OXVeg Online News, 17/11/2008
Dear Member, We begin with a message from our secretary Heather Shepherd (and I promise that I didn't write the second sentence myself): "Hello to everyone, and thank you for all the messages of support I've received since taking on the new role of secretary. Luckily for me, Paul, who has done such a brilliant job for the last 26 years (a big thank you, Paul), is staying on a while to help ease me into the role. We are looking to get the group as active as possible, as you can see from the packed event section below. If you have any ideas of events that you would like to do, please get in touch. I've already received some ideas, and am currently working to squeeze in as much as I can (especially the offer of Salsa dance lessons!). Hope to hear from you soon." ====================================================== FORTHCOMING EVENTS (* denotes events organised by OxVeg) Thursday 20 November, 5pm. Talk by Dan Lyons, Director of Uncaged Campaigns, Seminar Room East, Mansfield College, Mansfield Road, Oxford. "The Politics of Animal Experiments: A failure of democracy?" Dr Lyons is one of the country's leading authorities on the politics of animal experimentation. He has carried out extensive academic research into the evolution of UK animal research policy and was awarded the Political Studies Association's Walter Bagehot Prize for the best thesis in Government and Public Administration in 2008. In 2003, he won a historic legal victory on public interest grounds that allowed the publication of leaked confidential information describing xenotransplantation experiments on primates. He is an honorary research fellow at the University of Sheffield and also serves as a Councillor on Stocksbridge Town Council. Organised by VERO (Voice for Ethical Research at Oxford; www.vero.org.uk). Admission free, refreshments provided. * Friday 21 November, 7.30pm. OxVeg Dining Out Club meal at Las Iguanas, Park End Street, Oxford. Las Iguanas is a restaurant offering Latin American themed dishes and its menu clearly marks dishes which are vegetarian and gluten free. The chef assures us that they cater for vegans too. It has a great atmosphere and the food is good value for money. Please phone Natasha on 01865 723760 or email nwilliams{at}brookes.ac.uk to book a seat or for further information. Sunday 23 November, 11am-2pm. Kitchen Buddy Vegan, Gluten-free & Raw Culinary Workshop, St Ethelwold House, East St Helen Street, Abingdon. See below for details. Wednesday 26 November, 7.30pm. Talk by Prof Jim Stevenson: "Food additives and how they can affect children's behaviour." Osler-McGovern Centre, Norham Gardens, Oxford OX2 6PS. Admission is £2 for Speedwell members and £4 for non-members. Sunday 30 November, 10am-5pm. Animal Aid's Christmas Without Cruelty Fayre, Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street, London W8. More than 85 stalls, food, talks & videos, live auction of celebrity memorabilia, web clinic, children's workshop & creche, press-ups competition, etc. Organised by Animal Aid (www.animalaid.org.uk). A group from OxVeg will be travelling to/from London on the Oxford Tube, meeting at Thornhill Park and Ride at 10am. Due to local roadworks, the nearest tube stop to the hall is Shepherds Bush and then a 10 minute bus ride (or 25 minute walk). Contact Heather on 01865 765580 or ov{at}ivu.org if you wish to travel with the group. Thursday 4 December, 5pm. Talk by Revd Andrew Linzey, Director, Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, Seminar Room East, Mansfield College, Mansfield Road, Oxford. Organised by VERO (Voice for Ethical Research at Oxford; www.vero.org.uk). Admission free, refreshments provided. Saturday 6 December, 10am-5pm. Veg*n Climate March. Over 10,000 environmentalists are expected to join the National Climate March on Sat 6th December 2008 to "demand that our government takes urgent and radical action to deal with the climate crisis". Join in to encourage the environmentalists to take the environmental threat of livestock farming seriously. Coaches organised by Oxford Campaign against Climate Change group, £10 or £6 concession. If you are interested, contact Heather on 01865 765580, or ov{at}ivu.org. Saturday 13 December, 10.30am-4.30pm. Winter Green Fair, Town Hall, St Aldate's, Oxford. We are running a stall at this event organised by Oxfordshire Green Party (event details from Holly on 07929 424055). Sunday 14 December, 11am-2pm. Kitchen Buddy Vegan, Gluten-free & Raw Culinary Workshop, St Ethelwold House, East St Helen Street, Abingdon. See below for details. * Friday 19 December, 6.30pm. OxVeg Christmas meal at The Jam Factory, Park End Street, Oxford. Two course meal for £16. There will be a choice of three dishes for each course, (including at least one vegan). All dietary requirements can be catered for, and we will have an option for raw vegans upon request. The menu will be posted on our website shortly as we will need to pre-order choices. Money will be due once you have chosen. Further details from Heather on 01865 765580. Saturday 20 December, 3pm. Cowley Road Christmas Market, Manzil Way, Oxford. We are hoping to have a stall here to promote a veggie Christmas. If anyone is available to help, either cooking beforehand, or helping on the day, please contact Heather on 01865 765580, or ov{at}ivu.org. Saturday 20 December, 3.30pm. Candlelit Vigil to mourn the deaths of millions of animals for food, clothing, research, sport &c over the course of the year. Martyrs' Memorial, St Giles, Oxford. Please wear black and bring a candle. Organised by Oxford Animal Protection. ====================================================== Vegan, gluten-free & raw Culinary Workshops in Oxfordshire Kitchen Buddy are running the above workshops in Abingdon on Sundays 23rd November and 14th December, 11am - 2pm, at St Ethelwold House, East St Helen Street, Abingdon OX14 5EB. Cost is £35 for individuals, £60 for couples / friends. Groups of 4 or more get one free place. To register contact Theresa Webb: email Protected email address or phone 020 8697 2755 / 07734 166 738 Pay by Internet Bank transfer, or cheque in advance. Address for all cheques: 49 South Park Crescent, Catford, London SE6 1JJ. Further details at www.kitchenbuddy.eu ====================================================== Raw Banquets Oxford Active Vegans have restarted their raw meal pot luck evenings (bring something you've prepared yourself (value approx £4) and pay £3, or come along and enjoy what everyone else brings for just £7). Heather attended a meal in October, and the food was fabulous, including beetroot salad, raw veggie casserole, and finishing with a delicious 'cheese'cake. To find out details of their next get-together, email Jane on janemagpie{at}yahoo.co.uk. ====================================================== Global Warning lecture by Dr Rajendra Pachauri now available online You might recall my publicising the Peter Roberts Memorial Lecture, "Global Warning - the impact of meat production and consumption on climate change" given by Dr Rajendra Pachauri, Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and joint winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, in London on 8th September. The lecture, which prompted a front page article in The Observer newspaper, is now available online at www.ciwf.org/lecture where you can watch, read or listen to highlights of Dr Pachauri's lecture and view the slides from his presentation. Meanwhile, The Nutrition Ecology International Center has an online petition which calls for an end to European Union (CAP) subsidies for livestock farming and fishing to help reduce the impact of these activities on the environment. You will find it at http://www.nutritionecology.org/news/petition_cap.html ====================================================== Forwarding items from OxVeg Online News A recent incident prompts me to clarify the situation with regard to cross-posting or forwarding items from OxVeg Online News. The newsletter is written for members of OxVeg who support us through their membership subscriptions. As such, it should never be cross-posted in full to other internet fora. However, OxVeg is not a 'closed' society, and members are welcome to copy items that are clearly in the public domain to their friends. If in doubt, please contact the newsletter editor. ====================================================== Animal Testing of Cosmetics Liberal Democrat MP Mike Hancock has tabled an Early Day Motion (No. 1279 'Animal Testing of Cosmetics') at the House of Commons which asserts that animal testing for cosmetics is "morally unacceptable" and applauds Uncaged' s 'Boycott Procter & Gamble' campaign (P&G continue to test their cosmetics ingredients on animals - the current UK ban on cosmetics testing relates to whole cosmetic products only). EDM 1279 also highlights the confusion that exists around the animal testing of cosmetics, and calls for information on animal testing for cosmetics to be more accessible. As the Labour MP Kerry McCarthy said in a recent parliamentary debate, "the average person on the street does not want to buy products that have been tested on animals, but that information simply is not available". So far more than 100 MPs have signed EDM 1279. To lobby your MP to do so, or to sign any of the other EDMs endorsed by Uncaged, please visit the Protecting Animals in Democracy site at www.vote4animals.org.uk. ====================================================== Oxford animal lab opens Oxford University's controversial new biomedical research facility in South Parks Road "will become operational in the coming weeks". To quote University Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Planning and Resources) Prof Tony Monaco: "The (Biomedical Sciences Building) is a new facility to support a range of the innovative and life-saving biomedical research for which Oxford is renowned, and to rehouse animals used in this research. It is part of an ongoing programme of replacing and refurbishing existing facilities across the University Science Area and is designed to replace a number of older animal facilities." The animals "rehoused" in the new building will, of course, be subjected to invasive experiments - Oxford University's contribution to the more than 3 million animals used in scientific procedures in the UK each year, the majority of which are conducted without anaesthetic (61% of the 3.2 million procedures in 2007). As a leading supporter of VERO (Voice for Ethical Research at Oxford) put it: "This animal lab is just a symptom of the unthinking arrogance of mankind, the unthinking arrogance of academia, building an ark not to save but to torture living creatures." If you would like to ask a searching question about the lab you can send an email to Protected email address ====================================================== And finally ... We have the opportunity to apply for a grant of £250-£5,000 as an existing Oxfordshire group. If anyone has any ideas for a project, please let us know. Suggestions so far have included a mobile burger van, hiring a café to cater from, and speaker evenings. Best wishes, Paul Appleby OxVeg Online News editor
Author: Paul Appleby
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