Our history
The birth of a fight for their rights
We needed a radical association to defend animals, one that was uncompromising but obviously non-violent. Because One Voice is a single voice, for animals and the planet.
The origins of the association
Created by Muriel Arnal in 1995, One Voice, an association under the 1908 law, is fighting for changes in our relationship with living creatures and is striving to finally put an end to cruelty in all its forms. Initially called Aequalis, the association became Talis in 1998, then finally One Voice in 2000.
A pioneering commitment
The year it was created, One Voice launched a resounding alert, which still marks a turning point in its history. This is how the infamous Mad Cow affair came to light in the media. One Voice was quick to denounce it and, with the collaboration of numerous international experts, set up concrete actions against animal experimentation. This is how we became the first to denounce and put an end to certain cruel practices when they were still ignored by the ‘historic associations’: in circuses, in laboratories…
Théodore Monod, a battalion commander committed to respect for all living beings
An indelible mark in the history of One Voice
A thinker and deeply committed humanist, Théodore Monod fought relentlessly against cruelty in all its forms. First on his own, then alongside One Voice as the association’s patron, Théodore fought many battles at the same time: the abolition of hunting, the fight against animal experimentation, bullfighting, the use of fur, etc. His determination and the fervour of his commitment have played a major part in building what One Voice is today.
The vision of a deeply altruistic man
A man of faith from a line of shepherds who travelled the desert, Theodore was quick to commit himself to defending the rights of humans and animals throughout the world. So it was only natural that he should set up a Natural History Society at the age of 15. Founder and then director of the Institut Français d’Afrique Noire in Dakar, a zoologist, botanist, oceanographer and laureate of the Académie des Sciences in 1973, Théodore devoted his life to fighting all forms of injustice and destruction.
