Amplifying the Voices of Asian Advocates at the International Animal Rights Conference
Last week I attended the International Animal Rights Conference in Luxembourg, where for the first time in my life I had the privilege of speaking in front of an international audience about the Asian Animal Justice Advocacy Movement.
International Animal Rights Conference, 5-8 September 2024
Under the title “What's going on in Asia? A look at grassroots initiatives in Asian animal justice advocacy”, my goal was to give an overview of the great projects and accomplishments I have been witnessing as part of AAA’s Programs. But I also took the chance to stress how critical Asia is to the worldwide movement, and to bring attention to those outside the Asian context about the barriers our advocates face, specifically the issues they were so vocal about in our 2022 report.
Haru Lev talking about his book "Social Adjustment Refusal Manifesto - How to Live in the Age of Massacre"
But the core mission I carried in my heart was to use my short time on the international stage to emphasize the voices of the amazing local advocates who have been achieving so much through their hard work, so that their efforts and accomplishments were recognized around the world. And to stress how they are the people with the most knowledge, motivation, and potential to create change in their own contexts.
I am happy to report that the presentation was warmly received by the audience in the room. Both after the presentation and in the days after, people kept coming to me curious to know more. I thank them all for the interesting discussions, and I look forward to continuing bringing light to our corner of the world 🤗
As I proudly concluded in Luxembourg,
“We are not giving up. Asia is our home, and we are determined to help and support each other, and continue our work here no matter how long it takes”
Group selfie during lunchtime :D
You can watch the video of my presentation here, including the contributions by Elly Nakajima, Co-founder and Director of AAA and Haru Lev (South Korean advocate and ReRoot Asia Fund’s grantee), who I thank for their support and presence on the stage 💚
