History of Asian Vegetarian Congress
The Asian Vegetarian Union (AVU) is an offspring of the
International Vegetarian Union (IVU). The IVU itself represents a union of all vegetarian societies around the world. It was founded at its first meeting in Dresden, Germany, in 1908. The 38th World Vegetarian Congress carrying the banner "100 Years of Food Revolution" was held in Dresden, Germany, from 27 July 27 to 3 August 2008.
The Asian Vegetarian Union was founded in 1999. The first president of AVU was the late Mr. Shri Jashu Shah. The current president, Prof. Dr. Maitree Suttajit, was elected at the Third Asian Vegetarian Congress in Kaohsiung in November 2007.
The First Asian Vegetarian Congress with the theme "Universal Health, the Vegetarian Way" was held in Goa, India, 14-20 October 2001.
The Second Asian Vegetarian Congress with the theme "The Vegetarianism for Health, Environment and Peace" was held in Bangkok, Thailand, 19-21 March 2006.
The Third Asian Vegetarian Congress with the theme "The Spiritual Perspectives on Vegetarianism" was held in Kaohsiung, 3-7 November 2007.
The Fourth Asian Vegetarian Congress with the theme "Vegetarian: Healthy and Eco-friendly for All" is an upcoming agenda, and is to held in Batam Island, Indonesia, 6-10 November 2009. A bit different from the previous events, this time the organising committee has proposed to commit itself to the inclusion of not only theoretical talks at the upcoming congress but also discussions on technical issues in promoting vegetarianism from various angles more efficiently and more effectively. This will be the area the Asian Vegetarian Union wants to highlight.