I would like to add another win: the Belgian senate voted to add animal welfare to the constitution.
I work for GAIA, a Belgian animal advocacy group that for years has tried to get animal welfare added to the constitution. Last month we were present as a supermajority of the senate came out in favor of our proposed constitutional amendment. The relevant section reads:
> In exercising their respective powers, the Federal State, the Communities and the Regions strive to protect and care for animals as sentient beings.
Which is very good for Belgian animals but I do want to note that:
1) This does not mean an effective shutdown of the meat industry, merely that all future pro-animal welfare laws and lawsuits will have an easier time. And,
2) It still needs to pass the Chamber of Representatives.
I would like to add another win: the Belgian senate voted to add animal welfare to the constitution.
I work for GAIA, a Belgian animal advocacy group that for years has tried to get animal welfare added to the constitution. Last month we were present as a supermajority of the senate came out in favor of our proposed constitutional amendment. The relevant section reads:
> In exercising their respective powers, the Federal State, the Communities and the Regions strive to protect and care for animals as sentient beings.
Which is very good for Belgian animals but I do want to note that:
1) This does not mean an effective shutdown of the meat industry, merely that all future pro-animal welfare laws and lawsuits will have an easier time. And,
2) It still needs to pass the Chamber of Representatives.
(crossposted from my EA forum quicktake: https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/5Y7bPv259mA3NtHt2/bob-jacobs-s-shortform?commentId=5SKKjsyYExypR6kmY )
Good luck! This will be a tremendous step. Good luck!!
Happy update. We did it: https://substack.com/home/post/p-145190838