Going beyond the power of activism

I am just back from holiday, where the kids and I went to Northern Thailand to volunteer at an elephant conservation camp.

This is one of the few places in Thailand where elephants are safe and able to live an elephant’s life.

Clearly we are a family of “experiences” and I wanted us to experience the challenges and joys of participating in a volunteering program, as well as getting an understanding of how an individual can make a difference to a community.

In the process I learnt a lot about volunteering, cruelty, passion, culture, and making a difference – much of which is relevant far beyond the elephant park.

When people travel to Thailand, most delight when they see a real life elephant. However, what most tourists don’t know is the brutality that all off these “tamed” animals have experienced in their lives.

Most Western travellers would be aghast at the pain inflicted on these animals. And if they knew, they would simply not go on the trek or watch the elephants perform in a show. Asking an elephant to paint is not a natural thing, it is only achieved after years of brutality.

In less than 100 years the Asian elephants’ numbers have been reduced by as much as 100,000. When the Thai Government banned logging of the rain forests the mid-80s, many of the working elephants lost their jobs – if elephants are not earning an income their owners cannot keep them.

It is reported that there may be as few as 3,500 elephants left in Thailand – and most of these are in captivity. If they were to be returned to the wild there is simply not enough forest to support this population (each elephant eats more than 100kg of food each day). But many elephants are completely malnourished because they are not fed properly in captivity.

So many of the elephants are forced to perform for tourists to earn their keep. Unbeknown to the traveller each of these elephants (during their juvenile lives) have had to endure days in a “crush”, being tormented and mutilated by hooks until they are “broken”.

The videos we saw of elephants being “tamed” were horrific. But there is no easy answer, as Lek the founder of Elephant Nature Park has found. While she provides refuge for 36 abused elephants and runs a successful volunteering program (the kids and I delighted in feeding, washing and hanging out with these massive beasts), her program is a drop in the ocean. And to save an elephant is a very expensive exercise. Yet many Thais do not believe in the work Lek is doing. Elephants represent a livelihood for many Thai families – yet the daily cruelty is gut wrenching.

I wondered out loud, “How can they allow this cruelty happen to the elephant which is considered a Thai national symbol?” My son responded, “But look at what we do to the kangaroo Mum, how is that different?”. Good point.

So I asked Lek, “What can we do?” She replied, “Banning elephant ownership is not the answer. What we need are people to contact the travel writers, publishers and bloggers to let them know that the monkey, tiger or elephant shows and activities in most countries are all facilitated through abuse toward animals. Urge them to give people the information so they can choose if they want to be a part of that.”

“Lobby government, write letters and agitate to change the law around animal cruelty. Elephants can still work and lead fulfilling lives, and they can be trained using positive reinforcement rather than cruelty. We have proven that over and over here. We can work (and play) side by side with an elephant without using force. It just takes longer, and costs a little more.”

This is a complex issue in a far away land. And I only had a small insight into the issue during the few days that I was there. But there is cruelty everyday here in Australia too and that is something we can do something about. (I guess that is why I am passionate about the role I play at the animal protection institute Voiceless, even in a small capacity).

Activism alone will not change the world – it takes agitation, vision, leadership and passion. And laws do need to change.

We can make a difference – and make a fellow creature’s life a little more bearable. None of these issues are simple. But just because it has always been like that (I learnt that elephants were being “broken” more than 6,500 years ago), does not mean that it is right, or that we can’t make a difference. We can.

How are you going to make the world a better place this year? To provide support in your community, where your energy can make a difference? Let me know.

Naomi Simson is considered one of Australia’s ‘Best Bosses’. She is an employee engagement advocate and practices what she preaches in her own business. RedBalloon has been named as one of only six Hewitt Best Employers in Australia and New Zealand for 2009 and awarded an engagement scorecard of over 90% two years in a row – the average in Australian businesses is 55%. RedBalloon has also been nominated by BRW as being in the top 10 Best Places to Work in Australia behind the likes of Google. One of Australia’s outstanding female entrepreneurs, Naomi regularly entertains as a passionate speaker inspiring people on employer branding, engagement and reward and recognition. Naomi writes a blog and is a published author – and has received many accolades and awards for the business she founded – RedBalloon.com.au.