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We demand the extension of the community of equals to include all great apes: human beings, chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orang-utans. The community of equals is the moral community within which we accept certain basic moral principles or rights as governing our relations with each other and enforceable at law. Among these principles or rights are the following: |
1. The Right to Life
The lives of members of the community of equals are to be protected. Members
of the community of equals may not be killed except in very strictly defined
circumstances, for example, self-defense.
2. The Protection of Individual Liberty
Members of the community of equals are not to be arbitrarily deprived of their liberty; if they should be imprisoned without due legal process, they have the right to immediate release. The detention of those who havenot been convicted of any crime, or of those who are not criminally liable, should be allowed only where it can be shown to be for their own good, or necessary to protect the public from a member of the community who wouldclearly be a danger to others if at liberty. In such cases, members of the community of equals must have the right to appeal, either directly or, if they lack the relevant capacity, through an advocate, to a judicial tribunal.
3. The Prohibition of Torture
The deliberate infliction of severe pain on a member of the community of equals, either wantonly or for an alleged benefit to others, is regarded as torture, and is wrong.
We encourage you to electronically sign the Declaration on Great Apes by filling out the following form and submitting it to our database.
By clicking on the submit button at the bottom of the form you are agreeing to the following conditions:
- You have read, agree with, and support the Great Ape Project's Declaration, as stated above.
- You agree to submitting your name and other information requested below to our database.
- You agree to the Great Ape Project utilising your information in the same manner as it would use a hard-copy signature.
Please note: While we do ask for your address, we would like to assure you that it is for our database only, and not to be published on the Internet.