Craiova, a European Capital of Culture?
by Pia Berrend & Malcolm Plant
by Pia Berrend & Malcolm Plant - Although embraced within the same native land but far across the wild Carpathian mountains, the tourist can travel from the fictional land of Count Dracula, where Disney-like sanitized depictions can be found, to a true 'Land of Death'.
Awoken in the night as a scream of terror rents the air, the tourist can be forgiven for feeling that this is just a little too real. A real cry of death invading the night...
This is the City of Craiova where pitiful, half-dead bodies can be seen moving silently through the shadows only for larger shadows to appear and with a horrific scream of pain another life is ended or worse, consigned to a lingering and painful existence in Craiova's publicly funded death-camp, the so-called public 'shelter' where the only way out is DEATH.
Under the responsibility of Craiova's mayoress, Lia Olguta Vasilescu, the abandoned homeless animals have been locked away, and there - conveniently out of the public eye - they were left to starve or to bleed to death after a 'butcher' had performed a 'sterilization' on them.
Before they died, they wished they'd never be born... in Craiova.
Lia Olguta Vasilescu, Mayor of Craiova, stated within the ceremony held at the statue of "Mihai Viteazul" ruler on the occasion of the first edition of the event dedicated to the Romanian ruler that Craiova city entered the competition for the title of European Capital of Culture.
Let us ponder awhile whilst viewing these pictures of horror, abuse and torture that took place in a 'European' city! Let us listen for the deafening roar of animal lovers across the European continent...
Outrage from Luxembourg and Germany! Disbelief from the United Kingdom! From Scandinavia comes the clamor for charity and compassion!
European culture? An appreciation of both the diversity and the homogeneity of civilization, appreciation and care of the weak, but also diverse traditions and environments.
European culture? These scenes were viewed in Craiova, Romania, where the weakest were consigned to a painfully grotesque death or allowed simply to fade away through starvation. And Craiova dreams of becoming a European Capital of Culture in 2021... A EUROPEAN City of Culture!
Criteria for this accolade include the ability to host a 'high quality program of events'. One can only imagine the tourist ecstasy watching the dog catchers perform their daily aggression manifestation. Perhaps musical accompaniment could be arranged to provide an illusion of some semblance of normality to this theater of death on the streets, the gutters and the local disposal shelter?
Whilst it can claim politically to be European, Craiova has yet to create and accommodate European standards before it can lay claim to any homogeneity of European civilized compassion and morality.
Benefits are given as: a new image for the city and increased tourism. These are indeed possible: Dachau, Auschwitz and Bergen Belsen - all attract significant numbers of tourists. But none would ever claim such a perversity as being 'cultural'.
One can only imagine the abhorrence of tourists from other European nations exploring Craiova, a City of creature pain and horror, within a country ill-compliant with European Conventions and having raised a new law licencing the 'eradication' of their homeless animals, resulting in polarization of a society and encouraged community violence and to fully ensure a departure from European cultural standards, exposure of children in the streets to some of the worst atrocities imaginable against animals, thus impacting on children's attitudes and health.
Craiova, European Capital of Culture?
The dream was alive... until the morning of awareness came and with this awakening it was realized that was all it was... just a dream! An empty, derisory, perverse dream!
About the Authors
Pia Berrend (Luxembourg), is the Founder and Campaign Manager of 'Occupy for Animals', the responsible for campaigns and a project-partner at the 'Making the Link' Study and Intervention Project, she is responsible for public relations at 'Lawyers for Animals', a Member of the 'European Communications Team', and one of the editors of this book.
Malcolm Plant (UK), BSc, BA (Hons), MSc, Dipl. Psychology, is the Initiator of the 'Making the Link' Study and Intervention Project, a Fellow of the Institute for Human-Animal Connection at the University of Denver (USA), an Associate of Teeside University (UK), the Director at 'Lawyers for Animals', and the Legal Adviser at 'Occupy for Animals', as well as one of the editors of this book.
Malcolm Plant (UK), BSc, BA (Hons), MSc, Dipl. Psychology, is the Initiator of the 'Making the Link' Study and Intervention Project, a Fellow of the Institute for Human-Animal Connection at the University of Denver (USA), an Associate of Teeside University (UK), the Director at 'Lawyers for Animals', and the Legal Adviser at 'Occupy for Animals', as well as one of the editors of this book.