MONDAY, APRIL 23
2:15-3:00PM

SPEAKER:
Dr. Elisabeth Ormandy, Executive Director, Animals in Science Policy Institute

ABSTRACT:

Unlike other countries, such as the UK, Canada lacks any national legislation specific to the animals used in science, so what protections do lab animals have, if not legal ones? The current peer-based agency that oversees the use of animals in science in Canada – The Canadian Council on Animal Care – was established in 1968. Forty years on, it’s time to reflect on the systems that we have in place to protect the welfare of lab animals, and to critically examine the governance of animal-based science. This talk will delve into the structure of Canada’s governance system for overseeing the use of animals in science and will evaluate Canada’s progress in implementing the Three Rs principles of Replacement, Reduction and Refinement.

KEY LEARNINGS:

1. What legal protection do animals used in science have in Canada? If not legal protection, what other mechanisms are in place to safeguard lab animal welfare?
2. What are the successes and shortcomings of the governance system for animal-based science in Canada?
3. What progress has been made in the Three Rs? What should the focus of future progress be?

BIO:

Dr. Elisabeth Ormandy is Executive Director of the Animals in Science Policy Institute, a registered Canadian charity that aims to build an ethical culture of science that respects animal life by promoting the reduction and replacement of animals in teaching, research and testing. Elisabeth brings to this role her background in Neuroscience and PhD-level expertise in animal ethics and the governance of animal-based science. She worked for the Canadian Council on Animal Care as a research fellow from 2009-2011, and subsequently sat on the Standards Committee until 2016. Elisabeth currently sits as an Advisor on the Environment and Animal Welfare committee for the Vancouver Foundation and on the Advisory Council of the Canadian Centre for Alternatives to Animal Methods.

 

MONDAY, APRIL 23
1:30PM-2:15PM

SPEAKERS:
Darren Chang MA, Queen's University
Meneka Repka PhD, Teacher/Instructor, University of Calgary

ABSTRACT:
Humane education has historically focused on increasing empathy in children and youths by developing a sense of compassion and respect for non-human animals. More recently, humane education programs have broadened to include environmental issues, along with discussions about the marginalization of human groups. However, given the current human dependence on exploiting non-humans, coupled with global warming and mass extinctions, we question whether humane education is enough to prepare future generations to overcome these challenges. Further, we interrogate whether humane education is an appropriate response to the current state of the world, as it primarily focuses on pet animals, "ethical' consumerism and is generally only implemented in schools that are adequately funded.

We argue that the existing discourse in standard forms of humane education does not sufficiently challenge the anthropocentrism, speciesism, consumerism and other institutionally reinforced ideologies that human domination of non-human life is rooted in. Despite a shift towards situating human/non-human relations in terms of social justice in humane education, it remains unclear what justice would require. A welfare conception of justice that assumes a human right to exploit other animals as long as we give them "a life worth living" fails to question the status of humans as superior and other animals as inferior property and commodities.

KEY LEARNINGS:

1. Critical perspectives on humane education to identify potential shortcomings: (a) Focus on empathy primarily towards pet animals, (b) Focus on "ethical" consumerism, which doesn’t address problems with capitalism, (c) Currently only implemented in private schools or schools with adequate funding (not accessible to most children).
2. Alternatives to humane education, in terms of both forms and content (anarchist models of education?).
3. Historical examples of the social justice tradition, in which justice for non-human animals could be grounded in a wider understanding of anti-oppression work.

BIO:
Darren Chang recently completed a Master’s Degree at Queen's University, specializing in critical animal studies. From 2012-2014, Darren worked as a research assistant at the UBC Animal Welfare Program and has volunteered with various animal rights/liberation groups in BC and Ontario since 2011.

Meneka Repka (nee Thirukkumaran) is an artist and teacher living in Calgary, Alberta. She recently completed a PhD in curriculum and learning from the University of Calgary, and currently teaches both high school and some post-secondary classes. Her doctoral work examined the school experiences of vegan youths in Calgary.