The International Vegetarian Union (IVU) is an international non profit organization whose purpose is to promote vegetarianism. IVU was founded in 1908 in Dresden, Germany.
It is considered as an umbrella organization for under this organisation are included organisations from many countries, and organises often World and Regional Vegetarian Congresses. These alternate in two-year cycles.
The ruling body from IVU is the International Council, and the members who form it are unpaid volunteers elected by the Member Societies at each World Vegetarian Congress.
Member organizations may be continental groups (EVU, VUNA, NAVS, etc.) or local or other regional vegetarian organizations whose primary purpose is the promotion of vegetarianism and the support of vegetarian living (e.g. EarthSave).
Famous quotes containing the words vegetarian and/or union:
“A vegetarian is not a person who lives on vegetables, any more than a Catholic is a person who lives on cats.”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)
“The monk in hiding himself from the world becomes not less than himself, not less of a person, but more of a person, more truly and perfectly himself: for his personality and individuality are perfected in their true order, the spiritual, interior order, of union with God, the principle of all perfection.”
—Thomas Merton (1915–1968)