas \|title=Linker Rückenwind für die Primaten-Initiative \|url=https://www.tagblatt.ch/basel/tierrechte-linker-rueckenwind-fuer-die-primaten-initiative-ld.2223997 \|access-date=2022-04-23 \|website=St. Galler Tagblatt \|language=de}}</ref>
	According to project manager Meret Schneider, the campaign is a first step in extending rights to non-human animals.<ref name="krafft" />

			The campaign was supported by Basel's Green and ].<ref name=":1" /> English primatologist ] was the most prominent individual to support the proposal.<ref name=":2" />

			The proposal was voted on by Basel's electorate on February 13, 2022, and rejected with 25.3% in favour of the constitutional amendment.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Keystone-SDA/ts \|title=Voters decline to give limited rights to non-human primates \|url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/politics/voters-decline-to-give-limited-rights-to-non-human-primates/47343656 \|access-date=2022-04-22 \|website=SWI swissinfo.ch \|language=en}}</ref> It was the first time in history that a region voted on fundamental rights for ].<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Primaten: In Basel könnten Affen bald Grundrechte erhalten \|url=https://www.spektrum.de/news/in-basel-koennten-affen-bald-grundrechte-erhalten/1984696 \|access-date=2022-04-23 \|website=www.spektrum.de \|language=de}}</ref>

	=== Sustainable food ===		=== Sustainable food ===

	On October 10, 2016, Sentience Politics, along with animal advocacy organizations Vebu and the ] began collecting signatures for a citizen’s initiative in Berlin Kreuzberg that would require all schools and the town hall to offer a ] option every day. This is the first vegan citizen’s initiative in Germany.<ref name="LausitzerRundschau" /> They need to collect signatures from 3% of the electorate (about 6,000) by April 2017.<ref name="frey">{{cite web \|url=http://www.berliner-woche.de/friedrichshain/politik/veganes-buergerbegehren-d110586.html \|title=Veganes Bürgerbegehren \|author=Thomas Frey \|date=October 13, 2016 \|~~accessdate~~=December 8, 2016}}</ref> There are about 95,000 vegans in Berlin,<ref name="Zwerenz">{{cite web \|url=https://mitvergnuegen.com/2016/in-kreuzberg-friedrichshain-soll-es-jetzt-auch-veganes-kantinenessen-geben \|title=In Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg soll es bald auch veganes Kantinenessen geben \|author=Milena Zwerenz \|~~accessdate~~=December 8, 2016}}</ref> and the city is considered the vegan ~~capitol~~ of Europe with more than 50 vegan restaurants.<ref name="Meyer">{{cite web \|url=https://www.neues-deutschland.de/artikel/1028327.vegan-auch-in-der-bezirkskantine.html \|title=Vegan auch in der Bezirkskantine \|author=Robert D. Meyer \|date=October 11, 2016 \|~~accessdate~~=December 8, 2016}}</ref>		On October 10, 2016, Sentience Politics, along with animal advocacy organizations Vebu and the Albert Schweitzer Foundation for Our Contemporaries began collecting signatures for a citizen’s initiative in Berlin Kreuzberg that would require all schools and the town hall to offer a ] option every day. This is the first vegan citizen’s initiative in Germany.<ref name="LausitzerRundschau" /> They need to collect signatures from 3% of the electorate (about 6,000) by April 2017.<ref name="frey">{{cite web \|url=http://www.berliner-woche.de/friedrichshain/politik/veganes-buergerbegehren-d110586.html \|title=Veganes Bürgerbegehren \|author=Thomas Frey \|date=October 13, 2016 \|access-date=December 8, 2016}}</ref> There are about 95,000 vegans in Berlin,<ref name="Zwerenz">{{cite web \|url=https://mitvergnuegen.com/2016/in-kreuzberg-friedrichshain-soll-es-jetzt-auch-veganes-kantinenessen-geben \|title=In Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg soll es bald auch veganes Kantinenessen geben \|author=Milena Zwerenz \|access-date=December 8, 2016}}</ref> and the city is considered the vegan capital of Europe with more than 50 vegan restaurants.<ref name="Meyer">{{cite web \|url=https://www.neues-deutschland.de/artikel/1028327.vegan-auch-in-der-bezirkskantine.html \|title=Vegan auch in der Bezirkskantine \|author=Robert D. Meyer \|date=October 11, 2016 \|access-date=December 8, 2016}}</ref>

			Sentience Politics has launched similar initiatives in ],<ref name=":1">{{Cite web\|title=Es darf auch vegan sein: Die Stadt Zürich muss umweltschonende Ernährung fördern\|url=https://www.limmattalerzeitung.ch/limmattal/zuerich/es-darf-auch-vegan-sein-die-stadt-zuerich-muss-umweltschonende-ernaehrung-foerdern-131943120\|access-date=2020-06-30\|website=Limmattaler Zeitung\|language=de-ch}}</ref> ]<ref name="watson">{{cite web\|date=March 23, 2014\|title=Volksinitiativen für vegane Menus an Schulen und Heimen\|url=http://www.watson.ch/Front/articles/268090491-Volksinitiativen-f%C3%BCr-vegane-Menus-an-Schulen-und-Heimen\|access-date=January 8, 2017}}</ref> and ],<ref name="Bartsch">{{cite web\|author=Lisa Bartsch\|date=October 6, 2016\|title=Lucerne mag es vegan\|url=http://www.luzerner-rundschau.ch/stadt/detail/article/luzern-mag-es-vegan-0094933/\|access-date=January 1, 2017}}</ref> Switzerland.
	Sentience Politics has launched similar initiatives in Basel<ref name=watson /> and ],<ref name=Bartsch /> Switzerland.

	Sentience Politics explained to House of Democracy and Human Rights that the vegan options will help mitigate climate change.<ref name="Zivanovic">{{cite web \|url=http://www.berliner-zeitung.de/berlin/ernaehrung-buergerbegehren-fordert-veganes-essen-in-kantinen-24877028 \|title=Bürgerbegehren fordert veganes Essen in Kantinen \|author=Aleksandar Zivanovic \|date=October 10, 2016 \|~~accessdate~~=December 8, 2016}}</ref> The initiative will also help reduce the suffering of farmed animals. There has been resistance from cafeteria directors, who fear that the vegan options would cost more. The District Office estimates that a vegan meal would cost 1.25 Euro more than a conventional meal.<ref name="gv-praxis">{{cite web \|url=http://www.cafe-future.net/gv/branchennews/pages/Berlin-Kreuzberg-Buergerbegehren-fuer-veganes-Essen-in-Schulen-und-Kantinen_36204.html \|title=Berlin Kreuzberg: Bürgerbegehren für veganes Essen in Schulen und Kantinen \|date=October 28, 2016 \|~~accessdate~~=December 8, 2016}}</ref>		Sentience Politics explained to House of Democracy and Human Rights that the vegan options will help mitigate climate change.<ref name="Zivanovic">{{cite web \|url=http://www.berliner-zeitung.de/berlin/ernaehrung-buergerbegehren-fordert-veganes-essen-in-kantinen-24877028 \|title=Bürgerbegehren fordert veganes Essen in Kantinen \|author=Aleksandar Zivanovic \|date=October 10, 2016 \|access-date=December 8, 2016}}</ref> The initiative will also help reduce the suffering of farmed animals. There has been resistance from cafeteria directors, who fear that the vegan options would cost more. The District Office estimates that a vegan meal would cost 1.25 Euro more than a conventional meal.<ref name="gv-praxis">{{cite web \|url=http://www.cafe-future.net/gv/branchennews/pages/Berlin-Kreuzberg-Buergerbegehren-fuer-veganes-Essen-in-Schulen-und-Kantinen_36204.html \|title=Berlin Kreuzberg: Bürgerbegehren für veganes Essen in Schulen und Kantinen \|date=October 28, 2016 \|access-date=December 8, 2016}}</ref>

	=== Initiative to ban factory farming in Switzerland ===		=== Initiative to ban factory farming in Switzerland ===
	In 2018, Sentience Politics started gathering signatures for a people's initiative to ban factory farming in Switzerland.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/animal-welfare_initiative-to-end-factory-farming-switzerland-launched/44185782\|title=Initiative launched to end factory farming in Switzerland~~\|last=\|first=\|date=\|website=\|url-status=live\|archive-url=\|archive-date=\|access-date=~~}}</ref> In September 2019, the initiative committee submitted more than 100'000 verified signatures in the Swiss capital of Bern. <ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/animal-rights_swiss-to-vote-on-banning-factory-farming/45233958\|title=Swiss to vote on banning factory farming\|~~last~~=\|~~first~~=\|date=\|website=\|~~url-status~~=~~live~~\|~~archive-url~~=\|~~archive-date~~=\|access-date=}}</ref> The ~~national~~ vote on the ~~ban~~ is expected to take place ~~within~~ ~~approximately~~ ~~two~~ ~~years.~~		In 2018, Sentience Politics started gathering signatures for a people's initiative to ban factory farming in Switzerland.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web\|url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/animal-welfare_initiative-to-end-factory-farming-switzerland-launched/44185782\|title=Initiative launched to end factory farming in Switzerland}}</ref> In September 2019, the initiative committee submitted more than 100,000 verified signatures in the Swiss capital of Bern.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web\|url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/animal-rights_swiss-to-vote-on-banning-factory-farming/45233958\|title=Swiss to vote on banning factory farming}}</ref> Initially, the ] announced that they will present a direct counter proposal to the initiative.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web\|title=Massentierhaltungsinitiative: Bundesrat will Gegenvorschlag\|url=https://www.schweizerbauer.ch/politik--wirtschaft/agrarpolitik/massentierhaltungsinitiative-bundesrat-will-gegenvorschlag-55321.html\|access-date=2020-06-30\|website=www.schweizerbauer.ch}}</ref> In March 2022 the ] followed the ]'s assessment and decided not to prepare a counter proposal to be voted on.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web \|title=Nur Massentierhaltungsinitiative kommt vors Volk \|url=https://www.presseportal.ch/de/pm/100054062/100885849 \|access-date=2022-04-23 \|website=presseportal.ch \|language=de}}</ref> The vote on the initiative is expected to take place in 2022.<ref name=":4" />

	== See also ==		== See also ==
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	{{reflist\|30em}}		{{reflist\|30em}}

			== External links ==
	]
			* {{Official website\|https://sentience.ch/en}}

			{{Animal rights\|state=uncollapsed\|movement}}
			{{Effective altruism}}

			]
			]
			]
			]
			]
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Latest revision as of 09:02, 7 August 2024

Anti-speciesist political think tank

Sentience Politics

Nickname	Sentience
Formation	2013; 12 years ago (2013)
Purpose	Reducing suffering of non-human animals
Location	Basel, Switzerland
Region	Switzerland
Official language	German French
Co-Presidents	Katherine Hermans Naoki Peter
Managing Director	Philipp Ryf
Website	sentience.ch/en

Sentience Politics is a Swiss anti-speciesist political organization with the goal of reducing the suffering of non-human animals. Founded in 2013, their activities include political campaigns, such as ballot initiatives for sustainable food, fundamental rights for primates or a ban on factory farming.

History

Sentience Politics was established as a project of the Effective Altruism Foundation, whose other projects include Raising for Effective Giving and the Foundational Research Institute. The project used to conduct research on how to most effectively reduce the suffering of human and non-human sentient beings. This work is now being done by the independent Sentience Institute, which was founded in 2017 while Sentience Politics continues to do primarily political work.

Sentience Politics has been operating as an independent Swiss association since 2017.

Positions

Cultured meat

Sentience Politics advocates for the use of cultured meat to meet animal welfare, environmental sustainability, and human health challenges, arguing that cultured meat inflicts significantly less pain on animals, has significantly lower land and water use and is healthier during production and consumption. To promote the use of cultured meat Sentience Politics advocates for private and public funding of academic research and increasing awareness of the possibilities of cultured meat.

Fundamental rights for primates

Sentience Politics considers humans one of many primate species and advocates to treat equal things equally while treating unequal things different based on the existing differences. The think tank describes non-human primates as highly intelligent, social beings, that can experience pain, remember past events, plan future events and have a fundamental interest to live and remain unharmed. Following this position Sentience Politics argues that non-human primates are equally deserving of the right to experience no harm and not being killed as human primates.

Sustainable Food

Sentience Politics considers the animal industry to be a driver of environmental problems through greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution, world poverty through water shortage, price increase for staple foods, displacement of local farmers and food waste, Swiss food insecurity through high land use, health issues through antibiotic resistance, pandemic, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity risks, and animal welfare through slaughtering, cannibalism and behavioral disorders. To address these shortcomings Sentience Politics advocates for promoting plant-based cooking skills, increasing the range of plant-based product offers, and solidifying the basis of decision-making through recommendations and research.

Campaigns

Fundamental rights for primates

In June 2016, Sentience Politics began collecting signatures for a ballot initiative on fundamental rights for primates in Basel, Switzerland. With the submission of 3,080 valid signatures to the Basel State Chancellery, the initiative was officially handed in on September 16, 2017. The proposed reforms would revise the cantonal constitution to include a "right to life and respect for the physical and mental integrity" for non-human primates. According to Sentience Politics, Basel's existing animal welfare regulations are not sufficient to protect primates from death and suffering, for example in pharmaceutical experiments and in confinement at the Basel Zoo. If adopted, the reform would have allowed observational studies on primates but very few medical experiments, and would require the Basel Zoo to make significant changes in its primate breeding and enclosures. According to Sentience Politics' former Managing Director Meret Schneider, the campaign is a first step in extending rights to non-human animals.

The initiative was initially declared invalid by the Basel parliament because, as per their assessment, it violated higher-level law. The Basel Court of Appeal and, in second instance, the Federal Supreme Court, however, came to a different conclusion.

The campaign was supported by Basel's Green and Social Democratic Party. English primatologist Jane Goodall was the most prominent individual to support the proposal.

The proposal was voted on by Basel's electorate on February 13, 2022, and rejected with 25.3% in favour of the constitutional amendment. It was the first time in history that a region voted on fundamental rights for non-human animals.

Sustainable food

On October 10, 2016, Sentience Politics, along with animal advocacy organizations Vebu and the Albert Schweitzer Foundation for Our Contemporaries began collecting signatures for a citizen’s initiative in Berlin Kreuzberg that would require all schools and the town hall to offer a vegan option every day. This is the first vegan citizen’s initiative in Germany. They need to collect signatures from 3% of the electorate (about 6,000) by April 2017. There are about 95,000 vegans in Berlin, and the city is considered the vegan capital of Europe with more than 50 vegan restaurants.

Sentience Politics has launched similar initiatives in Zurich, Basel and Lucerne, Switzerland.

Sentience Politics explained to House of Democracy and Human Rights that the vegan options will help mitigate climate change. The initiative will also help reduce the suffering of farmed animals. There has been resistance from cafeteria directors, who fear that the vegan options would cost more. The District Office estimates that a vegan meal would cost 1.25 Euro more than a conventional meal.

Initiative to ban factory farming in Switzerland

In 2018, Sentience Politics started gathering signatures for a people's initiative to ban factory farming in Switzerland. In September 2019, the initiative committee submitted more than 100,000 verified signatures in the Swiss capital of Bern. Initially, the Swiss Federal Council announced that they will present a direct counter proposal to the initiative. In March 2022 the Council of States followed the National Council's assessment and decided not to prepare a counter proposal to be voted on. The vote on the initiative is expected to take place in 2022.

References

"Who we are". Sentience. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
www.sentience.ch, Sentience Politics, Basel. "Who we are". Sentience. Retrieved 2022-04-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Sentience Politics. "About Us". Retrieved November 20, 2016.
^ "Bürgerbegehren für vegane Gerichte in Kreuzberger Kantinen". October 11, 2016. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
"Kommt jetzt der Vegan-Zwang in Zürich?". March 7, 2015. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
^ Camille Krafft (July 10, 2016). "L'idée de donner des droits aux primates fait son chemin à Bâle". Le Matin. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
^ "Swiss to vote on banning factory farming".
Effective Altruism Foundation. "Projects". Retrieved January 8, 2017.
Sentience Politics. "Research Agenda". Retrieved November 16, 2016.
Institute, Sentience. "Introducing Sentience Institute". Sentience Institute. Retrieved 2022-04-22.
"Sentience – Who we are". Retrieved January 30, 2018.
"Cultured Meat: An Ethical Alternative To Industrial Animal Farming - Policy Paper" (PDF). June 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
"Grundrechte für Primaten - Positionspapier" (PDF). April 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
"Grundrechte für Primaten - Positionspapier" (PDF). 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
"Une initiative veut limiter les souffrances des primates". June 23, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
"Bericht: Kantonale Volksinitiative "Grundrechte für Primaten"" (PDF).
"Schluss mit Affen-Versuchen: Basler Tierschützer fordern Gleichstellung von Mensch und Affe". June 24, 2016. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
Hoskyn, Jonas. "Linker Rückenwind für die Primaten-Initiative". St. Galler Tagblatt (in German). Retrieved 2022-04-23.
^ "Es darf auch vegan sein: Die Stadt Zürich muss umweltschonende Ernährung fördern". Limmattaler Zeitung (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 2020-06-30.
^ "Initiative launched to end factory farming in Switzerland".
Keystone-SDA/ts. "Voters decline to give limited rights to non-human primates". SWI swissinfo.ch. Retrieved 2022-04-22.
"Primaten: In Basel könnten Affen bald Grundrechte erhalten". www.spektrum.de (in German). Retrieved 2022-04-23.
Thomas Frey (October 13, 2016). "Veganes Bürgerbegehren". Retrieved December 8, 2016.
Milena Zwerenz. "In Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg soll es bald auch veganes Kantinenessen geben". Retrieved December 8, 2016.
Robert D. Meyer (October 11, 2016). "Vegan auch in der Bezirkskantine". Retrieved December 8, 2016.
"Volksinitiativen für vegane Menus an Schulen und Heimen". March 23, 2014. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
Lisa Bartsch (October 6, 2016). "Lucerne mag es vegan". Retrieved January 1, 2017.
Aleksandar Zivanovic (October 10, 2016). "Bürgerbegehren fordert veganes Essen in Kantinen". Retrieved December 8, 2016.
"Berlin Kreuzberg: Bürgerbegehren für veganes Essen in Schulen und Kantinen". October 28, 2016. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
"Massentierhaltungsinitiative: Bundesrat will Gegenvorschlag". www.schweizerbauer.ch. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
^ "Nur Massentierhaltungsinitiative kommt vors Volk". presseportal.ch (in German). Retrieved 2022-04-23.

External links

Official website

Animal rights

Topics (overviews, concepts, issues, cases)

Overviews

Concepts

Issues

Animal agriculture	Animal product Battery cage Bile bear Chick culling Crocodile farm Concentrated animal feeding operation Fish farming Fur farming Fur trade Insect farming Intensive animal farming Intensive pig farming Livestock Poultry farming Slaughterhouse Wildlife farming Working animal Feedback (pork industry) Foam depopulation Ventilation shutdown
Animal testing	Alternatives to animal testing Animal testing on non-human primates Animal testing regulations Great ape research ban Green Scare Huntingdon Life Sciences Model organism Nafovanny Operation Backfire Vivisection
Animal welfare	Animal euthanasia Cruelty to animals Pain in animals Pain in amphibians Pain in cephalopods Pain in crustaceans Pain in fish Pain in invertebrates Pain and suffering in laboratory animals Welfare of farmed insects
Fishing	Commercial fishing Fishing bait Recreational fishing
Wild animals	Culling wildlife Hare coursing Hunting International primate trade Ivory trade Predation problem Seal hunting Wild animal suffering Wildlife management
Other	Abandoned pets Animal sacrifice Animal slaughter Animal trial Animals in sport Live food Live export

Cases

Methodologies

Observances

Advocates (academics, writers, activists)

Academics
and writers

Contemporary

Historical

Activists

Contemporary

Historical

Movement (groups, parties)

Groups

Contemporary

Historical

Parties

Animal Justice Party (Australia)
Animal Politics EU (Europe)
Animal Protection Party of Canada (Canada)
Animal Justice Party of Finland (Finland)
Animals' Party (Sweden)
Animalist Movement (Italy)
Animalist Party with the Environment (Spain)
DierAnimal (Belgium)
Human Environment Animal Protection Party (Germany)
Italian Animalist Party (Italy)
Party for the Animals (Netherlands)
People Animals Nature (Portugal)
V-Partei³ (Germany)

Activism

Animal Rights National Conference

Media (books, films, periodicals, albums)

Books

On Abstinence from Eating Animals (3rd century)
Moral Inquiries on the Situation of Man and of Brutes (1824)
The Rights of Animals (1838)
The Ethics of Diet (1883)
Animals' Rights (1892)
Evolutional Ethics and Animal Psychology (1897)
Better-World Philosophy (1899)
The Universal Kinship (1906)
The New Ethics (1907)
Animals, Men and Morals (1971)
Animal Liberation (1975)
The Case for Animal Rights (1983)
Morals, Reason, and Animals (1987)
Zoos and Animal Rights (1993)
Animals, Property, and the Law (1995)
The Lives of Animals (1999)
Eternal Treblinka (2001)
Do Animals Have Rights? (2005)
Striking at the Roots (2008)
An American Trilogy (2009)
An Introduction to Animals and Political Theory (2010)
Animal Rights Without Liberation (2012)
Political Animals and Animal Politics (2014)
Animal (De)liberation (2016)
Sentientist Politics (2018)
Wild Animal Ethics (2020)
Animal Ethics in the Wild (2022)
Making a Stand for Animals (2022)

Films

The Animals Film (1981)
A Cow at My Table (1998)
Shores of Silence (2000)
The Witness (2000)
Meet Your Meat (2002)
Legally Blonde 2 (2003)
The Meatrix (2003)
Peaceable Kingdom (2004)
Earthlings (2005)
Behind the Mask (2006)
Your Mommy Kills Animals (2007)
The Cove (2009)
Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home (2009)
Forks Over Knives (2011)
Vegucated (2011)
An Apology to Elephants (2013)
Speciesism: The Movie (2013)
The Ghosts in Our Machine (2013)
Unlocking the Cage (2016)
Dominion (2018)
Seaspiracy (2021)

Periodicals

Journals	Animal Sentience Between the Species Cahiers antispécistes Etica & Animali Journal of Animal Ethics Relations. Beyond Anthropocentrism The Animals' Defender
Magazines	Arkangel Bite Back Muutoksen kevät No Compromise Satya

Albums

Animal Liberation (1987)
Tame Yourself (1991)
Manifesto (2008)
Salvation of Innocents (2014)
Onward to Freedom (2014)

Fairs and exhibitions

Holocaust on your Plate (2003)

Category ( 139 )

v t e Effective altruism
Concepts	Aid effectiveness Charity assessment Demandingness objection Disability-adjusted life year Disease burden Distributional cost-effectiveness analysis Earning to give Equal consideration of interests Longtermism Marginal utility Moral circle expansion Psychological barriers to effective altruism Quality-adjusted life year Utilitarianism Venture philanthropy
Key figures	Sam Bankman-Fried Liv Boeree Nick Bostrom Hilary Greaves Holden Karnofsky William MacAskill Dustin Moskovitz Yew-Kwang Ng Toby Ord Derek Parfit Peter Singer Cari Tuna Eliezer Yudkowsky
Organizations	80,000 Hours Against Malaria Foundation Animal Charity Evaluators Animal Ethics Centre for Effective Altruism Centre for Enabling EA Learning & Research Center for High Impact Philanthropy Centre for the Study of Existential Risk Development Media International Evidence Action Faunalytics Fistula Foundation Future of Humanity Institute Future of Life Institute Founders Pledge GiveDirectly GiveWell Giving Multiplier Giving What We Can Good Food Fund The Good Food Institute Good Ventures The Humane League Mercy for Animals Machine Intelligence Research Institute Malaria Consortium Nuclear Threat Initiative Open Philanthropy Raising for Effective Giving Sentience Institute Unlimit Health Wild Animal Initiative
Focus areas	Biotechnology risk Climate change Cultured meat Economic stability Existential risk from artificial general intelligence Global catastrophic risk Global health Global poverty Intensive animal farming Land use reform Life extension Malaria prevention Mass deworming Neglected tropical diseases Risk of astronomical suffering Wild animal suffering
Literature	Doing Good Better The End of Animal Farming Famine, Affluence, and Morality The Life You Can Save Living High and Letting Die The Most Good You Can Do Practical Ethics The Precipice Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies What We Owe the Future
Events	Effective Altruism Global

Categories:

Latest revision as of 09:02, 7 August 2024

History

Positions

Cultured meat

Fundamental rights for primates

Sustainable Food

Campaigns

Fundamental rights for primates

Sustainable food

Initiative to ban factory farming in Switzerland

See also

References

External links