Welcome to the first of Voiceless' 2005 e-updates.  We hope that you all enjoyed the New Year's break and that the coming year will be a successful one for you and the animals.

VOICELESS ON THE AIRWAVES... TUNE IN TO ABC

Voiceless encourages you to listen to Brian Sherman talking on Ockham's Razor on Sunday 30th January at 8.45am (& Wednesday 2nd February at 9.45pm).  The show is presented by the Science Show's Robyn Williams and is broadcast on Radio National, the ABC's national radio network of ideas.

In this program, Brian shares his thoughts on the plight of animals. He discusses the seminal moments which have reinforced his kinship with animals and explains how Voiceless intends to play a role in promoting respect and compassion for them, in the years to come.

Tune in: Adelaide 729AM, Brisbane 792AM, Canberra 846AM, Darwin 657AM, Gold Coast 90.1FM, Hobart 585AM, Melbourne 621AM, Newcastle 1512AM, Perth 810AM, Sydney 576AM and via satellite to over 220 regional centres. To see your local State frequencies, please visit: http://abc.net.au/rn/freq/

THE VOICELESS EUREKA PRIZE

Voiceless is pleased to announce the Voiceless Eureka Prize for Research which Replaces the Use of Animals or Animal Products.  The prize which forms part of the Australian Museum’s 2005 Eureka prizes, will seek to encourage research into the development, testing, application and validation of alternatives to the use of animals or animal products for scientific or teaching purposes. Entries for the prize, which is sponsored by the Sherman Foundation, close on Friday 13 May 2005. 

Voiceless believes this prize will challenge Australian scientists to search for ethical alternatives to the use of animals in scientific and teaching institutions, with a view to reducing the suffering of animals in Australia.

For further information about the Eureka prizes, please visit www.amonline.net.au/eureka/

A number of new media articles and a radio interview have been added to the Voiceless website recently and can be viewed on the Media page.  Please follow this link. 

VOICELESS' LEGAL ARM

The Voiceless Policy and Law page has now been uploaded.  Please follow this link to find out about animal law and how Voiceless' legal arm envisages its role in influencing this emerging discipline.  The page also contains numerous links to animal law websites and other useful resources.

Voiceless was regularly in the news at the close of last year following the announcement of the 2004 grants recipients at a press conference at the Sherman Galleries in Paddington.  A full list of all the 2004 grant recipients can be viewed on the Grants page of our website. Please follow this link

In this photograph, representatives from each of the 3 organisations that received $20,000 grants appear with Hugo Weaving and Ondine and Brian Sherman, from left: Ondine Sherman, Simone Grey (Animal Liberation ACT), Carole de Fraga (Compassion in World Farming), Brian Sherman, Hugo Weaving and Verna Simpson (Humane Society International).

THE 2005 VOICELESS GRANTS PROGRAM

The launch date of the 2005 grants program has not yet been confirmed, but will certainly be in the early half of 2005.  Until then, Voiceless will not be accepting grant submissions.  As soon as the grants program has been announced, detailed information will be posted on our website including: criteria for submissions, award categories and examples of the types of project that would be welcomed.

In the interim, please feel free to contact our office if you have any questions about the grants program and we will certainly try to assist you.  

The Voiceless team will receive a boost in February when Voiceless Co-Founder and Director, Ondine Sherman returns from maternity leave.  Ondine will be working part-time as well as looking after her beautiful daughter Jasmine who is now 5 months old.  Elaine Morris, who has been standing in for Ondine, and has done an outstanding job coordinating the 2004 Grants program, will also be staying on at Voiceless, working 2 days a week in her new role as Communications Manager.

Voiceless wishes to express its deepest sorrow for all those affected by the devastating tsunami that struck South East Asia on Christmas day 2004.  Although it has been almost a month since the disaster, many of those suffering, both human and animal, still desperately need our help. We would like to encourage anyone able to contribute, to consider assisting organisations on the ground who are working tirelessly to provide food and care for the countless victims in Thailand, India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

The following is a short list of such organisations which have been recommended to us by other groups. As Voiceless has not been in direct contact with most of these organisations, we strongly suggest that potential contributors make direct contact with the organisation of their choice before donations are made.

• Vegetarian food relief - www.ffl.org - Food for Life teams are currently distributing nearly 20,000 freshly cooked vegan/vegetarian meals every day, along with medical care, clothing, water and shelter to people affected in Sri Lanka and India.
• Blue Cross of India - Blue cross volunteers were on the beaches of Chennai within minutes of the tsunami striking and helped save many tethered animals and removed pups and injured dogs to the Blue Cross shelter.
• Soi Dog Foundation, Thailand - www.soidog.org – a small organisation focused on helping stray dogs and cats in Phuket. Soi Dog Foundation quickly shifted gears after the tsunami struck to provide emergency relief to affected animals.

The following animal relief organisations have all sent a presence to the affected areas, where they are working in conjunction with local animal groups, assessing the situation on the ground and assisting where ever possible to relieve suffering: 

• Humane Society International Asia – www.hsiasia.org/Donate.htm - An HSI Asia advance team has visited Phuket, Colombo, and is now in Banda Aceh where they are assessing the needs of the animals there.
• Animals Asia – www.animalsasia.org - Jill Robinson, founder of Animals Asia arrived in Phuket in early January carrying veterinary supplies, and is assisting the Soi Dog Foundation in their work.
• International Fund for Animal Welfare - www.ifaw.org - IFAW is working with local groups to provide vital emergency services such as delivering animal vaccinations to prevent the outbreak of disease, saving livestock crucial for economic recovery and reuniting survivors with missing pets. 
• WSPA - www.wspa.org.uk - Trained disaster relief specialists, WSPA veterinarians and field staff have arrived in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand and are working alongside local animal organisations to provide disaster relief.

Voiceless is always glad to hear from you and appreciates your emails and calls - please do keep them coming.  We look forward to a rewarding and positive 2005 and wish you all the same - until next time.