Important Note on
Early Responsible Policies for Animals Documents

Responsible Policies for Animals is a rights-advocacy organization,
not an abolitionist organization.
Early documents show RPA was abolitionist. Not anymore.
Rights precede abolition.
Abolitionism cannot succeed before nonhumans have rights.

RPA originated as an abolitionist organization - that is reflected in some articles and other documents from the earliest years that appear at this website. RPA's strategy soon evolved based on the crucial difference between a rights strategy and abolitionism. The way to rights is very different from the way to abolition. Rights of a species precede abolition of rights-violating practices. See the Animal Rights page of this website.

Rights of nonhuman animals must be established before industries and practices that would violate those rights, if those rights existed, can be abolished. Abolitionism fails to reduce animal use because rights must form the basis of abolition - an institution as pervasive and entrenched as humans' use of other animals cannot be eliminated through the free market and people's shopping choices.

RPA chooses to keep on its website some important documents from the organization's early years even though they state that RPA is "abolitionist." RPA's position is that all nonhuman animals should have the right not to be used by humans. That sounds "abolitionist." But we educate about the need to establish equal basic individual rights of all animals regardless of species as a means to abolition rather than promote abolition as a means to rights.

RPA offers presentations and literature explaining crucial differences between rights and abolitionist strategy. And again, see the Animal Rights page of this website.

RPA's first campaign, initiated in 2003, is 10,000 Years Is Enough, aimed at ending the teaching of animal agribusiness at universities. As part of the 10,000 Years Is Enough campaign, RPA has sent letters to the heads of the 50 states' main land-grant universities. They can be found here.

RPA's second campaign, also initiated in September, 2003, is This Land Is Their Land, RPA's campaign to protect wildlife.

While pursuing the 10,000 Years Is Enough and This Land Is Their Land campaigns, RPA is designing additional campaigns that will ask leaders of specific institutions and industries to cooperate in establishing responsible policies for animals that are also responsible policies for people and ecosystems.

Campaigns RPA is creating will involve ...

... showing the mass media how to avoid supporting animal abuse and exploitation -- despite some important exceptions, they mostly perpetuate those problems;

... showing businesses how to help end animal exploitation and how to avoid harming animals needlessly -- without hurting their profits;

... showing decision-makers how to minimize human-animal conflicts that often result in animal abuse -- while also solving land-use problems for human beings and ecosystems;

... and more.

Responsible Policies for Animals welcomes campaign suggestions, helpful information related to existing campaigns, and questions about the organization's work to protect animals, people, and ecosystems. RPA is also pleased to provide assistance regarding animal-related matters not involving the organization's campaigns.