World Union for Protection of Life
The World Federation for the Protection of Life ( WSL, English: World Union for Protection of Life ( WUPL ), French: Union Mondiale pour la Protection de la Vie, Russian: Всемирный союз для защиты жизни ) is a 1958 in Salzburg ( Austria ) based international non-profit organization and non-governmental organization that has the "protection of life on Earth," the subject. The self-understanding of the organization is derived from the name used in Germany clearly "community of action to maintain healthy livelihoods for nature, landscape, animals and humans ."
History
The impetus for the establishment of the organization was in 1955 published novel " Dance with the Devil " of the writer, ex- Nazi party member and ex -SA officer Günther Schwab. In the novel, Schwab put his " nationalist- biologistic views " down, denounced the threat of natural and environmental destruction and warned in advance of the use of nuclear energy. On the basis of the ideals that were represented in this book, Schwab founded the " World Federation of saving the life" ( WRL). WRL was first officially registered in Austria on 24 September 1958 by the Directorate of Security Salzburg under the number 10.277/58. In 1963 the organization was renamed the World Federation for the Protection of life. The Alliance became active in the sequence in 32 states. International conferences with scientists and religious organizations were initially place mainly in German-speaking countries.
Germany
On 25-26. June 1960 was held the founding meeting of the WRL - section in Bad Hersfeld Germany at the instigation and in the presence of Günther Schwab. The association was registered there in the register. As an organ of Schwab's magazine was unanimously used the hidden path. First President of the German section was the former National Socialist euthanasia and physician Walter Gmelin.
Ten years after the founding of the WSL had several thousand members in the Federal Republic of Germany, and was registered in all federal states with state associations in the Register. The location of the Section Germany eV was first moved to Frankfurt am Main and later in the German capital Bonn. From 1970 to 1972, the scientists Hanno Beck was president. Depending on the number of members were local and district associations. Due to the rapidly growing number of members no assemblies could be held more so that delegates were elected. Among the most famous members included the physicist Karl Bechert (1901-1981), the Spiekerooger doctor Klaus Klasing (1910-1975), the non-fiction author and physician Max Otto Bruker (1909-2001) and the author Ewald Gaul ( 1919-2004 ).
In youth work, the WSL sat for a lesson in ecology / environmental protection / conservation / protection of life in all schools and with poster campaigns against smoking one. Health education and whole-food nutrition (eg after Max Otto Bruker, Werner Kollath and Johann Georg Schnitzer ) Further focal points of the work.
Dispute over the responsibilities at the international level, political suspicions because of the connections in Eastern Bloc countries and numerous lawsuits against nuclear power plants in Germany eventually led to the collapse of the organization. Then there is the ever-changing location of the Section Germany came at the place of residence of each newly elected president. In Germany members resigned from the National Association of the section Germany and joined the founding organization in Salzburg, Austria on. The reasons for this was, inter alia, specified, the native society activists had extreme right-wing goals. The criticism directed particularly against the extreme right-wing President Werner Georg Haverbeck (WSL president of 1974-1982 ) and the Vice Chairman, Ernst Otto Cohrs ( Vice President 1974-1982 ). When her offices available presented in May 1981 to a federal board meeting Haverbeck Cohrs and the Bureau if they had to distance themselves from the Nazi system or Hitler, an application has been dropped. 1982 replaced Max Otto Bruker Haverbeck as first president. Ernst Otto Cohrs was allowed to remain Vice President. Only after public protests and numerous dismissals of members Bruker turned in a circular letter to all members, where he expressly forbade the public debate right-wing body of thought, but not the membership of the radical right in the WSL. Because of the letter, there was a power struggle within the WSL in its train Bruker in December 1982, resigned from his post as president.
Robert Jungk wrote in the " protection of life information " in June 1983:
In 1985, the Germany section was excluded (WSL -D) because of right-wing activities of the International Federation. As a result, the lack of young talent and the lack of international structures, the association's activities was due to aged members portfolio, largely set, and finally removed from the tax authorities to the non-profit association. The beginning of 2001, which was founded in 1961 WSL -D announced its dissolution. The club newspaper was continued by the "Collegium humanum ", which had been intertwined with the World Federation.
Austria
By 2008, the numerically largest active group was found still in Austria.
Schwab wrote: "In Austria, for example, we help to prevent operation of the nuclear power plant in Zwentendorf or to receive the Vienna Woods as mixed forest. " Soil biologist and writer Annie Francé - Harrar was an honorary member and active collaborator.
The work of WSL officials in the state's " anti-nuclear offensive " is the subject of political debate for some years. Due to the high average age of the members of the Austria section has now been resolved, at the request of the Board. This voluntary dissolution occurred, according to the Austrian Ministry of the Interior on 31 December 2012 in force.
Substantive Profile
The WSL was founded by various conservation and protection of life associations, ethnic groups and individuals as non-partisan and non-denominational covenant to combat the threat of nature, which was conceived as a threat to the people, and was of man and nature image marked from the beginning by a conservative. According to Günther Schwab, the federal government " for renewal and deepening of life in the sense of eternal moral values and the natural order of life " should act. In this conception of the technology and civilization constituent mind is as opposed to the nature and regarded as natural systems and organic structures destructive. Man is so declared an enemy of the divine order, its reintegration is referred to in the natural cycle as a target of protection of life. The former German WSL chairman Helmut Mommsen formulated as follows:
"Man is destined to serve as an extended arm of an all -controlling power and the attorney advocate of living nature means disregarding his personal benefit. "
Financing
The financing of the WSL is done by membership dues and donations and other measures, such as the WSL - country Association of Rhineland- Palatinate, who participated in the sale of the official Wohlfahrtsmarken the Federal Post Office and began the proceeds for youth work.
International Activities
In addition to the Federal Republic of Germany were Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg, the countries with the most members. However, the global political situation difficult - especially because of the East- West conflict - the intended construction of an international organization, although already good relations at this level were ( euro Europe, UN, UNESCO, etc.).
According to information from the WSL was represented in the following countries: Egypt, Ethiopia, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Federal Republic of Germany, German Democratic Republic, Finland, France, Great Britain, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Yugoslavia, Canada, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, South Korea, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and USA. A scientific advisory board of 400 experts from 53 countries, including 40 Nobel laureates, supported the work of WSL. President of the Advisory Board was Linus Pauling. The labor issues at the international level included the fight against cancer. Among the German members of the scientific advisory board was Konrad Lorenz.
In Australia, the organization since 1969, tried publicly to point out the dangers which threatened the operation of the planned nuclear power plant of Jervis Bay. According to some representatives of the Australian section has helped that to date there are no nuclear power plants - apart from the OPAL research reactor - operate.
The World Federation for the Protection of life bestowed an award named " Hans Adalbert Schweigart Medal " to the following people:
Even with the international organization the seat changed over time, including from Hannover to Bad Reichenhall. After the founder's death in 2006 a new structure was built up in relation to the 50 - year anniversary, which is not based on national boundaries. Instead, the members will work together in countries speaking the same language (eg, English-speaking members in Australia, Britain, Canada and the USA ) worldwide.
Given the large number of organizations with similar goals, the WSL is understood as an international governing body. Therefore, only scientists or people with an academic qualification or elected representatives of organizations to be included with the same objective as a member. The practical implementation and the definition of qualifications but still be left to the national territory associations.