Kurdistan Vegans facts for kids
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ڤیگنەکانی کوردستان
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| Formation | June 24, 2018 |
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| Founder | Zanko Bakhshi, Zhiar Ali |
| Founded at | Erbil |
| Type | nonprofit |
| Legal status | active |
Kurdistan Vegans is the first group in Iraq that helps animals and promotes a vegan lifestyle. It's a nonprofit organization, which means it doesn't aim to make money. Instead, it works to protect animals and encourage people to live in a way that's kind to animals and the planet.
This organization was started on June 24, 2018, by two people named Zanko Bakhshi and Zhiar Ali. They began their work in Erbil, a city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Kurdistan Vegans wants to teach people about animal rights, how to protect the environment, and how to live a healthy life by choosing vegan options.
Their first public event happened on November 1, 2018, which is World Vegan Day. They held events in two cities: Sulaymaniyah and Erbil. In these events, they handed out flyers and small books. These materials shared information about veganism and what a vegan diet is all about. Local TV stations even interviewed members of the group, helping to spread the word about vegan ideas.
Contents
History of Kurdistan Vegans
How the Group Started
The idea for Kurdistan Vegans began in 2017 as a simple blog. This blog aimed to share information about veganism with people in the Kurdish region. For a while, the group mainly posted online on sites like Facebook and Instagram.
Later, Zanko Bakhshi met other people who cared a lot about animal rights. They decided to work together more officially. So, on June 24, 2018, the group became a certified organization. This meant they were officially recognized by the government as a non-profit group.
First Public Event: World Vegan Day
About five months after becoming an official organization, Kurdistan Vegans held its first big public event. This happened on November 1, 2018, for World Vegan Day. They organized events in both Erbil and Sulaymaniyah.
In Sulaymaniyah, a team of five people, led by Zhiar Ali, set up their event in Azadi Park. In Erbil, four people, led by Zanko Bakhshi, were in Samy Abdulrahman Park. At these events, they gave out pamphlets and booklets. These materials explained what veganism is, what a vegan diet includes, and even mentioned famous people who are vegan. The teams also talked to people directly, explaining and promoting the vegan lifestyle.
What Kurdistan Vegans Believes In
Understanding Veganism
The main idea behind Kurdistan Vegans is a moral philosophy called veganism. This philosophy teaches that animals should not be used by humans in any way. This means not using them for food, clothes, or anything else. The group believes that animals should not be "exploited," which means they shouldn't be unfairly used for human benefit.
Zanko Bakhshi once explained this idea in an interview. He said that vegans don't just avoid animal products in their food. They also avoid using them for things like clothes. This is because vegans believe that if there are other options available, animals shouldn't have to suffer in industries that use them.
Veganism vs. Vegetarianism
Bakhshi also helped explain the difference between veganism and vegetarianism. He said that vegetarianism is mostly about diet. Vegetarians choose not to eat meat.
However, vegans go further. They stop using all animal products. This includes things like eggs and dairy products (like milk and cheese). Vegans believe that the way animals are treated in farms, even for eggs or milk, is not right. They feel that animals in these industries go through a lot of abuse.
The organization and its members strongly believe that using animals and their products is wrong. This is because of the unfair and often harsh treatment that farmed animals experience.
