Latest news
New Categories of Association
2nd January 2013
Centre Director Professor Andrew Linzey has written to all friends and supporters of the Centre to announce three new categories of association:
We have come a long way since we started six years ago.
Our purpose has always been to put animals on the intellectual agenda – to make the best intellectual case for the ethical treatment of animals. Many people still think that animals are things, tools, machines or resources just for us. They haven’t encountered or been given the opportunity to think differently about animals.
Slowly but surely, we have helped open up the topic of animal ethics in scores of universities and colleges, and we are now in touch with hundreds of students worldwide.
And, despite formidable opposition and many obstacles, we have notched up some milestones. We have established a world class fellowship of more than sixty academics; pioneered the new Journal of Animal Ethics published with the University of Illinois Press; created the book series on animal ethics with Palgrave Macmillan -with twelve books already in print – and we are now planning the first of what will be an annual Oxford Summer School in animal ethics starting in 2014. It is no exaggeration to say that we have become the premier centre of animal ethics.
All this has involved a tremendous amount of work by many hands. Most importantly, it couldn’t have happened without the generous support of a small number of individuals who have shared our vision. We express our heartfelt thanks to those who have kept faith with us.
But we are now at a crossroads. With comparatively little money, we have punched above our weight. Other societies aim to help animals, we aim to help change people’s ideas about animals. That means we have to be in for the long haul and be able to sustain the momentum. Specifically, we need to establish
- a Centre building in Oxford for visitors, fellows, students and researchers, complete with conference rooms and a library;
- a university validated online course in animal ethics for a graduate certificate, diploma or Masters in animal ethics;
- bursaries for graduate students who are researching animal ethics;
- an annual lecture on animal ethics in Oxford;
- an online Animal Archive, a resource for teachers, students, academics, and researchers, and
- a series of educational films on animal ethics, featuring the work of the Centre for academics and students.
In order to make this happen, we need your help. In addition to academic fellows, we need strong support from individuals who would value an association with us. That is why we have created three new exciting affiliations, so individuals have the opportunity to become a big part of the Centre:
Associates give a one-off donation of £2,000 and receive a free copy of the Journal of Animal Ethics for 5 years; a free copy of each book published by the Centre for 2 years; and a discounted place at the Annual Summer School for 2 years.
Ambassadors give a one-off donation of £10,000 and receive a free copy of the Journal of Animal Ethics for 15 years; a free copy of each book published by the Centre; a free place (including accommodation and meals) at each of the Annual Summer Schools for 10 years, and invitations to special Centre events.
Partners give a one-off donation of £20,000 and receive a free copy of the Journal of Animal Ethics for life; a special commemorative page in an issue of the Journal of Animal Ethics; a named project with a plaque; a free copy of each book published by the Centre, and special invitations to the Annual Summer School and other Centre events.
We appreciate that these are large sums of money, especially in these economically straightened times. But we need people daringly prepared to invest in the power of ideas to achieve a more ethical world for animals. Our future depends on it.