Fundraising and awareness campaign #pigsdonotexist protecting pigs and wild boars from Swine Fever measurements in Italy

Awareness Campaign “Pigs do not exist” – from zootechnics to subjectivities

A recent outbreak of ASF (African Swine Fever) in Italy, is making the current gap of knowledge and awareness regarding other animals as subjectivities – instead of objects within the field of zootechnics – extremely visible. The threat of the ASF outbreak has created an even more life-threatening measurement against pigs in Liguria, put in place by a regional ordinance.

An ordinance having nothing to do with the safety of the pigs and boars, as it is put in place providing a mass extermination of all pigs and wild boar in the Liguria red-zone, whether they are healthy or not, and regardless of the fact if they run a risk of getting infected. A petition to revoke the ordinance is already in place, but more awareness is necessary to address the gap and to avoid risk of further extreme decisions against the safety of pigs, and many other animals in similar situations.

The awareness campaign “Pigs do not exist” a fundraising campaign created by the Associazione Sparta – Riserva dell’Animalità (Sparta Association – Animality Reserve), has been initiated to facilitate those involved in this situation, and to call out for a need to grow in knowledge and information coming from a different paradigm – an antispeciesist ethology foundation. You can contribute to the campaign which addresses three different objectives/areas:

• to support us in our own further measurements to guarantee the safety of the five Titan sisters – living at the Sparta Animality Reserve (located in Liguria), further increasing biosecurity measures, most of which are already in place, but with an extra boost to increase a bigger, dynamic, inside space, if further protection is necessary.

• to support in the creation of awareness through a series of articles, interviews and short videos, translating in English the Italian published article “Pigs do not exist” (Axolotl, May 2021) to address the knowledge and information gap, and the awareness in general, how easily certain species can be defined as exterminable. An effort to create public awareness for the lack of knowledge and information to guarantee a quality life for animals that from a legislation point of view only exist as product, and how the farm-industry both causes suffering, but also keeps our society from evolving in our coexistence, being an obstacle in the need to dignify science. The campaign will address for this second objective, the translation costs and costs related to the production of video interviews and a short documentary (400 Euro) in the following months, editing images, videos, and putting together stories around the Titan-sisters, but also others, part of an extended family, like their “aunt” Carlotta, and Titan in Austria.

• In a shared effort and collaboration with a network of sanctuaries, there will be informative meetings organized, for practical support, both for sanctuaries as for private adoption realities, making sure no one ends up in facing authorities alone and to create space for the facilitation of all animals involved. Meetings will take place both online and onsite, where Francesco De Giorgio will give consult private individuals/sanctuaries/associations that want to be advised on putting together all the necessary measures, facilitating the involved pigs and their cohabiting humans in applying these measures, without losing sight of animal quality experiences, even in a situation of constraint that might last for several months. The Titan-sisters already have a cognitive and adventurous understanding of changing spaces – for measurements in sanctuaries, or private situations of adoptions, we will start a series of online encounters where Francesco De Giorgio will be giving consults how to facilitate these pigs in a quality experience of changing spaces. Further more Francesco will be present in a number of protests, where he will contribute with talks, emphasizing the need for a different knowledge. The first scheduled protests will be in Genova (February 4th) and in Turin (February 6th). The campaign aims to cover for this third objective, the travel expenses (350 Euro) for Francesco De Giorgio.

It is time to dignify knowledge, science and an overall understanding of a need to evolve in coexisting. Please share !

Biosecurity boost shopping list:
– 20 panels of electro welded mesh, 5 mm wire, 10×10 cm mesh, approximate value 25 euro per panel;
– 12 EPAL pallets, 120X100 CM, approximate value 8 euro per pallet;
– Clothes change cabinet, approximate value 200 euro;
– Sanitary suits, no. 4, approximate value 50 euro per suit;
– kit disposable boots, approximate value 20 euro;
– no. 4 cubic metres of silica sand to arrange the bottom and make it easier to clean, approximate value 35 euro per cubic metre

Tech support: 400 Euro

Travel expenses: 350 Euro

#suiniliguria

#pigsdonotexist

#antispeciestethology