The Founding Insight
The best interest of animals is not served by ideological division. It is served by bridge-building.
To advance either, you must understand both.
Animal advocacy across Global South is fragmented not just across causes, but within animal protection itself. Welfare practitioners and rights or vegan advocates often work in silos, sometimes in tension, when the evidence is clear: to advance either, you must understand both.
Welfare organisations hold frontline access and practical relief. Rights and vegan advocates hold long-term systems change and moral clarity. Neither is complete without the other. When they work together, sharing strategy, respecting different entry points, and united by a shared love for animals, the movement becomes unstoppable.
But bridge-building requires people. And people burn out. That is why One Earth Accord pairs unity with wellbeing. Activists who are sustained emotionally, mentally, and communally stay in the movement longer, fight harder, and lead better.
The Cruelty Continuum. The Evidence
Communities that tolerate animal cruelty show higher rates of domestic violence, child abuse, and community harm. Compassion breaks both cycles.
Domestic violence survivors report animal abuse in the home.
Survivors delayed leaving due to fear for their animal.
Women in violent homes with animals saw animals also abused.
Animal abusers are more likely to have violent offences against humans.
Bridging movements, strengthening advocacy, and transforming systems by connecting animal rights, animal welfare and allied advocates across Global South.
Voluntary coordination, knowledge exchange, and shared infrastructure. Not centralised command. Members keep ownership of their work.
Bridge-building requires people. Advocates who are sustained stay in the movement longer, fight harder, and lead better.
Why Global South?
The future of animal advocacy will be shaped in Global South. These regions are home to rapidly changing food systems, growing urban populations, diverse animal welfare challenges, and some of the world's most innovative grassroots advocates. The One Earth Accord exists to strengthen the infrastructure, leadership, and collaboration needed for this movement to thrive.
Why the Global South
The future of animal advocacy will be shaped in Global South.
Across both continents, societies are changing rapidly. Food systems are expanding, cities are growing, wildlife and companion animal issues are evolving, and millions of people are making decisions every day that affect animals, communities, and ecosystems. Yet while the challenges are significant, so too is the opportunity to build a stronger, more connected movement for animals.
The One Earth Accord exists because we believe that the people closest to these realities are best positioned to develop the solutions.
We are beginning in Africa and Asia, where the need and the opportunity are greatest, with the intention to grow.
Shared Context, Shared Opportunity
The Global South is diverse. It encompasses thousands of cultures, languages, political systems, and traditions. Yet many countries across Global South face similar structural challenges that shape animal advocacy work.
While valuable lessons can be learned from movements around the world, effective solutions must be grounded in local realities, cultures, and experiences.
Why Not Simply a Global Approach?
The One Earth Accord is not anti-global. We believe international collaboration is essential.
However, truly effective collaboration requires strong regional leadership.
Too often, priorities, narratives, and strategies are developed far from the communities where change is needed most. As a result, local organizations can find themselves adapting to external agendas rather than shaping the future themselves.
We believe Global South deserve not only representation within the global movement, but the capacity to help lead it.
Our goal is not to separate from the wider animal protection community. Our goal is to strengthen our contribution to it.
Why Global South?
Global South are home to the majority of the world's population and some of the fastest-changing animal protection landscapes.
The future of animal protection will be influenced significantly by what happens across these two continents.
Stronger Together
Across Global South, organizations often face remarkably similar challenges:
Yet many of these challenges do not need to be faced alone.
When advocates share knowledge, resources, lessons, and strategies, the entire movement becomes stronger. Success in one country can inform progress in another. Innovations can spread faster. Mistakes can be avoided. Collective influence can grow.
By connecting organizations, professionals, advocates, and allies across Global South, we can build a movement that is more collaborative, more resilient, and more capable of creating lasting change for animals.
The One Earth Accord exists to help make that future possible.
Rooted in Global South. Connected across borders. United for animals.