"Whenever people say “We mustn’t be sentimental,” you can take it they are about to do something cruel. And if they add “We must be realistic,” they mean they are going to make money out of it." - Brigid Brophy (1929–1995)

~RIVA is committed to upholding the following declaration

through its mission as well as its education and outreach efforts.~

The public deserves to be told the full truth of who other species are and what is being done to them behind closed doors, as well as the catastrophic impact that the continuing consumption of flesh, eggs, and dairy products will have on free living non-humans, the earth, and human health. We will do all we can to uphold this public trust.

As advocates of non-human species committed to compassion and justice, we will refuse to take part in the exploitation of others or to collaborate with those caught up in such injustice. We will do our best to present a clear and uncompromised message to the public, a sincere and respectful message that is free of cynicism and manipulation.

Recognizing that progress toward social justice is gradual and depends on more and more people becoming aware of the truth, we will do all we can to insure that each of the steps our culture takes is toward an accurate understanding of the ways non-human animals are being harmed, and away from the false and misleading idea that the production of animal flesh, eggs, and dairy products can be carried out without cruelty, violence, or injustice.

Recognizing that fostering cultural transformation requires a variety of creative approaches, we will support a broad range of nonviolent programs and initiatives that eliminate or reduce the exploitation and killing of other animals, as well as measures that reduce the level of abuse and agony experienced by non-human animals being exploited for human purposes, provided such measures involve NONE of the following:

1. Offering a misleading or incomplete portrait of the confinement, social deprivation, mutilation, reproductive manipulation, indignity and premature death endured by other species being exploited for profit.

2. Minimizing or failing to reveal the full impact on human health, free-living non-human species and our environment from the continuing enslavement of living beings and the consumption of non-human animal-based foods.

3. Developing, endorsing, certifying and/or promoting any products, including those that are labeled as being "humane," "cruelty-free," "cage-free," "free range," "organic," "compassionate," etc.

4. Developing, endorsing, praising, applauding or promoting "new and improved" methods for violating and killing non-human animals.

5. Providing individuals or corporations with promotional or public relations benefits that have the effect of making the oppression and killing of non-human animals or the sale of any non-human animal product more profitable or more socially acceptable.

Adapted from www.humanemyth.org