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Animal Grantmakers 2022 Conference
Program
Program information will be updated regularly (and is subject to change). See the Speakers page for information about confirmed speakers to date.
Animal Grantmakers is exploring the possibility of making select presentations available for viewing online after the conference. Please stay tuned.
Sunday, October 23, 2022
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (times are approximate) Optional field trips. If you would like to participate, please choose one of the following two options when you register:
Monday, October 24, 2022
8:30 - 8:40 a.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks: Lori Grange, Board President, Animal Grantmakers 8:40 - 9:25 a.m. Opening keynote: "Animal Sentience" – Stevan Harnad, Professor, Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal
Stevan Harnad will discuss a biological trait, “sentience,” the ability to feel, and why protecting the feelings of animals, human and non-human, matters – indeed, the only thing that matters. It is unlikely that all living organisms feel. Mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish almost certainly do; bees and lobsters probably do too; single cells and plants probably don’t because they do not have the organ of feeling: a nervous system. We cannot see whether an organism can feel: We can only see its body and what it can do. But from that, we can get a good idea. For them, if they feel, nothing matters more than that we get it right.9:25 - 10:35 a.m. Panel discussion: “That’s Your Opinion” – Accomplishments in Court The panelists will discuss the latest cases impacting animals in the court systems. Do animals have legal standing? Hear why animals are considered property and how that impacts their protection under the legal system. Learn more about the recent Happy the elephant case, Pablo Escobar’s hippos, and more. The session will also cover the Prop 12 case before the Supreme Court that may impact the ability of states to set standards about how farm animals are treated.
10:50 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Panel discussion: “How Covid 19 Transformed Animal Shelter Operations and Inspired the Formation of Human Animal Support Services” The COVID-19 pandemic led to the formation of Human Animal Support Services (HASS), transforming the way animal shelters care for and support animals and their people. The panelists will share the changes they’ve implemented in their organizations to follow this new community-centric model of animal sheltering, and how those changes better meet the needs of animals and people where they live.
The inaugural Animal Grantmakers Melanie Anderson Lifetime Excellence in Animal Protection Award (Melanie Anderson LEAP Award) will be presented to Sharon Negri, founder and director of WildFutures and co-founder and former director of the Mountain Lion Foundation. Animal Grantmakers and the Summerlee Foundation established the award to honor Melanie, a lifelong animal protection advocate and the foundation's director of animal programs for 32 years. The award is given to an animal advocate who has made a substantial and sustained contribution to animal protection, and whose work reflects a significant impact on non-human animals, especially those widely viewed as among the most overlooked, underfunded, heavily exploited, and in greatest need of support. The award is made possible by an annual grant from the Summerlee Foundation.
This talk will highlight the interdependence of our work with that outside of animal welfare - education reform, climate change, social justice, etc. What does it look like to support our missions that tie to animals by looking outside of animal welfare? Our responsibility then becomes to clear the space for a new frame of thinking that removes barriers to listening.2:00 - 6:00 p.m. TED Talk-style presentations and cocktail reception at the nearby David Brower Center. Confirmed speakers: A series of 10 back-to-back, TED-style talks will take center stage when attendees relocate to the nearby David Brower Center auditorium for an afternoon of lively, heartfelt discussions. Topics range from sentience and the rights of nature to the first vegan convenience store and discovery of a mountain lion who inspired and kick-started a $100 million construction project.
"There are few better places to eat plant-based than the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition to traditional options for vegan dining, a strong international influence means that there is no shortage of delicious vegan ethnic food to be had in the Bay."--One Green Planet. Sign up to "veg out" at one of several highly rated, vegan-friendly dining establishments in the Berkeley area. Note: All transportation (if necessary or desired) and food/beverage costs are to be paid by the participant. Tuesday, October 25, 2022
8:30 - 9:00 a.m. Morning keynote: “Introduction to Effective Altruism and Why Farmed Animals Are Center Stage,” Mikaela Saccoccio, Executive Director, Farmed Animal Funders
Effective altruism is a philosophical and social movement that uses evidence and reason to alleviate the most suffering as possible. In this talk, Mikaela Saccoccio will cover the effective altruist case for animal suffering.9:00 - 10:15 a.m. Panel discussion: “Once More with Feeling”—Sentience In this session, moderated by Stevan Harnad (who gave the opening keynote), speakers will discuss the policy implications of the evidence of sentience for farmed mammals, birds, and fish, as well as for invertebrate species.
From Prop 12 to pet rescue, nonprofit leaders will discuss animal protection issues and developments in our host state.
Proximate leaders arise from the communities and issues they serve. Their organizations tend to be more innovative and better at problem solving than those in the for-profit world. Yet, they face a dramatic gap in opportunities for leadership, funding, and networking, which results in limited access to resources, influential relationships, and opportunities to support their work. Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity (CARE), a Black, Indigenous and People of Color-led organization inspired to rethink and rebuild animal welfare and protection, is helping reverse these trends and provide a lens for us as grantmakers to understand the authentic truth, data, storytelling, and impact that proximate leaders bring.
Eric Mills, founder of Oakland, California-based Action for Animals and an animal advocate for more than 40 years, will join Camilla Fox of Project Coyote on stage for a conversation about his tireless work on behalf of the voiceless. Join us over lunch to learn about Eric’s efforts to end rodeos in California, as well as the importation of live frogs and turtles for human consumption.
How does systemic racism intersect with our food system? In this discussion, lauren will outline its ties to animal abuse in factory farms and highlight how some animal advocacy efforts may contribute to the problem.2:25 - 3:30 p.m. Panel discussion: “The Suffering Seas”—Aquatic Factory Farming Leaders in the field will discuss the impacts of fish farming, particularly from an animal welfare perspective, and share their approaches to the problem.
With more and more alternative protein options hitting grocery shelves, a new type of food market is emerging. In this discussion, experts explain the science and work behind cruelty-free protein and what's new on the horizon.
Miyoko Schinner, founder of California-based Miyoko’s Creamery, will share her personal story of innovation in the plant-based food world to animal advocate and rescuer--and the trials and tribulations, successes and insights along the way. In her home city of Tokyo, Miyoko developed a taste for rich and flavorful French cuisine and gourmet cheeses, and became an outspoken vegan boldly setting out to create plant-based cheese and cuisine as artistic and decadent as the finest French foods she fell in love with. Wednesday, October 26, 2022
9:00 - 10:30 a.m. Animal Grantmakers Business Meeting (open to Animal Grantmakers members only; breakfast will be served beginning at 8:30 a.m.)
11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Tour the Alameda, CA headquarters of Eat Just, well-known for its JUST Egg products.
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