Attendees
From Animal Advocacy Camp
Let's all get to know each other a little bit before we come together in January. Please edit this page and add your bio and whatever information about yourself that you would like present. To edit the page, just click on "Log in/create account" in the upper right-hand corner, create your account, and then start editing.
Glenn Gaetz I'm working on organizing this event. I'm interested in all aspects of animal advocacy, especially learning about how to be more effective. I've been involved in several different forms of advocacy, including protests, disruptions, leafleting, food giveaways, and more, and have found that I gravitate towards friendly outreach. I also want to help build a stronger animal advocacy community in my home city (and the surrounding area).
Paul jarvis musician. concerned about the environment and animal welfare. loves llamas and turkeys (really, all animals though). i hope to simply learn more about advocacy at this event.
Ginger. I'm a graphic artist with an animal rights/vegetarian blog that is very dear to me. (theprovince.com/blogs and click on "Ginger Snaps") I'm a beginner in all this, but, like Glenn above, also gravitate towards friendly outreach. I'd like to learn how to reach people through fun and creative ways, to capture their attention and imagination. I also hope to learn more how to talk to people about these issues so dear to me, as thus far I feel I've not been very effective, and sometimes put people on the defensive by accident. Looking forward to meeting all of you...
Lisa Hutcheon I am with the Small Animal Rescue Society of BCand have been involved with rescue & shelters (SPCA's & municipal) as a volunteer all over BC for the past 10 years. I would like to learn how to advocate without being viewed as *radical* so that we can have a strong collective voice to make change. Currently my mission is to change city bylaws and stop pet store sales. I would also like to be able to better educate people on the issues pertaining to small animals as well as their proper care & requirements. I look forward to meeting new people and networking as well as learning a more user friendly advocacy/outreach approach.
Geoff Urton I work at the BC SPCA on advocacy projects and on development of animal welfare standards. I'm responsible for a wide variety of issues, including farm animal transport, foie gras, dairy cattle welfare, pet overpopulation and municipal animal control bylaws. I have an MSc in animal welfare science from UBC (where I concentrated on the welfare of dairy cows and lab rodents) and have been working with the SPCA for five years. Much of my work at the SPCA is described here: http://www.spca.bc.ca/welfare/campaign-issues. Having a background in science is very helpful for my work, but my current focus is building skills in strategic communication and negotiation.
Michelle Lee I'm a graphic designer, vegan and animal lover. As a teen, I was very much active in animal rights, but have softened over the years - I hope to rediscover my place in the movement. One of my on-going roles is newsletter editor for the Toronto Vegetarian Association (TVA, www.veg.ca), whose 2010 program focus is on compassion for animals (previous years focused on environmental impacts of eating meat as well as health impacts), and I hope to learn more about how I can effectively provide TVA members with AR information in an open and friendly way. I also would like to learn how to more persuasively advocate for animals in my daily life.
Joanne Chang I'm an activist for animals with Liberation BC and co-host of the Animal Voices Radio Show. I'm interested in learning to be an effective advocate for animals. Over 95% of all animals abused are in the food industry. I would like to see a drastic reduction in the numbers of animals being eaten. Whether that goal can be accomplished through approaching individuals or industries or focusing my attention on the for profit or non profit sector, I want to know about it.
Marianne I have volunteered with several different animal rescue agencies in the past and am now balancing my love of animal-kind by contributing to humankind through volunteering with a victim services unit as well as a hospice society. I, too, would like to become more focussed and effective in animal advocacy work, as well learn how to find out the truth in what we read in the media. Our policymakers seem to be jellyfish in a sea of ineffective/inadequate laws and the result can leave me feeling helplessly hopeless at times. It will be good to connect with you all on January 23!
Carol Gigliotti [1], I am a writer, educator, and artist, and Associate Professor of Dynamic Media and Critical and Cultural Studies at Emily Carr University (ECU) in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. I teach Environmental Ethics, Critical Animal Studies and Digital Interactive Media courses. I have been involved in animal rights and animal advocacy for over 30 years and have been writing about the impact of new technologies on animals for the last 12 years. I am very interested in what changes people's minds about animal consciousness and agency and, then, how they act on that knowledge. I am so looking forward to learning from all of you.
Nicole Besler I am hoping to absorb ideas and learn from like minded people. Last year I stepped out of what I like to call my fog. I was a happy, unhappy meat eater. I now question my view of the world every day. How could I possibly have been so blind to the problems surrounding me? I NEVER connected a face with the meat I was consuming. I never thought to question how my consumption of meat effected my health or the health of the environment. I believe that my sister and I have come up with a great idea to awaken other people who are in this fog. The people who never think about this matter, but would be truly concerned if faced with the facts. I have been out leafleting and have shown Meet Your Meat to the public. The reception has been good. But I believe it could be much better. There has to be a better way! I can’t wait to join you in January!
Tarah Millen I'm a vegan artist and work in the realm of natural health and raw foods. I have recently moved across Canada from Ontario. I have made the move to Vancouver Island to become involved in Ocean Conservation and animal activism in Vancouver. I am a radical environmental and animal rights advocate and i'd like to connect with others who are both radical and not. I would like to get an idea of important issues in B.C and participate in direct action initiatives to create positive change. I look forward to learning from and networking with like minded individuals. See you all in the new year!
Claire Robinson I'm a teacher, and have always had an interest in animal welfare issues. I often wish that I put my passion for animals to better use: I've participated in several rallies, protests, and petitions but know that I could and should do more. I'm particularly interested in people's relationship to their food and in bringing about a change in thinking when it comes to eating animals. Looking forward to meeting everyone and bringing ideas together!
Mahara Allbrett I am a counsellor for Vancouver Coastal Health, a Reiki Master and a poet...though most importantly a grandmother! I love animals and feel strongly about cruelty to any living thing.
Peter Hamilton, Lifeforce" I am the founder of the Vancouver-based ecology organization Lifeforce that was formed in 1981 to raise public awareness of the interrelationship of human, animal and enivironmental issues (See 3 Es - Eating, Experimenting,Entertaining at: http://lifeforcefoundation.org/) In the 80s I was first to video tape attrocities in vivisection laboratories and led the campaign against the Stanley Park Zoo and Vancouver aquarium.Some of the vivisection investigations led to the first North American charges being laid against vivsectors. I contributed to defining the new animal rights movement in the 80s. The animal welfare position is that animals can be used to benefit people as long as they are treated "humanely". However "humane" does not eliminate the suffering and exploitation. The AR message is no more suffering - no "food" animals, no "animal models" and no animal "exhibits".
Vivian Kwong I'm the Co-Chair of a Vancouver based shark conservation group, Shark Truth. We're just starting out and I'm interested in learning from others about the hurdles in starting a non-profit organization focused on protecting endangered animals. As well I'd love to meet others interested in protecting animals in the lower mainland.
Sheri Lucas I am a PhD student in philosophy (ethics) and certified as a philosophical counsellor. I've been vegan for 10 years. My master's thesis was on the connections between feminism and ethical vegetarianism. A condensed version of it was published in Hypatia: A Journal of Feminist Philosophy. I have a son who I love beyond the point of panic. He is almost 6 and home-/world-schooling. My work/life focuses on philosophical parenting and philosophical living, and does so from an interdisciplinary and cross-culturally informed perspective that I'm always working at improving. (I have A LOT to learn!) Such massive and far-reaching changes are needed. I'm looking forward to the warm "at home" feeling that comes from such gatherings and hope that this event will be the beginning of many wonderful, ongoing, and effective learning experiences. Thank-you Glenn and everyone else who is organizing it!
Alison Cole What a great-looking group of people we have here! I look forward to meeting you all and the others that will be attending. I already wrote an intro on the "Organizers" page but will add a bit more here. I think this is a great opportunity for us like-minded people to get together to share our ideas, interests and resources together, and to get together to create something really good. I see a great range of skills here among the attendees and my hope would be that we can take this Camp day forward to work together and put forth our skills and efforts in collaboration as animal activists. I also think it is often easier to be an advocate for the animals when you have the support and motivation from others who are also passionate about the cause. My ultimate intention is to do whatever I can for the animals; only time is my obstacle as I'm very busy with lots of other things in life as well, but hopefully this day will prove to be a stepping stone for other things to come. Oh yeah, please check out the Animal Voices radio show which I am now a co-host of. It airs on 102.7fm every Friday from 12-1pm and past episodes are now posted on our Facebook group as well at 'Animal Voices Vancouver'. I hope that is okay to put in a little plug there!
Michelle Ratcliffe Sorry for the late response I just returned from 2 weeks in Mexico. I'm an accounting major at SFU who volunteer's for Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) and the Simon Fraser Public Interest Research Group (SFPIRG). This semester I have started an Animal Action Group on campus with help from SFPIRG and VHS. This is the first time I have initiated such a group and therefore am looking for any help I can get. I am looking forward to meeting other like minded people in the city.
Julia Ganswind Originally from Germany and been vegan now for almost 10 years because of ethical reason.One of my greatest passions is to educate people about vegansim and beyond.I'm an artist (have my own vegan line called:GO FURTHER GO VEGAN,http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=119911&id=543467398 or visit the vegan store Karmavore),actress and caregiver. It event is going to be a great opportunity to get together and form some great ideas.Team work makes the Team work!
Priscilla Lo I am an Interntaional Education Advisor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. I am very passionate about animal affairs. I am an animal reiki practitioner and I offer reiki treatments to animals and their human companions. I join this event in the hope that I can meet people with similar interest and passion. I am a volunteer for the Vancouver Humane Society and am looking for an opportunity to volunteer for shelter animals.
