2018 Was Another Good Year for PETA India’s Compassionate Citizen Programme
PETA India’s humane education programme, Compassionate Citizen, had another spectacular year in 2018. Compassionate Citizen – which has been endorsed by the Animal Welfare Board of India and the Central Board of Secondary Education – has been used by 1.67 lakh schools across the country and empowered nearly 60 million students to build a future in which humans, other animals, and the environment are treated with dignity and respect.
Compassionate Citizen helps students between the ages of 8 and 12 years old develop compassion for animals, which is a key step towards rejecting violence against all beings. It also teaches kids how to help animals, properly care for companion animals, protect the environment, and more. Many states – including Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana – have issued circulars asking schools to integrate the programme into their official curricula.
Here are some Compassionate Citizen highlights from 2018:
- Compassionate Citizen workshops at top Mumbai schools: Students from World School, Bombay Scottish School, Jamnabai Narsee International School, Billabong High International School, and Aditya Birla World Academy participated in fun activities, including watching a video about animals and meeting our “elephant” mascot.
- Avalon Heights International School talk: More than 50 10th-grade students at this school in Vashi listened to PETA’s talk on easy ways in which students can help animals.
- Distribution of materials at St Columba’s School: We gave teachers at this school in Delhi programme materials and animal rights–themed stickers for hundreds of first-grade students.
- Tata Power’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiative: The electric utility company teamed up with PETA to help teachers at 250 schools access Compassionate Citizen materials by posting the programme’s video, worksheets, teachers’ guide, and other materials on its Club Enerji webpage.
- Vedaant Madhavan’s interview: R Madhavan’s son, Vedaant – who previously won PETA’s Compassionate Kid Award for asking his friends and family to donate to PETA for his birthday – interviewed our Education and Youth Outreach Manager for a school project.
- PETA’s stall at the Jack & Jill Expo: Kids at the “edutainment” expo who visited our stall received an “I Am a Kind Kid” wristband and participated in fun activities, such as making animal-themed bookmarks and masks and playing a game in which they helped an elephant get from the circus to a wildlife sanctuary.
- École Mondiale World School service project: During their morning assembly, students at this school in Mumbai learned about making compassionate choices to help animals and that animals should not be used for entertainment. Grades six through 10 signed a petition urging the government to strengthen the penalties for cruelty to animals.
- Krazy Kids Karnival: PETA rocked Mumbai’s three-day event, handing out Compassionate Citizen kits to parents to share with their kids’ schools and distributing “I Am a Kind Kid” balloons.
- Circus ban petition signatures: PETA submitted a petition with more than 8,000 student signatures supporting the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s proposed notification to ban the use of elephants, horses, and all animals in circuses across the country.
Cultivating compassion ensures a better tomorrow for everyone. To order a free copy of Compassionate Citizen, please write to [email protected]. Teachers are encouraged to send their feedback to [email protected] to help us continue evolving the programme.
