Claudio, activista de la sociación italiana To beAnimals, nos cuenta cómo transmiten el respeto animal en los centros educativos y nos demuestran que para hacerlo no es necesario trabajar como docente.
We leave you with Claudius's story:
Visiting schools is very important. It's a job that can be challenging, but it offers great benefits. We know before we start that some students won't even listen to us, or aren't interested in the topic. We've been to school and we know how it works! But for those who listen and are open to new ideas, it can be a life-changing experience.
Over the past two years, various activists from Essere Animali have visited schools in Milan, Bologna, Florence, Bari, and Brescia. In 2016, we reached 1,200 students, and in 2017, around 1,000.
We have two projects for students. The first involves showing the film Cowspiracy in different schools. Sometimes between 300 and 400 students see it at the same time. A few weeks ago, we showed it at a school in Piacenza, and the city's deputy mayor attended. Afterward, he joined the discussion about animal welfare.
Our talks on animal rights typically last between one and two hours. In these talks, we use photographs of factory farms, as well as engaging videos that showcase the intelligence of pigs and chickens. Our aim is to reveal the different facets of these animals: their intelligence and capacity to feel in the face of the horrific lives they endure. We try not to focus too much on videos with cruel scenes, and instead dedicate more time to heartwarming scenes that are more likely to stay with them and help them change their perspective on these animals.
The best time is usually at the end of the screening or talk, when we tell them they can feel free to take our brochures or other materials. Generally, everyone takes one of each type of brochure to delve deeper into what we've discussed. This shows that we've touched a nerve, and we can go home happy knowing we've planted some seeds.