RETHINKING ANIMALS SUMMIT

DATES: May 5th to May 7th
LOCATION: New York City, NY

Held in 2017 from May 5th to May 7th, this year’s ReThinking Animals Summit will be broadcast across the world from New York City. This innovative delivery format aims to bring in all the excited regardless of space constraints. Sponsored by Thinking Animals United, the event aims to spread the belief that “animals are sentient beings and share the same natural right as humans to inhabit this planet.” To help circulate the message, and make it actionable, the ReThinking Animals Summit will feature lectures focused on companionship, conservation, compassion and cognition.

People attending this event will hear from a large array of speakers including Katrick Satyanarayan, Co-founder of Wildlife SOS; Dyan deNapoli, penguin expert and award winning author; John Quinones, ABC News Correspondent; and William Clark, US Liaison for Kenya Wildlife Service. Whether you tune in from your couch, or from the room in the Big Apple, you’ll have an opportunity to hear speeches like “All Things Penguin”, “What do Dancing Bears, Performing Elephants, and Sacred Cows Have in Common”, and “Reflections on the Dolphin Mind”. Visit the Thinking Animals website to learn more.

EXTINCTION CONFERENCE

DATES: October 6th to October 7th, 2017
LOCATION: London, UK

Out of the 44,838-species assessed using the IUCN Red List criteria, 37.7 percent can be categorized as “in danger of extinction”. Much of the earth’s crumbling biodiversity can be laid at our feet, or, to be more accurate, at the wheels of our tractors. To help sever the link between our food production and extinction, Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) organized this agriculture-focused conference. By bringing together policy makers, academics, farmers, and conservationists, CIWF hopes to find food production solutions that allow the world’s wildlife to flourish. Attendees can expect to hear from a diverse group of speakers including Professor Dave Goulson, a well-known bee expert; Dr. Olivier De Schutter, co-chair of IPES foods; and Tony Juniper, Special Adviser to the Prince of Wales’s International Sustainability Unit. A full agenda, and list of speakers, will be released sometime in March. Anyone interested in food, wildlife, or the environment can learn more about the event on their website.

ANIMAL LAW CONFERENCE

DATES: October 13th to October 15th, 2017
LOCATION: Portland, OR

The Animal Legal Defense Fund and the Lewis and Clark Law School have spent nearly 30 years hosting and supporting animal law conferences. Due to their longevity and centralized location, these events have become a central meeting place for all members of the animal law community. While no specific information has been released about this year’s event, you can view past conferences by clicking here.

ASIA FOR ANIMALS

DATES: November 27th to November 29th, 2017
LOCATION: Kathmandu, NPL

For over 15 years, the Asia for Animals Conference has brought together scholars, advocates, and animal professionals from across the Asian continent. This event presents attending individuals unique networking opportunities and a chance to learn from some of the brightest scholars in the animal welfare industry. Since its inception, the AFA Conference has helped give birth to dynamic solutions and powerful partnerships aimed at improving the lot of non-human animals at home and around the globe.

Join them in Kathmandu for three days of lectures, workshops, and networking opportunities. If a chance to improve animal welfare wasn’t enough, this year’s event includes a chance to visit the beautiful Chitwan National Park. Visit Asia for Animals to learn more.

MINDING ANIMALS CONFERENCE

DATES: January 17th to January 24th, 2018
LOCATION: Mexico City, MEX

This year’s Minding Animals Conference will be hosted jointly by the Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolas de Hidalgo and the Universidad Nacional Autonama de Mexico (UNAM). This event serves to celebrate all the work Minding Animals International Inc. has done around the globe to establish moral protection for and further the study of all non-human animals. This year’s event is the fourth and highly-anticipated by supporters. Announced speakers currently number over two dozen.

While there’s no published program for this year’s events, previous lectures included: “The contemporary symbolic construction of Norway's Big Bad Wolf”, “Moral duties to animals in Kantian moral philosophy”, and Tusker Talismans: Elephants, compassion in three Southern African teen novels.” Therefore, whether you champion for the scaly or the fuzzy, you’re likely to find a lecture of interest at MAC4. Register for the event here.