PEDAGOGICAL VIEW ON INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTSON THE HUMANE ATTITUDE TO ANIMALS

Abstract

The article analyzes the pedagogically important and conceptually significant content of international documents on caring and benevolent treatment of animals, which until now has not been the subject of special study. The official documents were considered, which at first had a personified character, and later, from the level of moral and ethical rules, were consolidated in various types of initiative documents, up to international recognition, acceptance and ratification by such organizations as the Council of Europe, the UN, the OSCE, etc. It is emphasized that Ukrainian legislation is gradually beginning to perceive these global trends, which are directly related to general pedagogical processes, to adapt and implement normative acts that emphasize the need to educate children and youth in a benevolent attitude towards living beings. It was concluded that in the 21^st century explosive growth of population and technology, aggressive agriculture, military conflicts, ecocide, lead to the extermination of entire populations and species of animals. Currently, in Ukraine, these trends appear as the most acute, when in the conditions of Russia’s unprovoked aggression, all humanity suffers and dies together with those «whom we tamed». These processes require greater responsibility for animals, which have feelings of hunger, pain, fear, like all living beings. In the future, international documents on benevolent and careful treatment of animals should not only be announced, but also accepted by the entire Ukrainian society. They should be integrated and correlated with the concept of ethical and moral-aesthetic education, teaching children a valuable attitude to animals at all levels of the education system – from preschool to institutions of higher education.