A World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences: Education, Research, Testing will be held on November 14-19,1993 at the Stouffer Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland. This congress is being planned by a consortium of scientists representing the geographical areas of Australia, the United Kingdom, the European Continent. North America and the Pacific Rim.
The specific aim of the congress is to review the progress made toward refining, reducing and replacing the use of animals in education, research and safety testing; to develop a realistic understanding of the validity and status of alternatives; to create the understanding that in research-animal use, clinical studies and in vitro methods advance science and our basic understanding of biology and disease; and to develop a dialogue between the animal welfare movement and the scientific community. The long term objectives is to continue the dialogue begun at the 1993 Congress and to plan a second Congress which will be held in The Netherlands in 1996. The congress program will address issues of interest to an international audience of academic researchers, corporate scientists, government regulators, educators and the interested public. This is a 5 day program including 10 plenary lectures, 26 platform presentations, 7 workshops and 3 point/counter point sessions covering issues of alternatives and animal use in education, research testing and ethics. An open lecture, free to the general public, will be offered at the end of the first full meeting day. Dignitaries of the local, state and federal governments will be invited as well as diplomats representing the participating countries. A speaker of widespread public recognition will be invited to give the address. In addition, the program will include scientific and commercial posters, trade exhibitions, software and video screenings.
