©
Roger Payne
The Declaration of Independence inspired oppressed peoples everywhere to copy the US
Founding Fathers’ lead in throwing off monarchies and adopting democratic governments. I hope that a Declaration of Interdependence will encourage people everywhere to demand that their government recognizes the critical importance of granting rights and values to nonhuman species.
In drafting this Declaration of Interdependence, I chose to follow the language in the United
States Declaration of Independence of July 4 th , 1776 as closely as possible. I did so because its style has a subconscious resonance with readers.
However, in the middle of the Declaration of Independence are three gripes the colonists with
King George that are so specific to King George’s style that modifying them interferes with the main lesson to be learned by basing a Declaration of Interdependence on the Declaration of
Independence. To wit: that the crimes that caused our Founding Fathers to rise up against the
British monarchy and replace it with a Democracy are the selfsame crimes we are now committing against non-human life. Given that the Declaration of Independence triggered a transformation to more just forms of government, I hope that a Declaration of
Interdependence may signal the start of equally transformative changes that can cause us to recognize the importance of treating the biosphere with the same respect that we treat the homosphere.
As for some tangible outcome that might occur if nations ratify a Declaration of
Interdependence (and it has happened before): by declaring formally that we recognize the interdependence of all life, we formally acknowledge a centrally important point: that nonhuman species that enable our lives. We are beholden to them. That is the first step in understanding the harsh truth that until we accord to non-human life some of the rights we accord to ourselves, there is no rational argument on which to base any hope that our species can have a future.
It was shocking to discover how slightly one has to edit the matchless text of the original
Declaration of Independence in order to have it refer to all life—rather than being limited to a bunch of 18 th century colonists, angry with their King. It is in order to make that point clearly that I have shown the two declarations side by side.
I have removed the references to a Creator on the grounds that the different beliefs of the major religions in that regard would immediately short circuit any hope of wide acceptance.
Roger Payne

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are
Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed
--That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the
Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing
IN CONGRESS, July 4, 2015.
The unanimous Declaration of thirteen united institutions
When in the Course of human events, it
becomes necessary for a people to
dissolve the affiliations and mechanisms
that maintain their self-awarded
advantages, and to acknowledge the
damage their actions have caused, and
to accept the separate and equal station
to which the Laws of Nature entitle all
life, a decent respect to the opinions of
mankind requires that they should
declare the causes which impel them to
the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all life is created equal, that it is endowed by the Laws of Nature with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness.
That to secure these rights Governments must be instituted among Men, whose just powers arise from acknowledging that the interests of non-human life are of equal importance to our own, and that to achieve perpetuity we must embrace wholeheartedly our interdependence with the rest of life.
—That whenever any Form of
Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new
Government, laying its foundation on principles that have survived the

its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and
Happiness.
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that
Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.
But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same
Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former
Systems of Government.
The history of the present King of Great
Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States.
To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his crucible of science, and in such form as to them shall seem most likely to effect the Safety and Happiness of all life.
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that
Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, when the evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the offending cause to which they are accustomed.
But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces that its design is to place our brethren species under absolute Despotism, it is the People’s right, it is their duty, to throw off such self-serving laws, and to provide new
Guards for the future security of life.
--Such has been the patient sufferance of non-human life; and such is now the necessity which constrains us to alter our former Systems of Government.
The history of all present governments is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute
Tyranny over non-human life.
To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
We have refused Assent to Natural
Laws, which are the most wholesome and necessary for earthly life.
We have delayed our Governors from passing Laws of immediate and pressing importance to non-human life, or when so

Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of
Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of
Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of
Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
passed, have utterly neglected to attend to them
We have refused to pass Laws for the accommodation of the rest of life unless that life would relinquish its right to equal representation in our Legislatures, a right inestimable to it and formidable to oppressors only.
We have forced our brethren species
to live in places unusual,
uncomfortable and distant from their
known homes for the sole purpose of
fatiguing them into compliance with our
measures and desires.
We have refused for long times to
improve their lot by allowing those who
would care for them to serve them, so
that in the mean time they are exposed
to the dangers of invasion from without,
and convulsions from within.
W e have endeavoured to prevent the repopulation of these creatures; for that purpose obstructing the Laws of Nature; refusing to pass other laws that would encourage their migrations, and raising the conditions by which we make new
Appropriation of their lands.
We have obstructed the Administration of
Justice, by refusing our Assent to Laws for establishing their access to Judiciary powers
We have made Judges of the just rights of all life dependent on our Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their annual allowances.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace,
Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his
Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the
Inhabitants of these States: of the world:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts
For imposing Taxes on us without our
Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of
We have erected a multitude of New
Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our fellow species and eat out the substance of the ways in which they benefit us.
We have kept among us, in times of peace,
Standing Armies to do our bidding against species that are not like us, without the
Consent of just legislatures.
We have rendered the Military
Independent of and superior to the Civil power when the service of our fellow creatures is involved.
We have combined with others to subject non-human life to a jurisdiction foreign to their constitutions, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving our Assent to such Acts of pretended Legislation as:
Quartering large bodied creatures
in pens that disallow their exercise
or freedom.
Protecting their owners, by a mock
Trial, from punishment of any
consequence for the atrocities they
commit on these, their charges:
For cutting off our Trade with all
parts of the world that condemn our
actions and find our standards low:
For taxing their very existence
without our Consent:
For depriving us in all cases, of any
benefits from Trial by Jury:
For transporting them beyond their
normal range where trials await
them.

English Laws in a neighbouring
Province, establishing therein an
Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging
War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our
Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty
& perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the
Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken
Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the
We have abdicated reason here, by declaring non-human life as out of our
Protection and waging War against it.
Thus do we expose our inability to recognize such strange truths that the health of life on land depends on the health of ocean life—and vice versa.
We have plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our forests, and destroyed the lives of an abundance of species.
We are at this time transporting large fleets of foreign machines to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of
Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the members of civilized nations.
We have constrained our brethren species that we have taken Captive on the high
Seas to bear Arms against their interests.

executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have
Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren.
We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us.
We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence.
They too have been deaf to the voice of
To become the executioners of their friends and brothers, or to fall themselves by their fidelity to the duty we impose on them.
We have excited domestic insurrections among our fellow beings, and have endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, merciless human agents whose rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all species, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions some of us have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions to those in power have been answered only by repeated injury to our fellow beings. A system whose character is thus marked by every act which may define Tyrants, is unfit to adjudicate in this or any world.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our fellow humans .
Many of us have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislatures to extend unwarrantable jurisdictions over the rest of life.
We have reminded them of the tenuous circumstances of our earthly presence here and of the inescapable necessity to accede to the Natural Laws that require and oblige Interdependence
We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and have conjured them by the ties of our common kinship with life to disavow their usurpations, which will inevitably interrupt our connections to any future.
All social systems have been deaf to

justice and of consanguinity.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General
Congress, Assembled, appealing to the
Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by
Authority of the good People of these
Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States;
; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of
Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude
Peace, contract Alliances, establish
Commerce, and to do all other Acts and
Things which Independent States may of right do.
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine
Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred
Honor.
The Declaration Of Independence had 56 signatories. the voice of justice and of consanguinity with all life.
We, therefore, Adherents to the Laws of Nature, in General Congress
Assembled, appealing to the Supreme
Truth of the Cosmos for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by
Authority of, the good People of these
United Nations, solemnly publish and declare, that all natural Taxa are, and of Right ought to be Free and interdependent beings; that they are Absolved from all
Allegiance to the genus Homo , and all unnecessary subjugation by the human world; and that as Free and Interdependent beings, they have full Power to do all the Acts and Things which
Interdependent beings survive by doing.
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of that which is obedient to the Laws of
Nature, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
I will try for 56 distinguished signatories from across the world.