Campaign against experiments on animals to move a notch higher
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A major Africa animal welfare event is scheduled for this September in Kenya’s Capital City -Nairobi. The first of its kind, the Pan African Seminar on alternatives to animal experiments in education and training will bring together animal campaigners, policy makers, curriculum developers, scientists, teachers, laboratory technicians and students.
The importance of this seminar jointly organized by Africa Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW), and the International Network for Humane Education (InterNICHE) cannot be overemphasized as it will present the opportunity for the African continent to learn about and help implement such alternatives to the harmful use of animals. The seminar will as well support existing African initiatives for humane education and interest in better training for life and health science professionals.
The seminar will present the pedagogical, ethical and economic advantages of humane alternatives to animal experiments and the dissection of purpose-killed animals in education and training. Disciplines covered will include zoology, anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, clinical skills and surgery. A wide range of alternative tools and approaches – from computer software to training mannekins and simulators – will be described and demonstrated.
Many such seminars, conferences and training events have been successfully held in locations around the world by InterNICHE in collaboration with universities, partner organizations and networks, but this will be the first of its kind in Africa.
The event comes against a backdrop of high level consultations within the top ranks of the Kenyan government concerning the practice of experiments on animals. While this appears coincidental, the Kenya government consultations sparked by a letter from the International Convention to Ban the Practice of Experiments on Animals will definitely give unprecedented impetus to the Seminar on 23rd- 24th September, 2009.
The Depository of the Convention undertaken 29th September 2008 is intended to avoid cruelties on Animals, derived from scientific experiments. In the communication to the 192 Member States of the United Nations, the Depository describes adhesion to the Convention as a collective effort to reduce the sufferings of animals and improve a new concept of moral and ethical scientific research.
So far, the convention has been undersigned by the Intergovernmental University Institute of Cooperation (IUIC), International Center for Food Micro-algae (ICFAM), and the Intergovernmental University (IGU), Intergovernmental Organizations with treaty making-capacity, committed to enhance ethical experimental research.
