Switzerland makes history

As the entire Swiss press and TV stations gloatingly reported the "defeat" of the Weber/Ruesch referendum on 2 December 1985, Hans Ruesch in partnership with his loyal, long-time devoted ally Mrs Milly Schar Manzoli, authoress of the banned "I Accuse" were announcing their intention of launching the same initiative all over again. Encouraged and endorsed by Franz Weber they were already rallying abolitionists around the world for support.

In a telephone conversation with Ruesch after the referendum he informed NZAVS that abolitionist groups in France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and Italy consider the result of the vote a triumph. Ruesch says he is optimistic, however it will take hard work, keen organisation and funds. The final count of the polls was:-

No to abolition 1,099,864 (70.5%)
Yes to abolition 459,567 (29.5%)

The new initiative is accepted, published and registered, and like the previous campaign will be totally uncompromising. In spite of the opposition spending ten million dollars on television advertisements urging the people to vote "NO", with representatives of the medical and pharmaceutical establishments warning them that their children would die of cancer and polio if they voted to abolish vivisection a third of the population voted for abolition. Considering that the chemical and drug companies comprise such a large share of Swiss business interests and 13,000 vivisection-orientated employees stand to lose their jobs in Basle alone - the results were all the more remarkable.

From the beginning the campaign was fought on medical and scientific grounds and not from the standpoint of ethical, moral, religious or humanitarian concerns. Ruesch insists that only by showing consumers that better medical care results when researchers turn their obsession away from attempts to re-create human ailments and injuries in animals, can we convince them that vivisection is not in their best interests.

And There is a growing number of doctors prepared to come forward and state that vivisection - far from being necessary - actually endangers public health...

The London Financial Times (22 November 1985) claimed that:

"the mere possibility of the anti-vivisection motion getting through was enough to keep drug company executives awake at night"

The main offenders in Switzerland are Ciba Geigy, Hoffman La Roche and Sandoz, who by their own figures admit using over 1.5 million animals every year, though anti-vivisectionists claim that the actual figures are much larger.

At an NZAVS executive meeting of 2 February 1985 it was decided that this Society support Ruesch in his campaign by immediately establishing a:

Ruesch fighting fund

... this will ensure that money donated to the animal cause is used in the most constructive way by the person most qualified and capable... and NZAVS trusts it is setting an example that other organisations in the abolitionist movement will follow:

Ruesch is currently planning newspaper and television advertising... Monies from the Fund will be forwarded to him as they become sufficiently substantial to assist his campaign only money specifically donated to the Ruesch Fighting Fund will be used for this purpose.

It is with great interest that we await our members' reaction and trust they will be as generous as they have been in the Society's past fund-raising campaigns:

Progress of the Fund will be published in Mobilise! - and receipts issued for all amounts.

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