Call for Papers : Minding Animals

2ND CALL FOR ABSTRACTS – Minding Animals Conference 2

4-6 July 2012
Utrecht University, the Netherlands

This conference is the second in a series of conferences about scientific, ethical and social issues related to human interactions with and uses of animals.

The aim of the conference is to bring together academics from different areas (animal welfare, animal ethics, and animal studies in general) with politicians and a broad variety of interest groups.

The conference offers a platform for exchange of information about research developments, debates about controversial political and ethical issues concerning the treatment of animals and a variety of cultural activities around animals.

Deadline for Abstract Submissions: January 15, 2012.

 

 

 

 

The 2012 Minding Animals Conference is the second in a series of conferences about scientific, ethical and social issues related to human animal interactions. The aim of the conference is to bring together academics from many disciplines with politicians and a broad variety of interest groups. The conference offers a platform for exchange of information about research developments, debates about controversial political and ethical issues concerning the human treatment of animals, and a variety of cultural activities around human animal interactions.

The Minding Animals Conference planned for Utrecht in the Netherlands is proud to follow up on the internationally celebrated first Minding Animals Conference (Newcastle, Australia, July 2009). Unlike Newcastle which was a seven day event, the 2012 event will be split into a Pre-conference Event at Leusden (near Utrecht) followed by a more traditional conference at Utrecht University. The Utrecht Conference will consist of keynote talks, parallel academic sessions based on the call for papers, workshops for the Minding Animals Study Circles, and the Protecting the Animals Seminar Series in which animal advocacy organisations and community advocates will present and discuss their work. The conference will be supported by an active social and arts programme.

How to Contribute?

Submit an abstract for an academic presentation. Besides a great number of excellent keynote speakers from different disciplinary backgrounds, there will be many parallel sessions featuring presentations based on this call for papers. Abstracts, of a maximum 600 words, should contain the main question, line or argument, and (expected) conclusions. The abstracts will be reviewed with respect to quality and academic rigor.

Submit a contribution for the Protecting the Animals Seminar Series. The PASS is a forum for animal advocacy organisations and other community advocates to present and discuss their work and concerns with all conference participants.

To lodge an abstract or contribute to the Protecting the Animals Seminar Series, you must complete the abstract form or PASS form available from the Minding Animals website.  Forms must then be sent as an email to: mindinganimals@uu.nl.

Conference Session Themes

On the Abstracts Form, you will be asked to nominate from one of six themes in which you would like your abstract considered for inclusion in the programme. These themes are:

  • Session 1: The Human-Animal Relationship from Different Disciplinary Perspectives (including animals in art, literature, religion, history of the human animal relationships, animals in the history of philosophy, psychological approaches towards the human animal relationships, cultural aspects of human animal relationships)
  • Session 2: The Human-Animal Relationship and Sustainability (including (public) health aspects, social consequences, landscape, environmental effects, climate change)
  • Session 3: Scientific Developments in Human Understanding of Animal Abilities (including animal emotions, animal cognition, extrapolation of capacities from animals to humans and vice versa)
  • Session 4:Welfare Concepts (including animal welfare at the interface between science and society, approaches of positive welfare, welfare assessment in practice, animal husbandry, animal slaughter.

Programme

The Minding Animals Conference 2012 will take place from 4 to 6 July 2012 in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Please note that the conference starts with an opening reception, followed by a public lecture by Prof. John Coetzee on Tuesday evening, 3 July. The conference ends with a public lecture by Prof. Marc Bekoff, followed by the conference dinner on Friday 6 July in the evening.

Confirmed speakers include:

  • Prof. Colin Allen, Professor of Philosophy, specialized in Philosophy of Biology and Cognitive Science, in particular animal behaviour and cognition
  • Prof. Marc Bekoff, Emeritus Professor of Animal Behaviour, author of numerous books about animal capacities and the human-animal relationship
  • Prof. John Coetzee, Nobel Prize winning author
  • Prof. Julia Driver, Professor of Philosophy, exploring a Humean account of duties towards animals
  • Prof. Robert Garner, Professor of Political Theory, specialized in the political representation of non-human interests and animal rights
  • Prof. Dale Jamieson, Professor of Environmental Studies and Philosophy
  • Prof. Christine Korsgaard, Professor of Philosophy, developped a novel Kantian account of our duties towards animals
  • Prof. Will Kymlicka, Professor of Political Philosophy, recently co-authored a book on political philosophy and animal rights
  • Prof. James McGaugh, Research Professor of Neurobiology and Behaviour, author of ‘Memory and Emotion: The Making of Lasting Memories’
  • Raj Panjwani QC, practicising lawyer of the Supreme Court of India, specialised in animal protection.
  • Prof. Harriet Ritvo, Professor of Philosophy, specialised in the history of human-animal relationships
  • Dr. Jill Robinson, animal protectionis and founder of Animals Asia
  • Prof. Paul Schnabel, Professor of Sociology and director of the Dutch Sociaal en Cultureel Planbureau
  • Prof. Peter Singer, Professor of Philosophy, developed a utilitarian approach to animal ethics

List of sessions

Session 1: The Human-Animal Relationship
(including animals in art, literature, religion; history of the human-animal relationship; animals in the history of philosophy; psychological approaches towards the human-animal relationship, cultural aspects of the human-animal relationships)

Session 2: Animal Capacities
(including animal emotions; animal cognition; extrapolation of capacities from animals to humans and vice versa)

Session 3: Animal Welfare
(including animal welfare at the interface between science and society; approaches of positive welfare; welfare assessment in practice; animal slaughter)

Session 4: Animal Ethics
(including the foundation of duties towards animals; animal welfare; animal rights; animal liberation; the killing of animals; harm of death; vegetarianism and veganism; animal experimentation; animal husbandry; chimeras and hybrids; dignity; integrity

Session 5: Animals and Sustainability
(including (public-) health aspects, social consequences, landscape, environmental effects, climate change)

Session 6: Animals and Public Policy
(including animals in the law; politics and stakeholders; the use of best practice guidance; national identity versus the level playing field; the role of ethics in politics; sustainability; current themes concerning the future of animal husbandry)

 
Click on poster to enlarge:

conferencemindinganimalsfolder

 

 

Published by

Christiane

Coordonatrice du Centre de justice sociale de l'Université Concordia (Montréal) - Coordinator Social Justice Centre (Concordia University, Montreal)

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