EBA�EBA 11/3 71 discussion sessions which gave REPORTS participants the opportunity to discuss animal rights issues with one another in detail. Particularly .. interesting were speeches by Irv Hershenbaum, key figure in the United , .�. CONFERENCE: ACTION FOR LIFE, Farm Workers' Union, Congressman JULY 2-5, 1981, CEDAR CREST Any Jacobs, and Broadway and COLLEGE, ALLENTOWN, PA. television actress and animal rights activist, Gretchen Wyler. The recent Action for Life Con­ Irv Hershenbaum, who accepted, ference on animal rights and vegetar­ on behalf of Cesar Chavez, the third ianism, held from July 2-5, 1981, in annual Vegetarian Ethic Award, pre­ the congenial surroundings of Cedar sented by the Vegetarian Information Crest College in Allentown, Pa., was Service, spoke on the United Farm the first of its kind. It differed Workers' movement and its ideological from previous conferences in focus­ links with the vegetarian and animal ing its attention on educating its rights movements. Indiana Congress­ participants about animal abuses and man Andy Jacobs, who agreed to speak vegetarianism primarily with a view at the conference in the face of to mobilization for effective politi­ considerable opposition, discussed cal action. Consistent with the the moral and legal foundations for values represented by the conference, the attribution of rights to non­ the meals provided for the partici­ human animals. Gretchen Wyler pants were entirely vegan. related the trials and tribulations of her largely successful attempt to Meticulously orchestrated by push a "bill of rights" for animals Alex Hershaft, general manager and through the California legislature. President of the Vegetarian Informa­ tion Service, the conference moved In terms of the aims of the briskly through its program without conference, however, the most valuable wasted energy or futile digressions. sessions were unquestionably the The conference began with a series training workshops. These workshops, of "issue briefings" by prominent which focused on such key problems as animal rights activists, providing research, personal development, a general overview of the principal organizing, use of mass media, direct areas of animal abuse and of the action, and lobbying, were conducted relations between the animal rights by panels of animal rights and and vegetarian movements. This was vegetarian activists with a great followed by a preview of the train­ deal of experience in effective ing workshops, the heart of the con­ political action. The suggestions ference, which took place during the offered for effective strategy and next few days, organizational state­ tactics were uniformly well-informed ments by the leaders of important and well-developed, concrete, and animal rights groups, and "interna­ specific, thus enabling novices to tional reports" by animal rights the political arena to gain invaluable activists from England and Canada. practical knowledge and expertise in conducting successful campaigns in The well-planned program was defense of animal rights. Consistent punctuated by the showing of with its orientation, the conference educational films and informal concluded with the formation of a 72 ESAESA. 11/3�11/3 number of "task forces" designed to to what extent should the animal carryon the practical work of the liberation movement join forces with conference. These included, for the feminist, anti-nuclear, and example, a campaign to oppose breeding human rights movements? These are ." of rabbits for food and planning for extremely significant questions, both the 1983 protest against animal experi­ practically and ideologically, and .. mentation at the major U.S. primate though the Action for Life conference centers. did not resolve them, it at least provided a forum for their meaningful Although the emphasis of the discussion. The principal aim of conference was on effective political the conference, however, was to pro­ action rather than theory, a number vide participants with the practical of significant ideological issues tools necessary to engage in effective and conflicts emerged during the political action on behalf of non­ conference which should be of parti­ human animals, and this it cular interest to readers of Ethics accomplished very well indeed. and Animals. The most important was the debate over "purism" versus pragmatic alleviation of animal George P. Cave suffering. To what extent should the Trans-Species Unlimited animal rights activist be willing to resort to effective arguments from human self-interest to relieve animal suffering? These and similar questions ACTRESS GRETCHEN WYLER TO became a focus of debate. The "purist PRESENT CHECK TO MEDICAL camp" was epitomized by the members COLLEGE OF PENNSYLVANIA'S of "God's World," a vegan, pacifist JOSEPH LEIGHTON, M.D., FOR cult, who on the whole seem more THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVES concerned with avoiding personal TO ANIMAL RESEARCH contamination than with ending brutality to animals. At the other pole was Michael Fox, Director of Joseph Leighton, M.D., professor the Institute for the Study of and" chairman of the department of Animal Problems, one of the most pathology at the Medical College of articulate spokesman of pragmatic Pennsylvania (MCP), is the recipient political action in defense of of a $176,000 grant over three years animals, who, while not counseling from the American Fund for Alterna­ compromise of fundamental ethical tives to Animal Research (AFAAR). principles, rightly deplored the betrayal of non-human animal interests Actress Gretchen Wyler, a board through an affected purism, which member of AFAAR, will present Dr. would reject effective means of Leighton with a check for $33,000, practical reform. Related ideological covering the first six-months of the conflicts emerged on the issue of grant, during special ceremonies to unity within the animal rights be held July 9, at 11:30 a.m. in movement and between allied libera­ the Board Room (134/C) at the tion movements. To what extent Medical College, 3300 Henry Avenue, should radical, grass-roots animal in the East Falls section of the rights groups join forces with city. larger, more conservative animal welfare and humane organizations? And Dr. Leighton's research will EUA 11/3 73 focus specifically on developing an non-animal replacement for the Draize alternative to the Draize eye test, test, a cruel procedure which, in used widely on rabbits to test for some instances, causes blindness in > 0 harmful chemicals in cosmetics to be animals, was awarded a Philadelphia used by humans. In the Draize test, pathologist on Thursday, July ninth, the potentially harmful substance is at 11:30 a.m., at The Medical College injected into the rabbit's eye sack, of Pennsylvania Hospital (Department causing pain and damage to the animal's of Pathology - Board Room, First eye. Dr. Leighton proposes to develop Floor), 3300 Henry Avenue in a test which can be performed on the Philadelphia, by AFAAR, the American membrane lining of an embryonated Fund for Alternatives to Animal chick egg, an area which has no Research. Actress and animal rights sensory nerves. activist Gretchen Wyler, a board member of AFAAR, will present the "It is an alternative painless first check to Dr. Joseph Leighton, to animals for detecting chemicals Chairman of Pathology at the Medical which might prove irritating to College. Leighton explained his humans," says Dr. Leighton. research methodology in detail, opened his laboratory to the press AFAAR is an international and answered questions at that time. consortium of organizations interested in protecting animals for being used The Draize test, which causes in harmful research. Organizations the animal agonizing pain, involves contributing to Dr. Leighton's grant, dozens of new chemical destined to the largest awarded in the United be utilized in cosmetics, household States by animal welfare organiza­ products, and for industrial applica­ tions for the development of tions which are introduced into the alternatives, include: Air Chief eye of the animal - in this case, Marshal Lord Dowding Fund, the the eye of a rabbit - so that the American Anti-Vivisection Society, degree of damage (and possible danger the Animal Welfare Foundation of to the human eye) may be scientifi­ Canada, the Muriel Lowry Memorial cally observed. Rabbits, by the Fund, and AFAAR. Contributions were dozen, are placed in stocks and/or also received from a number of harnesses so that they cannot rub individuals. away the compounds that have been squirted into their eyes. Customarily, the lower lid of the Public Relations Dept. animal's eye is pulled out and a Medical College of measured dose of an over cleaner, Pennsylvania hair-spray, eye shadow, lawn fertili­ zer, paint removed, is inserted into the eye. It is not uncommon to keep the foreign fluids in the rabbits' HUMANE SOCIETIES CREATE eyes for three or more days; pain $176,000 GRANT TO COMBAT killers are used in isolated cases CRUEL TESTS CAUSING BLINDNESS and the substance being tested often IN RABBITS causes severe blistering or destruc­ tion of their cornea. A research grant of $176,000, Rabbits are used for the Draize intended to develop a humane, test because their eyes produce less '74 ESA 11/3 tears (than other animals or humans) AFAAR also has the continuing function to wash the foreign substance away. of administering the grant. In the U.S. alone, approximately , 500,000 rabbits are tortured annually The American Fund for Alternatives . for this purpose - thousands more to Animal Research, AFAAR, has been are utilized throughout Europe and responsible for grants issued for Asia. (Anyone who has heard a rabbit the prime purpose of creating non­ scream will never forget the sound). animal replacements in the U.S. since 1978. In Europe, similar grants Dr. Leighton's research will from animal welfare agencies have develop a humane procedure which been in existence since 1960. will enable scientists throughout the world to detect irritating chemicals which will not cause any American Fund for Alternatives pain to the animal because Leighton's to Animal Research methodology employs tbe chorioallantoic New York, New York membrane of the chick embryo.