Introduction
While the world may be increasingly interconnected, human rights violations, inequality and poverty still threaten peace and sustainability. Global Citizenship Education (GCED) is UNESCO’s response to these challenges. It works by empowering learners of all ages to understand that these are global, not local issues and to become active promoters of more peaceful, tolerant, inclusive, secure and sustainable societies. GCED is a strategic area of UNESCO's Education Sector program and builds on the work of Peace and Human Rights Education. It aims to instill in learners the values, attitudes and behaviors that support responsible global citizenship: creativity, innovation, and commitment to peace, human rights and sustainable development. UNESCO’s work in this area is grounded in its own Constitution which aims to build peace in the minds of men and women, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Education 2030 Agenda and Framework for Action, notably Target 4.7 of the Sustainable Development Agenda, the Recommendation concerning Education for International Understanding, Co-operation and Peace and Education relating to Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (1974). GCED aims to develop three main cores: Behavioural, Socio-emotional and cognitive. Imagine that GCED is a puzzle, the first piece encourages us to act locally, nationally or globally to create a more peaceful world. The second component inspires us to have a sense of belonging to common humanity and finally the third piece motivates us to acquire knowledge and to critically think about global issues and the interdependency between countries and problems.
Human life depends on the earth as much as the ocean for our sustenance and livelihoods. Plantlife provides 80 percent of the human diet, and we rely on agriculture as an important economic resource. Forests cover 30 percent of the Earth’s surface, provide vital habitats for millions of species, and important sources for clean air and water, as well as being crucial for combating climate change. Every year, 13 million hectares of forests are lost, while the persistent degradation of drylands has led to the desertification of 3.6 billion hectares, disproportionately affecting poor communities. While 15 percent of the land is protected, biodiversity is still at risk. Nearly 7,000 species of animals and plants have been illegally traded. Wildlife trafficking not only erodes biodiversity, but creates insecurity, fuels conflict, and feeds corruption. Urgent action must be taken to reduce the loss of natural habitats and biodiversity which are part of our common heritage and support global food and water security, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and peace and security.
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Part A
Definition of Animal abuse and cruelty
Animals in Asia are among the most abused in the world. From bears captured and caged for their 'bile', to dogs and cats slaughtered in horrific ways for their meat, exploitation of animals in Asia is common and widespread. There are far fewer laws protecting animals in Asia from cruelty and exploitation than in other continents. This makes the work of dedicated animal welfare charities in Asia like Animals Asia, even harder, as the law is often on the side of animal abusers. The Animal Welfare Act (2015) is a clear and comprehensive law that sets the standard for good animal welfare across Malaysia. While not formally recognizing animal sentience, the Animal Welfare Act (2015) and other regulations acknowledge not only that animals can suffer and that their mental wellbeing is also important. The National Animal Welfare Strategy aims to make Malaysia a leader in animal welfare, not just in South East Asia but across the world. Regulations such as the Malaysian Code of Practice on the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Research (2010) provide detailed guidance on animal care and place the responsibility of that care on individuals and organizations in ownership of the animals in question. Similarly, there are total bans on some inherently cruel activities, including animal fighting and baiting, which are to be commended. The animals whose abuse is most often reported are dogs, cats, horses and livestock. Undercover investigations have revealed that animal abuse abounds in the factory farm industry. But because of the weak protections afforded to livestock under state cruelty laws, only the most shocking cases are reported, and few are ever prosecuted. he Veterinary Services Department today revealed that there was a 30 percent rise in the number of reported animal abuse cases across the country from 510 in 2017 to 662 cases last year. There was also an increase of 10 percent from 463 cases in 2016, compared with the previous year, and more than 90 percent of these cases involved dogs followed by cats. The increase was mainly due to increased public awareness of animal abuse.
Part B
Video of GCED and Animal Cruelty
While there have been many improvements in animal welfare legislation for Malaysia, there are some areas that need to be addressed. Video above shows that animals all over the places been brutally abuse since no strict laws to punish the heartless.
Strategies come up by government
Hunting, while legal with a license, is not regulated to ensure animal welfare is a consideration for all participants. Similarly, while wild animals are only allowed to be bred and kept by license holders, there is significant illegal wildlife trade in Malaysia, including the keeping of wild animals as pets. A further concern is an inconsistency in government-led inspections of regulated facilities. For example, scientific research facilities must be inspected every six months, but there is no such inspection schedule for zoos and other captive animal venues. Governance of animal welfare in Malaysia is held across two government ministries – the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. While the Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for all animals covered by the Animal Welfare Act (2015), the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment holds jurisdiction over all wildlife – both wild and captive-bred. Generally, animal welfare in Malaysia is overseen by the Animal Welfare Board, which was established under the Animal Welfare Act (2015). The board membership includes representatives from multiple ministries and local authorities to ensure its mandates to produce guidelines, and to promote and educate on animal welfare, are cohesive and disseminated across the country. Since the API was first published in 2014, Malaysia has introduced new animal welfare legislation and enforcement regulations. This process included the passing of the Animal Welfare Act (2015) and supplementary regulations. The Government of Malaysia has collaborated with the OIE through the development of the National Animal Welfare Strategy, the Animal Welfare Act (2015) and supporting regulations and codes of practice. The Government of Malaysia is encouraged to continue to develop and improve its animal welfare legislation, building on the progress made over the past several years. The Government is encouraged to align all animal welfare under one ministry to ensure good animal welfare protections for all species. The Government of Malaysia is strongly urged to ban cruel practices, such as the culling of dogs for population and rabies control. Further legal and policy recommendations are associated with each indicator and contained in the relevant sections of this report.
Animal abusing cases in Malaysia
The Star had highlighted on the recent cases of animal cruelty in Selangor. The Selangor Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SCPA) is shocked by the abuse and butchering of several stray dogs at People’s Housing Project Wahyu 2 in Selayang. They also highlighted on several cases that also happens. As, a CCTV clip went viral, showing a young boy stepping on a kitten while his mother looked on without stopping him. Next on Sept 11, two men were caught on camera putting a cat into a clothes dryer at a laundromat before turning on the machine, killing the pregnant feline. Lastly, a single mother was sentenced to a night in jail and fined RM7,000 for feeding her dog 32 sewing needles in Kinarut, near Kota Kinabalu. There were more cases overall the social medias such as Facebook and Twitter.
Part C
Ways to prevent animal abusing and Cruelty
Be a responsible pet owner. Know about and fulfil the needs of your pet. Don’t just concern yourself with basic needs and give your pet positive experiences that really enhance its well-being. Be an example of kindness to other pets. Foster a pet that has suffered abandonment. Sadly, many pets are relinquished to shelters for various reasons. Foster homes help these animals to recover and prepare them to move onto a new permanent loving home. Intervene if you witness animal cruelty, abuse or neglect. Do what you can to stop someone from mistreating an animal. However, be sensible and don’t put yourself in danger. If necessary, seek help from other witnesses. Report animal cruelty, abuse or neglect. If you witness any form of animal cruelty, report it to the police or other authorities. Act immediately to prevent further cruelty. Teach your children to have respect for animals. Set a good example by being respectful towards animals. Show children how to treat animals with love and consideration. Help them to grow up to become the next generation of advocates for animals. Demand stricter laws for the protection of animals. Stronger animal welfare laws and harsher penalties will lead to fewer cruelty cases. Shelter an animal in need. You can be the helping hand that an animal need. An animal that has been mistreated needs support, sometimes immediately. You can make a real difference by taking an animal out of a harmful situation. Consider that neglect of animals can be closely linked to domestic violence. Animal abuse and domestic abuse are often closely connected. By reporting your suspicions, you may also be helping both the animal in need and the family concerned. See also “The link between cruelty to animals and violence to humans”. Educate people around you about the issue. Help people to understand that they can intervene in situations where animals are being neglected or even tormented. Animals have a right to live without fear or pain, and we have a responsibility to step in if their rights aren’t respected.
Cognitive
knowledge and thinking skills necessary to better understand the world and its complexities. So, what do you do if you notice an animal that appears to be suffering from one or more of these issues? Call your local animal welfare agency immediately.
In most areas, someone from the local animal control agency, humane organization, or animal shelter will be responsible for investigating and enforcing the local anti-cruelty laws, but if you don’t know who’s in charge in your city or town, you can always call the local police non-emergency number to find out who to report the cruelty to. Also, in many locales, 311 connects directly to city services, who will know where to direct you.
Socio-emotional
Values, attitudes and social skills that enable learners to develop affectively, psychosocially, and physically and to enable them to live together with others respectfully and peacefully. Signs include open wounds, multiple scars, limping, or difficulty walking. Many dogs that suffer direct violence will also display behaviours such as hiding, walking with their head down and tail between their legs, or cringing when people approach, but since those can also occur for other reasons, those behavioural signs alone shouldn’t be taken as definitive proof that a dog is being hurt.
Behavioural
Conduct, performance, practical application and engagement. Most people don’t go so far as to actually lay hands on their dog to hurt them. But what happens with far too many owners is just as bad: they neglect the needs of their dog. Signs of neglect include injuries or illnesses that linger untreated, poor living conditions (including filth and dangerous objects near the dog and being left outside in bad weather), bones being visible through the skin, and extremely poor grooming.
Conclusion
Of course, the best way to fight cruelty is to teach as many people as possible how their pets should be treated and what they should never ever do. Parents and educators should teach children how to safely and humanely interact with animals at an early age, as well as how they can tell if an animal is being harmed and what to do about it. You can help spread the word by utilizing your own community to do so. For instance, you can share messages about proper treatment of animals on your social networks or offer to teach a class at your local elementary school or even pre-school. Beyond this, people need to stand up for what they believe in when they witness animal cruelty and take a stand by reporting the behaviour. The more often that abusive individuals are punished, the less likely others are to do the same thing.
Reflexive Journal
I had chosen Animal Abuse and Cruelty because I found the cases were constantly increasing and personally felt the rules to stricter for those involve and reason behind the cases. I found still so many of us never took the issue seriously. Day by day people are posting about Animal Abuse and Cruelty in Social Medias as Facebook and Twitter. And sadly, most of us just react, like, comment and share the posts. Government should find some ways to reduce the cases. And treat the case as the case of Human abusive. For every point structure it is difficult to find the source for this topic. I was tried to find evidences from various of websites, social medias and newspaper articles. Hence, I still try to do my best to present the best from my work.
In conclusion, it develops me in time management and builds my skills in analysis and solving problems. What I wish was, the reduce of the Animal Abuse and Cruelty cases all over Malaysia and other countries. Everyone should adopt and reuse without thinking. Animals are a part of God’s creation and there should be fairness to treat them too.
References
- CAMOENS, A. (2019, January 7). Selangor SPCA shocked by recent cases of animal cruelty. The Star Online. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/01/07/selangor-spca-shocked-by-recent-cases-of-animal-cruelty
- Https://plus.google.com/+UNESCO. (2018, February 21). What is global citizenship education? UNESCO. https://en.unesco.org/themes/gced/definition
- Facts about cruelty to animals in Asia. (n.d.). Home. https://www.animalsasia.org/intl/facts-about-cruelty-to-animals-in-asia.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsqrmxem66AIVViQrCh1-YwZSEAAYAiAAEgIdTPD_BwE
- Animal abuse on the rise in Malaysia, statistics show. (2018, August 27). Malay Mail | Breaking News, Malaysia, World, Lifestyle News. https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2018/08/27/animal-abuse-on-the-rise-in-malaysia-statistics-show/1666323
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