Every year, about 250,000 bulls are killed in bullfights in France and Spain -- stabbed multiple times with barbed lances and banderillas (spiked wooden sticks) before suffering slow, agonizing deaths in front of an audience, including children.
Now, even though bullfighting attendance is at an all-time low and bans have been enacted by several countries and cities, France and Spain are trying to
protect this cruel blood sport by getting it listed as a form of "cultural heritage".
Bullfights aren't "fair fights" between a bull and a matador. They're highly staged forms of animal cruelty, sanctioned and subsidized by governments. A UNESCO "cultural heritage" listing would give a veneer of respectability to the torture of animals for public entertainment and mean subsidies may be made available to financially safeguard the future of bullfighting.
Tell UNESCO: Bullfighting isn't culture, it's cruelty.
Please help to stop the madness by taking the following ACTIONS:
► Please SIGN the PETITION: Contra la Declaracion de la Tauromaquia Patrimonio Unesco
► SEND a LETTER to UNESCO: Please copy, paste and send the following message to UNESCO - bpi@unesco.org
ENGLISH VERSION:
---------------------------------------
Dª Irina Bokova
General Director UNESCO
D. Francesco Bandarin
Subdirector UNESCO
Esteemed members of the Committee for the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,
Regarding the request to include bullfights on the List of Assets of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, made by certain political and business groups interested in the continuation of bullfighting, it is requested that the following considerations be addressed:
According to ethics and human rationale, the aforementioned bullfights are not a "cultural" heritage that must be safeguarded, because, although they were deeply ingrained practices at one time in our country, at present, most of the Spanish population rejects the continuation of such "spectacles" considering them cruel, morally unacceptable traditions, more typical of savages than of civilized people. Bullfights represent the most absolute contempt for the life of an innocent animal, which is hunted, tortured, and slowly and cruelly executed before a desensitized and debased public, who are unable to see the cruel and tragic reality which is masked by deceptively cheerful, attractive and colorful “festivities”.
It is not, therefore, a "cultural" asset, since culture exalts the human, elevates him, and brings, if anything, more value to his condition, and as UNESCO itself said in its Declaration of Mexico in 1982, “(…) that it is culture that gives man the ability to reflect upon himself. It is culture that makes us specifically human rational beings, endowed with a critical judgment and a sense of moral commitment. (…)”
According to this statement, no cultural value whatsoever could be attributed to bullfighting because it does not enrich us in any sense, does not make us, as beings, more "human" and "rational" or indeed "ethically committed”. To the contrary, bullfighting degrades man, it degenerates him, it exposes the most sordid and inhumane part of a person, dismissing without compassion, this animal worthy of respect and protection.
Therefore, it would not be honestly acceptable and nobody of sound judgment would admit its inclusion as an Asset of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity because that would reduce "humanity" to such a level of irrationality, brutality and depravity that it would make our species the lowest of the universe.
For the above reasons, appealing to the common sense of humanity, which you represent, we ask you not to declare bull festivals as Assets of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, taking into account the following aspects which are referred to in the text of the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Paris 17th October 2003:
* They are not a factor of development; on the contrary, the confrontation that has always existed between the Spanish on this issue has generated and continues to generate a huge waste of energy and human and material resources that keep us from progressing as individuals and as a country.
* They do not help to enrich cultural diversity and human creativity, since they are not creative acts; they are only destructive and depraved.
* They do not generate a sense of cultural identity among the Spanish; on the contrary, many of us feel morally corrupted and ashamed before the world for the continuation of such "spectacles".
* They are not a factor of rapprochement, exchange and understanding among human beings, since, as mentioned above, they divide us and put us in opposition.
So, I ask, I turn, for the cooperation of UNESCO in raising awareness among the people of the countries which, irrationally, still allow such celebrations, with the aim of revealing the infamy, brutality and moral depravity that such "spectacles" involve, enabling them to be eradicated as soon as possible, and so forming part of our history as one of the most enduring savage, cruel and inhuman traditions that has held back Spanish culture for centuries.
Yours sincerely,
Name:
DNI (National Document of Identity Number/Passport Number):
Nationality:
-------------------------
Email Address: Email to: bpi@unesco.org
Pone Number: +33 (0)1 45 68 10 00
Website: www.unesco.org/es
___________________________________________________________________
SPANISH VERSION:
-----------------------------------------
Dª Irina Bokova
Directora General de la UNESCO
D. Francesco Bandarin
Subdirector de la UNESCO
Sres. del Comité para la Salvaguardia del Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial
En relación a la solicitud de inclusión de los festejos taurinos en la Lista de Bienes Culturales Inmateriales de la Humanidad efectuada por determinados sectores políticos y grupos empresariales interesados en la continuidad de la tauromaquia, ruego atienda las siguientes consideraciones:
De acuerdo con la ética y la racionalidad humana, los aludidos festejos taurinos no son un patrimonio “cultural” que deba ser salvaguardado, ya que, aunque hayan sido unas prácticas muy arraigadas en otros tiempos en nuestro país, en la actualidad la mayor parte de la población española rechaza el mantenimiento de tales “espectáculos” por considerarlos crueles tradiciones moralmente inadmisibles, más propias de salvajes que de pueblos civilizados, pues suponen el más absoluto desprecio a la vida de un animal inocente que es acorralado, torturado lentamente y vilmente ejecutado ante un público insensibilizado y envilecido, incapaz de ver la cruel y trágica realidad enmascarada en un espectáculo ilusoriamente alegre, vistoso y colorista.
No se trata, pues, de un bien “cultural”, ya que la cultura engrandece al ser humano, lo eleva, le aporta, si cabe, más valores a su condición, y como la misma UNESCO señaló en su Declaración de Mexico 1982 “ (…) la cultura da al hombre la capacidad de reflexionar sobre sí mismo. Es ella la que hace de nosotros seres específicamente humanos, racionales, críticos y éticamente comprometidos. (…)
De acuerdo con esta declaración, a la tauromaquia no podría atribuirse valor cultural alguno, porque no nos enriquece en ningún sentido, no hace de nosotros seres más “humanos” y “racionales”, ni por supuesto “éticamente comprometidos”. Al contrario, la tauromaquia envilece al hombre, lo degenera, hace que aflore en las personas su parte más sórdida e inhumana al despreciar sin compasión a ese animal merecedor de respeto y protección.
Por ello, no sería honestamente aceptable, y nadie en su sano juicio admitiría su inclusión como Bien Cultural Inmaterial de la Humanidad, pues eso supondría rebajar la “humanidad” a tal nivel de irracionalidad, brutalidad y depravación que haría de nuestra especie la escoria del universo.
Por las razones anteriormente expuestas y apelando al sentido común de la Humanidad a la que Uds. representan, ruego no sean declarados los festejos taurinos como Bienes Culturales Inmateriales de la Humanidad, teniendo en cuenta los siguientes aspectos a los que hace referencia el texto de la Convención para la Salvaguardia del Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial, Paris 17 de octubre de 2003:
* No suponen un factor de desarrollo; al contrario, el enfrentamiento que desde siempre ha existido entre los españoles sobre esta cuestión ha generado y sigue generando un derroche enorme de energía y recursos humanos y materiales que nos impiden progresar como personas y como país.
* No contribuyen a enriquecer la diversidad cultural y la creatividad humana, puesto que no son actos creativos sino destructivos y depravados.
* No generan un sentimiento de identidad cultural entre los españoles; al contrario, somos muchos los que nos sentimos dañados moralmente y avergonzados ante el mundo por la continuidad de tales “espectáculos”.
* No son un factor de acercamiento, intercambio y entendimiento entre los seres humanos, ya que, como se ha dicho anteriormente, nos divide y enfrenta
Por ello, solicito, a su vez, colaboración de la UNESCO en la sensibilización y concienciación de la población de los países que irracionalmente todavía permiten tales festejos, con el fin de revelar a la ciudadanía la infamia, brutalidad y depravación moral que tales “espectáculos” conllevan, para poder erradicarlos cuanto antes y que pasen lo antes posible a formar parte de nuestra historia como una de las tradiciones más crueles, salvajes e inhumanas que ha arrastrado durante siglos la cultura española.
Atentamente,
Nombre:
DNI:
Nacionalidad:
---------------------------------------
Correo electrónico: bpi@unesco.org
Centralita telefónica: +33 (0)1 45 68 10 00 Sitio web: www.unesco.org/es
______________________________________
Thank you very much, in advance ♡
