What is the difference in practice between animal welfare and animal rights, and how does this difference matter for reducing animal suffering in South Africa?

Persons advocating for better treatment of animals usually take one of two principal philosophical positions. Welfarists argue that the exploitation of animals is morally acceptable if this is done with a minimum of unnecessary suffering. Animal rights theory varies widely, but most animal rights positions hold that animals exist for their own reasons, and we should seek to eliminate all forms of exploitation whatsoever, since recognising even a few fundamental rights for animals is inconsistent with their use in food, medicine, entertainment and other contexts. The academic debate about which of these two positions is correct has huge practical implications for animals.

There have arguably been few times in history when the conditions of life and death were worse for animals than is the case currently, and the average lived experience for a sentient vertebrate mammal is one of suffering and a violent premature death. This webinar will explore these themes both at an academic level, and review the current policy and legal framework that determines how they play out in practice for animals in South Africa.

Join us for a two-hour webinar in which we will explore these themes.

When?

29 September 2023, 9:00 to 11:00 SAST

Who will benefit from this webinar?

All persons interested in the philosophy and ethics of animal protection, legal scholars, persons working in life sciences disciplines, as well as advocates for animal protection.

Presenter

Tony Gerrans is the Executive Director at the Humane Society International - Africa

How much?

R750 per person

How to sign up

Complete and submit the registration form. You will then be given the payment information. Please note that registrations will not be accepted until payment has been made.

One or two days before the webinar, we will send you the Zoom link. You will need to register and use a password to enter the webinar.

Registrations close three days before the webinar.

View the advert here.