29-31st January 2007, Chennai , India .

Introduction

The Intenational Center for Alternatives to Research & Education (I-CARE), is an unit of People for Animals (PfA)– the largest animal welfare movement in India. The PfA was started by world renowned environmentalist and animal activist Maneka Gandhi in 1995. Today she continues to be its chairperson, governing over 160 PfA chapters across India.

The I-CARE is a unit of PFA dedicated to the cause of laboratory animal welfare and the science of alternatives. I-CARE has a working secretariat in Chennai, in South India. I-CARE is a member of the project team if ALTWEB.

I-CARE proactively works to promote and propagate the use of alternative methods in research and the use of non animal teaching aids and progressive and pedagogically superior tools in veterinary, pharmacology, medical and life science education. I-CARE also stands firmly committed, to work to mitigate any pain or suffering in laboratory animals across the world. 

Rationale

The main objectives of I-CARE are:

1. to proactively advocate, propagate and facilitate the use of alternatives to the use of animals in basic biomedical research, regulatory testing and education;

2. to sensitize technical, scientific, animal welfare personnel and students the ethical codes, scientific innovations and laws in the use and care of laboratory animals and the use of alternatives through contact and distant learning courses/seminars and conferences;

3. to function as an information and resource centre for alternatives in basic biomedical research, regulatory testing and education;

4. to liaise with national/international councils/commissions, universities and academia to promote the replacement of animals used in education and the introduction of advanced and modern pedagogic tools such as Computer Assisted Learning (CAL), models and mannekins, self experimentation apparatus etc.; 

 The Need

In this front, I-CARE is taking the initiative and a bold step in organizing the "First National Congress On Alternatives to the Use of Animals in Research and Education", between 29-31st January 2007, in Chennai, India. It will be the first such conference not only in India and but also in Asia. The science of alternatives has percolated so little, in the east (other then Japan), that we recognize the organizing of this conference as a compelling need to promote and propagate the concept of the Three Rs. 

 The Focus

As the mandate of I-CARE is largely borne from the Indian philosophy of "Ahimsa or Non Violence ", we will in this conference focus largely on Replacement methods to the use of animals in experimentation.

 Proposed Out come

We propose to make this more than a conference, where participating delegates will not only hear eminent international scientists speak but also see demonstrations of alternatives. This will be extremely useful as we forsee a large number of scientists from corporates /pharma industry/ testing labs/ health and agriculture ministry taking part. It will be more comprehensive and could yield more positives results in that we could then request for policy changes in testing protocols and education policies in India. Demonstrations and hands on experience in using invitro assays , models and mannekins, and CAL will create a lasting and strong presence of alternatives and enable research and academic personnel to make a change in both attitude and in reality of use.

Profile of speakers/ scientists demonstrating alternatives

I-CARE has received the confirmed participation of Prof. Dr. Horst Spielmann, Director , ZEBET, Germany, Dr. Manfred Liebsch , ZEBET, Germany, Prof. Dr Alan Goldberg , CAAT. USA, Prof. Dr. Coenraad Hendriksen, Chair on Alternatives to Animal Use at Utrecht University, Head of the Netherlands Centre Alternatives to Animal Use (NCA), The Netherlands, Dr Akbar Shah , Head, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, India.

We are awaiting confirmation from L'Oreal , ECVAM, Dr. Ketan Desai , Head Medical Council of India, Ohio State University, Invitro Tech, etc.

We also hope to have Dr Jane Goodall as the Guest of Honour, and we are awaiting her confirmation. Madam Maneka Gandhi will deliver the key note address.

Venue

Sri Ramachandra Medical University, Chennai. The university has excellent infrastructure , including tele-medicine facilities, tissue culture laboratory, conference halls, accommodation facilities and a food court. 

Target Audience

Professors, teachers , scientific and research personnel from veterinary / medical / life science schools, basic bio medical research institutes, pharma industry, state personnel from agriculture and health ministries, doctoral scholars etc. We hope to have about 400-500 delegated attend the conference. A nominal registration fee of about 30 Euro will be levied.

 Information and publicity

I-CARE has a data base of approximately 1000 institutes based in India. Brochures will be mailed to the heads of these institutes and a web site created for the conference.