Africa Animal Welfare Action (AAWA) Conference 2010
Concept
Conference Organizers
Africa Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW)
International Fund for Africa (IFA)
World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA)
Contact Persons
Josphat Ngonyo
Director- Africa Network for Animal Welfare
P.O. Box 3731 – 00506 Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254 20 606510; Fax: +254 20 609691
Email: jos@anaw.org
Website: www.anaw.org
Anteneh Roba MD
President -International Fund for Africa
Email: roba@ifundafrica.org
Website: www.ifundafrica.org
Dr. Nick DeSouza
Director- WSPA Africa
Email: nickdesouza@wspaafrica.org
Website: www.wspa-international.org
Introduction
Animal welfare in Africa is an important issue though usually belittled by other issues deemed as of more priority. Today, although quite a few Animal Welfare Organizations have been established across the continent, cruelty to animals is still rampant. One major obstacle to animal welfare in the developing world is the lack of unity, lack of correct information and lack of supportive legislations.
This Africa United Animal Welfare Action (AAWA) Conference will bring together participants representing animal welfare organizations, individuals with interest in animal welfare in Africa, civil society organizations addressing companion, farm, working, wild, entertainment and lab animals, environmental conservation, professionals in veterinary/animal health and intergovernmental bodies’ representatives in a conference and workshop scheduled for 6th to 9th September 2010 in Nairobi-Kenya.
In September 2009 a workshop titled the Africa Animal Welfare Workshop and a Seminar on Alternatives to Lab Animals in Education were held in Nairobi bringing together participants from 11 African countries from across Africa. The commonality of animal welfare issues and magnitude of animal welfare abuse in Africa stood out and the problems was identified as rooted from lack of strong unified voice to address the plight of animals. Consequently the participants resolved the need of working together to advance the issue by developing an African Declaration for Animal Welfare (ADAW) as a reference point to propel African governments to put animal welfare at the top of their agenda.
The participants thus charged the Africa Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW) together with the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) with the responsibility of coordinating the development of an African Declaration for Animal Welfare (ADAW) and reconvening a conference in 2010 to ratify the same.
During the Seminar, the participants were introduced to the world of alternatives by International Network for Humane Education (InterNICHE) experts. It emerged that the field of alternatives to lab animals was a new field to Africa and though many alternatives have been developed for educational purposes; their impacts on education have not been felt since the information about them has not been optimally disseminated. It was observed that Animal welfare laws in many African countries failed to acknowledge use of alternatives since it was a very new phenomena to Africa.
The conference will therefore be a follow up of the above September 2009 meeting proceedings with specific focus on advancing the Africa Declaration for Animal Welfare
The conference will also seek to address pertinent Animal Welfare issues such as bare hand bull killing ritual in South Africa.
Justification
The similarity in challenges when addressing animal welfare issues across Africa presents an advantage and a window of opportunity to collectively push for the animal welfare agenda in the Continent. However, in seeking to do so collectively, it is imperative to underscore the fact that successful and impactful animal welfare initiatives are those that are inclusive; bringing on board communities and other key stakeholders. It is also important to recognise that in Africa it is crucial that animal welfare is hinged in countries’ legislation if it is to be meaningfully respected and applied. Thus, the need to involve key stakeholders especially relevant Government representatives
In the 2009, workshop held in Kenya, Africa Network for Animal Welfare was charged with the responsibility of coordinating and convening the second Animal Welfare Forum where participants would seek to ratify a declaration that pave way for addressing animal welfare issues in Africa.
The said declaration shall be established under existing Draft Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare, and shall also in addition take into consideration the unique challenges and opportunities in animal welfare in Africa.
The declaration shall form the basis for Policy and Legislation on Animal Welfare by governments and all other sectors in Africa. It shall also form the basis for community ownership and all other engagements, whether economic, working, scientific or educational with respect to animal welfare.
The call for declaration is brought by the need for prompting African governments to be more responsive to animal welfare issues by putting them amongst other top agendas. This will help scale down animal abuses and mistreatment; promote animal welfare by allocation of resources and speedup policies touching on animal welfare.
In the alternatives to the use of animals in experiments and dissections seminar that followed the Africa’s Animal Welfare Workshop last September, it emerged that this was a new phenomenon to Africa and not recognized in the laws and policies in the majority of the African countries. Thus there is need to spread it to other African countries and popularise it to be entrenched in countries policies alongside other animal welfare policies. It also emerged that use of animals in research and testing is considered as a non issue and as such there are no guidelines and ethics at policy and implementation levels.
It is on these grounds that we seek to introduce the concept of Alternative to use of animals in Research and Testing and spread the use of alternatives to animal experiments and dissections in education to all African countries through the conference. The idea of bringing the Alternative to lab animals together with the development of ADAW is strategically aimed at positioning the issue of lab animals at par with other welfare issues. It is presumed that by African governments adopting the ADAW, Animal welfare will be given considerable priority. Ultimately, the use of Alternatives in Education, Research and Testing will be backed by law.
Africa Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW) visualizes promoting Partnerships, Networks and Strengthening the existing and new collaborations to overcome obstacles to animal welfare in Africa as key in advancing the animal welfare goal.
Theme and Topics
The topics, though designed to cover a wide spectrum of animal welfare issues i.e. those of companion, farm, working, wild, lab, entertainment animals, environmental/biodiversity conservation with emphasis to habitat conservation and use of alternatives to the use of animals in Education, Research and Testing will all be aligned within the conference theme which is ‘Tackling Animal Welfare in Africa for Development.’
Objectives
The overall objective of the conference is to provide a forum that enhances and strengthens collaborative networks among animal welfare organizations/individuals and civil societies in animal welfare in Africa so as to consolidate efforts and channel them to build synergies that overcome social, cultural, traditional, economic, political and legal challenges whilst promoting care and protection of all animals on the African Continent. The conference will specifically seek:
- Strengthening networks and links with African Partners
- Building partner capacity to engage policy makers in appreciating the role of animal welfare in development
- Subsequent to this appreciation, work with policy makers to own and endorse the Africa Declaration for Animal Welfare (ADAW).
Participation
The participants will be drawn from representatives from animal welfare civil society organisations that work in a diversity of animal-related thematic areas covering all animals. This includes; policy and legislation, conservation, humane education, campaign and advocacy, emergency response, animal health, animal care among others. Other participants will be drawn from Intergovernmental bodies, institutions of higher learning and research institutions.
This being an international animal welfare conference and Africa’s Workshop focusing on Africa, participation will ensure representation from Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western and Central Africa.
Program Committee
The committee will be comprised of members from Africa Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW), the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), Animal Welfare Action Kenya (AWAKE) and International Fund for Africa.
Organizers’ Background
Africa Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW) is a Pan African Not-for-Profit Animal Welfare Organization based in Kenya.
Its main objective is to work together with communities and other animal welfare and environmental stakeholders in promoting biodiversity conservation and the humane treatment of all animals for human welfare. ANAW has made considerable progress in Animal welfare activities and was given an AWARD in recognition her extreme dedication and commitment to the cause of Animal Welfare. www.anaw.org
International Fund for Africa-IFA is a non–profit corporation dedicated to preventing, alleviating, and abolishing suffering of human and non–human animals. IFA promotes non hierarchical and non-exploitative relationships between human beings and all other life forms. IFA operates on the principle of nonviolence and respect for all life and its founder’s deep and abiding belief in biocentricity and the interconnectedness of all life.
It was formerly known as Amsale Gessesse Memorial Foundation since its establishment by Dr. Anteneh Roba and Ms. Seble Nebiyeloul in July 2006 until it changed the name in September 2009. www.ifundafrica.org
World Society for the Protection of animals (WSPA) is an international organization that has assisted animals in need throughout the world for twenty five years. It is the world’s largest alliance of animal welfare groups connecting over 900 independent animal welfare organizations in more than 150 countries. WSPA is concentrated in regions where few measures, if any, exist to protect animals. www.wspa-international.org.
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