OSTA’s First Advisory Board Meeting, May 1, 2024

The Chief Animal Officer (CAO) of OSTA conveyed the strategic plan at the First Advisory Board Meeting, providing a roadmap for the organization's establishment and ongoing development.

The inaugural year's goals encompass increasing OSTA's visibility, streamlining the organizational structure, and establishing strategic partnerships.

The proposed strategies for enhancing public visibility include the launch of the OSTA website, the distribution of brochures, and a summer launch party. In addition, OSTA plans to collaborate with media outlets, alongside a presence on social media platforms like Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram.

Improvements to the organizational structure will be driven by member and Advisory Board feedback. The Board also anticipates soliciting opinions from newsletter subscribers, with plans to review and implement necessary improvements once the subscriber count reaches 1.000.

Identifying potential partnerships will be a key priority, with organizations such as Natuurcollege, Love Button Global Movement, and De Zonnegloed, which share OSTA's mission.

OSTA's continuous objectives include a spiritual and material approach to animal protection, involving various initiatives to enhance animal lives. These objectives also encompass fostering community engagement, and strengthening the human-animal bond.

OSTA's primary goal is to serve animals, which is achieved in two distinct ways. First, we strive to comprehend their perspective through key studies such as Animal Horizons and Animal Aspirations. The latter is a charter that articulates the desires of animals. We are also developing an animal-centered database known as Animal Atlas. Second, we launch initiatives to improve animal lives, like Animal Expeditions, which highlights positive animal stories. Our aim is to inspire engagement and participation in these initiatives via these narratives. We're also intending to establish an Animal Platform and a Belgian Animal Healing Circle, and offering support to other organizations dedicated to being of service to animals.

The CAO highlighted community engagement as a critical objective for OSTA. The focus is on building sustainable, reciprocal relationships with animal advocates. Plans include the 2024 launch of an interactive newsletter to better understand and engage with the community. OSTA invites individuals and organizations with unique skills or project ideas to collaborate, making a tangible difference in animal lives. Membership, based on value alignment and a nominal 10 euro annual fee, is also encouraged. Communication about OSTA's activities will be provided to members and newsletter subscribers, with respect for communication preferences.

OSTA's third objective, strengthening the bond between humans and animals, will be achieved by organizing community events at locations such as sanctuaries, refuges, and wildlife rehabilitation centers. These settings will foster an environment conducive to human-animal interaction. This includes activities like meditation and healing sessions for animals.

The team at OSTA looks forward to the progress to be made in the coming months and will report back on significant developments at the next Advisory Board Meeting.