Can you imagine an outside being coming to hack away human bodies.. just so that they can carve out human skulls and bones as trophy for their collection…or worse.. powdered human bones for their tasty meals..or medicines? (well, this was already imagined and filmed as `The Predator’ starring Arnold Schwarzenegger)!
Luckily, we don;t have aliens who come to Earth to do this.. But we humans are quite happy to do it to other animals.. Elephants massacred for their tusks, Rhinos killed for their horns.. Tigers for their tooth, fur and testicles..Whales & Dolphins..and more beasts ..all for our human greed and consumption!
I was feeling tired yesterday, ..and going to be a rather low-key presence at the Peaceful Protest outside Chinese Embassy, London..to band ivory trade.. Showing up and adding a body of support was more important, than not showing up because of personal circumstances..
But I kept thinking about why I am doing it.. ? for me.. for the Kudos..just like some celebrities and politicians do.. to say they support some eco-campaign..? Or to really make a difference…and really save the Elephants?
Personal tiredness is one thing..and is often self-inflicted due to the kind of life styles we lead.. But life or death.. the situation those Elephants face..are not life-style choices for them..is it? They have no power or control over that one.. An external force (the madness of mankind) takes away that. …and their lives too.. Because their tooth is somehow `valuable’ – for medicinal reasons, or just purely as status symbols or art and craft.. !
So I got off my tired back-side, grabbed the Elephantom mask, and got into London.. to join fellow decent eco-warriors, campaigners, protestors and carers… to be outside the Chinese Embassy in London, to send out a physical message…that we do not approve.. that we want them to get their government to stop the ivory trade in their lands…so that somewhere in other lands (Africa & India) poachers won’t have a reason to kill Elephants.. to supply ivory to the Chinese people..!
My Elephantom (Eco-Hero) mask had the desired result.. in attracting a bit of entertaining attention from passers by, as well as Media people.. (well, they want something more than slogans, banners and placards to photograph.. Entertainment sells papers!! So shamelessly some of us exploit that to put our messages across!)
My fellow protesters made sure they stood with their slogans and placards ..right besides me or behind me.. so those will come in photos too 🙂
Well, it was a great success.. Already initial search reveals so many big news papers in Uk have covered the event.. (links blow).
And for a first event of a new eco-(elephant) activist group, Acton for Elephants UK have done very well indeed.. Maria Mossman, who pulled us all together and started this deserves a huge hug..(never mind the pat on the back..organising this sort of thing takes a lot of guts..apprehensions, stress..and a hug will go a long way ..than a pat on the back..in soothing all that stress ! 🙂
We’ve had incredible support from Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) with Mary Rice Executive Director participating and giving speeches, as did ..Dominic Dyer from `Care for the Wild’, and Will Tavers from Born Free..
Watch video here of all the speeches
Needless to say, we are going to keep up the good work..and the pressure.. We’ve only just begun!!
Mani Navasothy
(Director/ Chief Editor of `Gaian Times- Eco-spiritual Magazine’)
ps. Special thanks to my sister Vathani for carrying my bags, taking loads of photos, networking with others..while I paraded half blindingly about.. (hard to see through an Elephant Mask)!
News Report of this event
The Times http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/asia/article3986020.ece
The Evening Standard http://www.standard.co.uk/panewsfeeds/protesters-demand-ivory-trade-ban-9084774.html
Demotix http://www.demotix.com/news/3750468/action-elephants-protest-chinese-embassy-london/all-media
http://www.itv.com/news/london/story/2014-01-25/china-ivory-ban-protest-in-london/
The Independent http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/protesters-lock-horns-with-china-over-ivory-as-campaigners-look-into-buyers-9085506.html
The Belfast Telegraph http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/uk/protesters-call-for-china-ivory-ban-29949705.html
Daily Echo http://m.dailyecho.co.uk/news/national/10963499.Protesters_demand_ivory_trade_ban
Local Guardian http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/national/news/10963499.Protesters_demand_ivory_trade_ban/
Other links
Elephantom Origins: Birth of an Eco-Hero (eBook on Amazon)
Adventures of Elephantom (website)
Gaian Times Eco-spiritual Magazine
You were awesome yesterday!!!! Your energy was bountiful..and you were blessed with such creative gifts that got the rest of is fired up..revved and to go go Go!! You’re probably the most photographed person there I think.. *chuckles* Thank you for everything..I know the elephants will thank you if they could too!