International Animal Research Association

There are many organizations out there doing an excellent job at explaining why animal research is needed and why it is valuable in medical research.

I do not need to name them here in this blog, they appear in my blog list and in my posts, as well as in my tweets. They provide readers with information one would otherwise not get or perhaps get in a distorted fashion.

Today and since a long time, there is a need to join our common voices and strengths into a new organization. One that will bundle the positive forces and positions into one unique entity that will represent all on an international level.

Increasingly opponents of animal research are gnawing away at the very objectives of animal research which are to further medical progress as an initial pillar prior to conducting research on human beings.

Although necessary many openly and quite vehemently oppose this. Their continued actions take a toll on researchers, institutions and world known faculties. A toll in terms of finances, time and human resources.
Whilst some years ago direct actions and interference were the privileged weapons of action, currently the opposition takes place in our court rooms.

With their deep pockets and a continued flow of unlimited donations, 501C charities (in the US) and similar mechanisms elsewhere across the globe, have the means to disrupt and terminate  our efforts and the many years of supplying the public with a precautionary principle.

This principle in which every single drug, treatment or medical device is understood and tested prior to conducting testing on humans. This safeguard is and shall always remain a prerequisite in modern day health care.
Animal research is also fundamental research. It is exploratory in nature and seeks to explore new ways, means or methods that further our understanding of disease at every level. This aspect of basic research is not always well understood and poses another challenge to the community because by its very nature it is not outcome driven and therefore an easy target 🎯 for opponents.

My point is that our efforts toward explaining and educating the public need to continue. They also need to grow. They need to be defended at the international level in order to continue our work and to ensure our voices are heard and are taken into consideration. Not as lobbyists but as an authoritative voice, speaking on behalf of its members.

If we do not do this our opponents will continue to paint the landscape and shape the world in which you will be an accessory of the past. I challenge you all to take on this new endeavour and avail myself to further this initiative to fruition.