Hi Everyone,
I have searched through their now updated Conference web site. Here is some info and a question.
-The web site now makes very clear this is a
student conference. Link to conference web site.
https://www.canadiananimallawconference.ca/
-The conference web site does not make available who is organizing. So far, I have found one name who I believe is a student.
Samantha Addario using the email [log in to unmask]
-The conference venue does not list its accessibility features (in Canada it is perfectly possible to host events in inaccessible venues).
-The Dean of the Law School is
Cameron, Camille
,Weldon Professor of Law
Email: [log in to unmask],
Phone: 902-494-2114
-I don’t believe DAL has yet finished their hiring for a VP of Human Rights and Equity.
The search committee includes:
Carolyn Watters, Provost and Vice-President Academic (Chair)
Arig al Shaibah, Vice-Provost, Student Affairs
Amina Abawajy, President, Dalhousie Student Union
Cassandra Dorrington, Board appointee
Kevin Hewitt, Senate appointee
Isabelle French, Dalhousie Legal Counsel
Patricia Doyle-Bedwell, Professor/Native Studies Instructor
Vivian Howard, Associate Dean Academic, Faculty of Management
Tracy Rands, Director, Talent Management
Dal University Email usually are [log in to unmask]
I don’t know how best to respond but I do worry that this two day student conference, which may not garner much attention on its own, may be thrown into the public spot light by our response.
I think I would rather spend my time asking for DAL officials and conference organizers to respond to our concerns.
Tanya Titchkosky
From: The Disability-Research Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
On Behalf Of Sarah Reddington
Sent: March-10-19 1:16 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Reply to international letter of inquiry RE: Peter Singer keynote at Dalhousie Law Conference
Hello,
I have reached out to my colleague who identifies as a blind disabled activist, disability scholar, and she sits on the Accessibility Advisory Board for the province
of Nova Scotia to see what we might be able to do.
Sarah
Sarah Reddington, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Child & Youth Study
EV 341
902-457-6215
From: The Disability-Research Discussion List <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of "Roman, Leslie" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: "Roman, Leslie" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Sunday, March 10, 2019 at 1:10 PM
To: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Reply to international letter of inquiry RE: Peter Singer keynote at Dalhousie Law Conference
The strategy suggested below with the Canadian Parliament and multiple disability organizations and Parliaments across the world does get attention and properly
reframes serious critique of made in Tanya’s letter. Will these organizations support?
Best wishes from back pain hell,
Leslie
From: The Disability-Research Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Dean Smith
Sent: Sunday, March 10, 2019 8:37 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Reply to international letter of inquiry RE: Peter Singer keynote at Dalhousie Law Conference
Dear All,
Thank you Tanya for your work organising a letter, I must say its very disappointing the conference organisers behaviour in such a manner. I was wondering if we should take a different approach to the conference and the organisers.
As this conference is in Canada, would it be better for a International letter to be sent to the following people and organisation to ask for their help and support, plus setting out our concerns. (Or we could include multiple disability organisations
and political chairs from parliaments across the world etc)
Canadian Parliament:
Rt Hon. Bryan May -Chair of Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.
http://www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/Bryan-May(71599)
Rt Hon. Anthony Housefather - Chair of Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.
http://www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/Anthony-Housefather(88558)
Additionally, every disability Charity and organisation in Canada:
For Example:
The Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons. - https://www.cfpdp.com/
The Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) - http://www.ccdonline.ca/en/about
ARCH Disability Law Centre - https://archdisabilitylaw.ca/about/
Plus others
Best wishes and many thanks
Dean Smith
Doctoral Researcher
Management Work and Organisation Division
University of Stirling
Stirling, UK
Email:
[log in to unmask]
Webpage: https://www.stir.ac.uk/about/faculties-and-services/stirling-management-school/
From: The Disability-Research Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
on behalf of Lydia X. Z. Brown <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 10 March 2019 14:41
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Reply to international letter of inquiry RE: Peter Singer keynote at Dalhousie Law Conference
They should specifically ask (and provide funding for) a disabled advocate, and preferably an advocate with intellectual or developmental disabilities,
to be present to give the rebuttal. That in itself is a strong refutation of Peter Singer's ableism.
______________
Lydia X. Z. Brown
(they/them/theirs)
[log in to unmask]
+1 (202) 618-0187
www.autistichoya.net
“‘No’
might make them angry.
but
it will make you free.
― if no one has ever told you, your freedom is more important than their anger”
― Nayyirah Waheed
“Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”
― Arundhati Roy
“Life is short and the world
is at least half terrible, and for every kind
stranger, there is one who would break you,
though I keep this from my children. I am trying
to sell them the world. Any decent realtor,
walking you through a real shithole, chirps on
about good bones: This place could be beautiful,
right? You could make this place beautiful.”
― Maggie Smith
Resist. Stay Ungovernable. Rebel.
أرسلت
هذه
الرسالة
من
هاتفي
وأنا
آسف
كثير
لإي
أخطاء.
في
الأحد،
١٠
مارس،
٢٠١٩
١٠:٣٤
ص laura welti <[log in to unmask]>
كتب:
Dear Tanya
Many thanks for all your work on this.
My view would be that, if they are to go ahead because of his role in the development of the animal rights movement, they should at the very least ensure they also have a speaker addressing his notable failure to take human rights as seriously as animal rights and, therefore, the inconsistencies/double standards within his stance.
Laura
On Sun, 10 Mar 2019 at 09:01, Angelo D. Marra GMAIL <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Tanya, you did a great political work. This is - to me - just another example of how Disability is perceived as marginal and not central issue in the "ordinary" arena. Where animals can be more right-holders then Humans and one movement has a narrow perspective..
Thanks
Angelo
Il 10/03/19 00:59, Roman, Leslie ha scritto:
Not exactly appeasing!
In other words, ‘We are sorry you folks took offense and we plan despite his disgusting ethical and political stances that you will fortive us”!
Tanya, did a lot of work, mobilized a ton of support and this will not be going away anytime soon.
Thank you for your work!
Leslie
From: The Disability-Research Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tanya Titchkosky
Sent: Saturday, March 9, 2019 3:49 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: FW: Reply to international letter of inquiry RE: Peter Singer keynote at Dalhousie Law Conference
Hello,
Below please find the Animal Law Conference response to our letter sent 16/02/2019. That email is followed by a copy of my introductory email and then a copy of our collective letter which had more than 60 people signing from around the globe (signatures are not included as people requested).
Below all that, you will find a copy of the initial conference announcement.
Sincerely,
Tanya Titchkosky
From: Animal Law Conference <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: March-09-19 2:05 PM
To: Tanya Titchkosky <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Reply to international letter of inquiry
Dear Dr. Titchkosky, Would you kindly circulate the following to your colleagues. Thank you.
***
To Dr. Titchkosky and co-signatories,
We write to provide a brief explanation of our choice of Peter Singer as keynote speaker at the Canadian Animal Law Conference taking place in October 2019 at the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University.
In short, Dr. Singer was chosen because of his instrumental role in advancing the field of animal rights. While we recognize the controversial nature of his writings outside the field of animal rights, we extended the invitation based on his authorship of Animal Liberation, which can be credited with spurring the modern animal rights movement.
The theme of our conference is “learning from the past, looking to the future,” and Dr. Singer is inextricably connected with the history of this movement. At the same time, we understand that the successful future of the animal rights movement depends on the support and allyship of others working toward social justice for all. To that end, it is certainly not our intention to offend, alienate, or turn away members of any social justice movement, including members of the disability rights community, and we regret any ill-feelings our choice of keynote has caused. Our conference, and the animal rights movement generally, is truly open to all voices and perspectives.
Sincerely,
The organizers of the Canadian Animal Law Conference
16/02/2019
COVER EMAIL
Dear Animal Law Conference Organizers; Peter MacKinnon, Dalhousie University Interim President and Vice-Chancellor; and Teri Balser, Vice-President Academic and Provost,
Please find attached (and pasted below) a letter signed by 60+ scholars, artists and activists who would like to know your reasons for inviting Peter Singer to keynote your Animal Law conference in March (pasted below). The letter is not a legal argument; it is a representation of our shock and disgust and request for a justification for inviting Peter Singer. In my opinion, given Peter Singer’s reputation, I believe you, as major university in Canada, will need to develop some sort of response to what is sure to become an international concern.
Please acknowledge receipt of this.
Sincerely,
Tanya
Dr. Tanya Titchkosky, Professor, Disability Studies
Department of Social Justice Education, 12-236
Ontario institute for Studies in Education (OISE) of the University of Toronto
Toronto, Canada
M5S 1V6
LETTER OF CONCERN SIGNED BY 60+
Feb 16th, 2019
Emails: [log in to unmask] ; [log in to unmask] ; [log in to unmask]
We represent an international group of concerned disability studies scholars, artists, and activist some of whom are committed to animal rights. We noticed that your Animal Law Conference is hosting Peter Singer in October 2019 at Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada. We write to express our shock and disappointment.
Human/animal relations represent an important social justice issue but it is unjustifiable to pursue your interests by employing and featuring Peter Singer who has publicly argued for the death of children with disabilities and has argued for the general worthlessness of disabled people, doing so more than once. You are choosing an absurd, not to mention offensive, way to garner respect for your interests. We cannot fathom why your animal law conference would publicly and willingly promote the degradation of disability life.
Please justify your decision to promote liberation by making adversaries of us. We do not think you should ignore the implications of your promotion of this particular keynote speaker. The signatures below represent individuals (and not institutions) who request that you respond to our concern.
Sincerely,
60+ Signatures, affiliations, and individual statements
CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT
Animal Justice is thrilled to announce the inaugural Canadian Animal Law
Conference! Co-hosted with the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie
University, the conference will take place from October 4 - 6, 2019, in
Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Animal law has grown tremendously in Canada over the past decade, and it's
the right time for animal law leaders to gather, take stock of our
accomplishments, and consider the future. The conference will bring
together animal rights lawyers, scholars, advocates, and students to
reflect on lessons learned, and how to further advance protections for
animals.
The conference will feature a *special keynote address from Peter Singer*,
philosopher and author of the groundbreaking book *Animal Liberation. *
Submissions for the inaugural Canadian Animal Law Conference are invited
on topics relating to advocacy, litigation, legislation, policy, and our
legal and ethical relationship with non-human animals. To learn more about
submissions, please *visit the conference website.
*LEARN MORE* <https://www.canadiananimallawconference.ca/>
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