Tobago needs a green party

The political party known as Party for the Animals was founded in the Netherlands in 2002 by Marianne Thieme and associates. The party’s main goals include animal rights and animal welfare and extend to address issues related to the wider environment.

Why am I highlighting a Dutch party on the eve of the 2021 Tobago House of Assembly election?

Allow me to share some excerpts from the Dutch party’s website to make my point:

1. “The Dutch Party for the Animals is the first successful political party in the world that does not put the short-term interests of man above all, but instead the entire planet and all her inhabitants. A fundamentally different approach than the traditional parties, which focus on the short-term interests of people and in particularly on money and economic growth without thinking about the consequences for humans, animals, nature, and the environment.”

2. “The main driver of our party is to protect the interest of the weakest against the alleged right of the strongest. In all this, the animals are the most vulnerable and often come in last in a world focused on short-term interests. The mistreatment of animals and the destruction of their home take place on a larger scale than ever seen before, including factory farming, animal testing, and in nature itself. After the liberation of slaves and women, and giving rights to children, the next logical step is to take the interests of animals seriously.”

3. “The Party for the Animals raises important issues that are ignored by other parties. We promote the values that matter most: compassion, sustainability, and the respectful treatment of people and animals.”

Tobago would benefit from having a "green party" – a party that is not just focused on (to quote Party for the Animals) "the short-term interests of people and in particularly on money and economic growth"...but one that consciously places focus on the interconnectedness of all living beings, recognising the impact that we have upon each other and that the best possible way forward is one of harmony and the highest well-being for all.

In my wishful thinking, those who are put into power will read this article, take it to heart and say, “Hmm, we don’t have anything like this here in Tobago. Maybe we should introduce it. It might win us some points...”

Yes, if handled with sincerity and compassion, it will indeed win you points...with the foreign visitors Tobago dreams of attracting (most of whom are animal and nature lovers) and with those on the island who care about the environment and its preservation.

We live in a nation where "development" often means "bigger is better" and "better is concrete" (multi-millions of it). Meanwhile, the natural world is overlooked or destroyed in the name of "progress."

True progress would be for our leaders to honour the fact that this island (and, by extension, the world) is one interconnected organism. Everything, down to the most minuscule creature, plays an important role in that "whole" of which we human beings are just one small part.

Three weeks ago a man who works at Store Bay called to inform me of an injured sea bird on the sand and asked if I could come to assist. I told him to keep the bird in a safe, dark place. Upon arrival I met some of the Store Bay men gathered around a box containing the bird. “Take care of Andrew, eh!” one of them said as I left with the patient.

The next day I sent "Andrew" (or "Andrea"?) to Trinidad via Caribbean Airlines cargo, to be collected by Ricardo Meade of the El Socorro Centre for Wildlife Conservation.

Why would I send the bird to Trinidad and not treat it in Tobago? The bird required x-rays to help determine the nature and extent of its injuries. As I’ve mentioned in countless articles, there is no x-ray machine for animals in Tobago. Furthermore, unlike Tobago, Trinidad has a wide range of experienced people working in the area of wildlife rehabilitation.

Tobago boasts of diverse wildlife and features it extensively in tourism literature. Yet the island is not equipped to deal with injured wildlife technologically or in terms of manpower and human expertise. For this and many other reasons, we need a green party – one which, like Party for the Animals, promotes “the values that matter most: compassion, sustainability, and the respectful treatment of people and animals.”