Financial support welcomed!

Programme of Events For Trinity Term 2008

PETA EXHIBITION

In 3rd week, we will be hosting the “Animal Liberation Project”, a powerful exhibition by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) which compels us to question our treatment of animals and consider the parallels between human and animal oppression.

“What is the common link between atrocities in our society’s past? Shameful chapters of history – such as the African slave trade … the oppression of women and forced child labour – are all examples of abuse of power… these cruel practices ended only because forward-thinking people called for justice and change.…. future generations will no doubt look back in disbelief at the horrors inflicted on animals today”

The exhibition will be held on Thursday 8 May at the Wesley Memorial Church, New Inn Hall Street from 10 am – 7 pm, with a talk by PETA’s Alistair Currie at 5.30 pm. Admission is free and refreshments will be available.

For more information on the exhibition, see: www.peta.org.uk/animalliberation/introduction.asp

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS AND EVENTS

We are also pleased to announce that, as a result of VERO’s continuing dialogue with the University’s Committee on Animal Care and Ethical Review, the Committee has undertaken to hold a seminar on animal replacement for members of the University engaged in animal research. The seminar will examine recent developments in imaging techniques and their potential for avoiding animal use, and the speakers will be Dr Matthew Rushworth, University Research Lecturer and Reader in Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology and Dr Gill Langley, Science Director of the Hadwen Trust for Humane Research and former member of the government’s advisory Animal Procedures Committee.

Previous Events

Hilary Term 2008

Once again, a series of wide-ranging and thought-provoking talks was organised at Mansfield College, and people were encouraged by the friendly atmosphere and refreshments to linger and discuss the matters at issue.

In 3rd week, Andre Menache, Scientific Consultant of Antidote Europe, highlighted the hopeless inadequacy of current animal-based methods to test the approx. 30,000 chemicals proposed by the EU REACH directive (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals). Such methods would require 12.8 million animals, cost billions and take 2,000 years to complete! The real way forward, Andre argued, was to use the modern, human-based technique of toxicogenomics, which is species-specific, fast, cost-effective and able to cope with the “cocktail effect”.

In 5th week, Katherine Morris, founding VERO member and fellow in philosophy at Mansfield College, posed the question “Do we really need all those medicines?”, arguing that adverse drug reactions are not merely the result of animal testing, but a symptom of the general medicalisation of our society, where over-reliance on drugs distracts us from the real causes of illness and destroys our ability to deal with it in an autonomous way.

In 7th week, Nick Jukes, Coordinator of InterNICHE, the International Network for Humane Education, stressed the importance of “ethical and emotional literacy” in life science education, and gave a fascinating demonstration of some of the alternative tools his organisation is helping to disseminate throughout the world, including multimedia computer simulations and a state-of-the-art dog model enabling veterinary students to hone their skills far more effectively and humanely.

In 8th week, founding VERO member Matthew Simpson gave a talk entitled 'How Physiology came to Oxford: the New Lab and its Adversaries in the 1880s'. He showed that some of the leading figures of the University had fought a passionate campaign against the introduction of vivisection at Oxford. At their head was the newly appointed Bodley's Librarian, E.W.B.Nicholson. There were unprecedented scenes in the Sheldonian Theatre when the matter was finally debated, and although the votes went against Nicholson's party, a whole Oxford generation had been taught a lesson in tomorrow's ethics. The lesson, as we know, continues.

Michaelmas Term 2007

The first VERO event of the term was an introductory evening at Mansfield College (the venue for all this term's meetings) on October 15th, when our speaker was PETER TATCHELL, the human and animal rights campaigner, VERO supporter, and prospective Green Party candidate for Oxford East. Peter spoke about the huge sums of money spent on conventional animal-based research into AIDS treatment over two decades, and of its negligible and even misleading results. What we really know now, and what we can learn in the future, said Peter, is and will be derived from human-based studies, but at present this sort of work, which many scientists would be able and willing to do, is systematically underfunded. This was necessarily a sombre account, but Peter believes that vivisection is out of date and will in time disprove itself: our business is to hurry forward that time. After the talk and discussion there was vegan food and drink (notably fresh fruit juice made on the spot by VERO member Paul Freestone). This was a feature of all the term's events, which we hope made them more friendly and productive.

Our next speaker on November 1st was MARK GOLD, the author and animal rights campaigner, former Director of Animal Aid, and still the editor of its magazine Outrage. His title was 'Extending the Circle of Compassion', and he gave a moving account of the prophets and proponents of humane living, from classical times to the 20th century. Among those whom Mark was introducing for the first time to many in his audience were Henry Salt (1851-1939) and J.Howard Moore (1862-1916). Henry Salt's career illustrated how naturally a concern for animal rights belongs to a wider desire for justice in society. From J.Howard Moore, Mark read a passage which memorably expresses that admiration for all life upon which the animal rights movement is founded. As an experienced leader, Mark gave wise and authoritative advice on the most fruitful attitudes and conduct in animal advocacy.

On November 15th, DR MARGARET CLOTWORTHY, Scientific Consultant to Europeans for Medical Progress, presented the new EMP film Safer Medicines. This film provides a fascinating survey of advanced techniques in medical research, including for instance the work of Asterand's Dr Bob Coleman on the use of human tissue in drug-development, and the "virtual heart" which Professor Denis Noble has been developing for many years at Oxford itself. These are not merely alternatives to animal-based research, but far more accurate and reliable technologies, of just the sort which Peter Tatchell had been speaking about earlier in the term. Dr Clotworthy is a cell biologist with extensive experience in non-animal medical research, and after the film she gave lucid, informative answers to questions. EMP makes its film available free to schools and other institutions, and it will surely have a strong influence for good in the vivisection debate.

VERO's last event of the term, on November 29th, was a talk by our own PAUL FREESTONE called 'The Future of Food'. This connected our theme of animal-exploitation and medicine to a more general tragedy: the story of how commercial interests, government subsidies, and our own loss of food sense, have corrupted this most basic of human relations with the physical world. Paul showed the results in drug dependency, ruined environments, and squandered resources. It was a brilliant talk, illustrated with many astonishing statistics (the world's livestock produces 18% of greenhouse gases - more even than transport; 30% of food produced is thrown away uneaten; 88 varieties of crisps at Asda), and also with the foods spread out in front of him as he spoke (including a visibly greasy Starbuck's muffin, worth 571 calories, and a commercially prepared leek and potato soup comprising 17 ingredients). By 2050, at the present rate of recklessness, we will be needing five more planets to keep us fed. Paul's own cooking, plus samples of commercially produced vegan fare, showed the right way ahead and provided a delightful end to the evening.

Freshers' Fair 2007

VERO's stall at Freshers' Fair 2007 provided a great opportunity to publicise our peaceful campaign and attracted a lot of interest among the new student intake, with many commenting on how glad they were to see a University-based group bringing some balance to the animal research debate. Our display focused on humane thought at Oxford through the ages - a tradition we are determined to continue.

Animal Experimentation - A Discussion with Peter Singer

Gulbenkian Lecture Theatre, Oxford University
Friday 8 June, 2007
Report

Seminar Programme Hilary Term 2007

Animal experimentation for medical research: issues and perspectives
Venue: Mansfield College
Organisers: Katherine Morris and Martin Henig

The seminars were very successful, drawing substantial numbers of people to discuss the various aspects of animal experimentation for medical research purposes, ranging through historical, legal, ethical, psychological, theological and medical aspects, and including one talk by a medical researcher who himself engaged in animal experimentation (and who expressed himself pleasantly surprised at the civilised reception he had from audience members). All of the lectures provided a lively focus for discussion which continued in the University Club afterwards over refreshments. We hope this will feed into the positive dialogue which VERO is attempting to build up within the University, and encourage a process of information sharing between institutions and disciplines.

Week 1 (16/1/07): 'Aspects of a history of the anti-vivisection movement'
Dr Hilda Kean, History Faculty, Ruskin College
Summary

Week 2 (23/1/07): 'The future of animal law'
Simon Brooman, Business and Law Faculty, Liverpool John Moores University
Summary

Week 3 (30/1/07): 'Speciesism'
Dr Richard Ryder, former Senior Clinical Psychologist, Warneford Hospital
Summary

Week 4 (6/2/07): 'Do animals have rights?'
Dr Alison Hills, Philosophy Faculty and St John's College, Oxford

Week 5 (13/2/07):
'God, animals and embodying belief'
Dr Pamela Anderson, Reader in the Philosophy of Religion, Regents Park College, Oxford
Summary
God and the Animals
Martin Henig, Hon. Professor, University College London (Institute of Archaeology) and Fellow of Wolfson College, Oxford
Summary

Week 6 (20/2/07): 'A medical researcher's perspective on animal testing'
Dr David Priestman, Dept. of Pharmacology, Oxford University

Week 7 (27/2/07): 'Animal minds and human morals'
Prof. Richard Sorabji, philosophy faculty and Wolfson College, Oxford

Week 8 (6/3/07): 'Replacing animal experiments'
Dr Gill Langley, the Dr Hadwen Trust
Summary

Public meeting held on November 28th 2006

Organised by VERO to debate the subject Humane Alternatives to Animal Research: the Way Forward for 21st Century Medicine. Read the report here.


Voice for Ethical Research at Oxford