“Veganz: the Vegan Society of New Zealand Charitable Trust“, was incorporated on 31 July 2002 as a charitable trust. But was it ever registered as a charity with the Charities Commission on 15 September 2010 (Charity Reg. No. CC45333), under another name: “The Vegan Society of Aotearoa” (an unincorporated Trust formed on 1 May 2010)?
There has never actually been any incorporated entity by the name “The Vegan Society of Aotearoa” in New Zealand and yet it is now a registered charity – registered on 15 September 2010 (Charity Reg. No. CC45333).
Under the Charities Act 2005 all entities registered as charities by the Charities Commission must be registered under their correct legal name if they are a legal entity such as an incorporated charitable trust.
The Vegan Society of Aotearoa is not an incorporated entity and it was registered as a charity with the Charities Commission under this name, which is permitted under section 15 (e) of the Charities Act 2005.
The “aims and objectives of the the Vegan Society of New Zealand Charitable Trust (“Veganz), an incorporated body, are set out in section 3 of its five-page Trust Deed dated 14 December 2004 and include the following:
3.1 To offer support and information to people interested in veganism in order to assist vegans and others to maintain a healthy, balanced diet.
3.2 To promote and increase the awareness of veganism as a compassionate, healthy and environmentally beneficial lifestyle choice.
3.3. To raise awareness of the cruelty and exploitation involved with the production of animal based products and that it is unnecessary to inflict suffering and death on animals in order to lead to healthy and happy life.
3.4 To research information relevant to a vegan lifestyle and where appropriate to publish this information.
3.5 To lobby for manufacturers to use non-animal based materials in their products.
3.6 To support ethical alternatives to animal based and/or environmentally harmful research and production and when appropriate to lobby governmental and non-governmental bodies to change such practices.
3.7 Promote respect and compassion towards all animals and he environment by appropriate means.
3.8 To develop and maintain positive relationships with organisations with similar aims and objectives, and to offer such organisations support where appropriate.
In 2010 the Charities Commission approved “charitable status” to the unincorporated “Trust” (The Vegan Society of Aotearoa) which has clear links to the political “lobby” group – VEGANZ: The Vegan Society of New Zealand Charitable Trust, as defined by the latter’s two “aims and objectives” (3.5 & 3.6).
S. 3.6 clearly states that the targets of Veganz lobbying crusades to be “governmental and non-governmental bodies to change such practices [as] animal based/ or environmentally harmful research and production”.
When the Charities Commission granted The Vegan Society of Aotearoa charity status, it effectively affirmed this object (s. 3.6) as a “charitable” – lobbying against almost every “animal based …. research and production” activity involved in our primary production sector, as well as any and every other research activity that Veganz judge to be “environmentally harmful”.
The means of changing the harmful, and “morally wrong practices” specified by Veganz, based on their activities, entail campaigns lobbying for law and policy changes (“political advocacy”).
The Vegan Society of Aotearoa, a registered charity, has as one of its “charitable purposes” – To “take action consistent with … promot[ing] veganism as an environentally, friendly, healthy and compassionate way of life.”
Society members under the cover of this apparently innocuous “charitable purpose” are in effect free to pursue all the objects set out in the Veganz Charitable Trust Deed – as they too promote veganism.
Veganz has been committed to a clearly defined political agenda since its incorporation. This involves lobbying “manufacturers” (s. 3.5), “government and non-government bodies” (s. 3.6) so that certain laws and policies relating to animal treatment and welfare can be changed and substituted with ones that are approved by Veganz members and the wider “animal rights” campaign networks, a number of which are also registered charities (e.g. SAFE – Save Animals From Exploitation).
A founding trustee of The Vegan Society of Aotearoa, Ms Amand Sorrenson, is currently Promotions Manager for SAFE (Save Animals from Extinction), an “animal rights” campaigner/lobby heavily involved in “political advocacy”. (See: http://www.safe.org.nz/Contact-Safe/).
Notes:
The charitable trust “Veganz” was incorporated as a Trust on 31 July 2002 (Reg. No. 1230157).
References:
Trust Deed of VEGANZ: The Vegan Society of New Zealand Charitable Trust dated 14 December 2004.
www.charities.govt.nz
www.vegansociety.org.nz
www.vegetarians.co.nz
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