9:30 -10:20 AM
Why a New Paradigm? Why Now?
James LaVeck and Jenny Stein

When advocacy is carried out like a corporatized business, things can go wrong for people and animals. But there is an alternative. Values-based justice work, inspired and informed by historical liberation movements, holds incredible transformative power. Can we embrace this new way of thinking?

10:30 AM - 12:20 PM
Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home

Screening of this 78-minute award-winning documentary followed by Q&A with filmmakers and film subject Harold Brown. About the Film

2:00 - 2:50 PM
Using Peaceable Kingdom as a Tool for Change in your Community
Tribe of Heart team and friends

Ten ways to use this groundbreaking film to awaken compassion and inspire a commitment to justice, with tips and inspiring stories of success from educators and activists who have already put the film to work in their communities.

3:00 - 3:50 PM
Being Farmers of Compassion
Harold Brown

We are not only agents of change but nurturers of a paradigm shift. This discussion will look at the breadth of activism and how we might approach others in a way that speaks to their hearts and their minds.

4:00 - 5:20 PM
Invasion of the Movement Snatchers
James LaVeck

In 1991, a presentation to the Cattlemen’s Association by a PR strategist laid out a detailed plan for dividing, debilitating and co-opting the US animal advocacy movement. The proposed method was to focus on developing extensive alliances between large animal protection groups and industry players, and consequently, to marginalize principled grassroots activism. Has today’s movement been co-opted? If so, how was it done, what do the players in industry and corporate advocacy organizations get out of it, and what can concerned activists do?

7:00 - 7:50 PM
Are Animal Advocates Fueling a War on Wildlife when they Promote “Sustainable, Humane” Farming?
Lee Hall

Foodies and wealthy animal charities are, increasingly, agreeing on a deadly myth: that farmers can raise and sell their animals naturally, humanely and sustainably, for people and the planet. If “free-range” or “humane” farming is a step in the right direction, where (or, rather, from whom) will all of the extra land and water to maintain these farm animals come from? What actually happens when free-living animals threaten the farmers’ profits? And where does all the waste from the farm animals go? This talk will address these vital questions, in addition to the current debate about free-range, cage-free, colony and battery egg production.

8:00 - 9:15 PM
Activist Awakenings:
Panel and Discussion Forum
Jamie Cohen, Jen Kaden, Pamela Page
Moderated by Harold Brown

Three dedicated grassroots activists share their individual journeys, from inspiration to serve a cause, to disillusionment with the programs or tactics of an organization, to developing a unique and independent approach to working for justice that is aligned with their deepest values.

9:15 - 10:20 AM
Stepping Forward, or Falling Down?
Karen Davis

Arguments for and against the Egg Products Inspection Act, called by some “The Rotten Egg Bill,” are emblematic of a widening moral and philosophical gulf between those seeking justice for animals and some of the largest corporate advocacy organizations. How did a movement to ban all cages for laying hens become a campaign to ban only barren cages? And why does this transformation eerily reflect George Orwell’s book Animal Farm, where the leaders of revolutionary progress for animals reverse themselves quietly through backroom deals with former adversaries in a downward spiral that confuses and dispirits the animal citizens of Manor Farm?

10:30 - 11:20 AM
30 Years: Is It Time For A New Vision?
Harold Brown

How far have animal advocates come in three decades? Get a perspective from a former farmer who watched the movement from the other side of the fence. Is it time for a new message, a new strategy, a new vision? Let’s explore the possibilities.

11:30 AM - 12:50 PM
The Witness, and a talk by Eddie Lama

This classic documentary, the first by Tribe of Heart, tells the story of a tough Brooklyn construction contractor whose heart is opened by the love of a kitten. Eddie Lama’s journey of awakening has touched the lives of people all over the world, with the film now translated into over a dozen languages. After the screening of this 43-minute film, Eddie will offer his thoughts on animals, activism, and the struggle for justice. About the Film

2:00 - 3:50 PM
Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home

Screening of this 78-minute award-winning documentary followed by Q&A with filmmakers and film subject Harold Brown. About the Film

4:00 - 5:20 PM
Let’s Not Give Up
Before We Even Get Started
James LaVeck

It is said that we will not see major progress toward the elimination of animal exploitation in our lifetimes, and because of this, we must collaborate with industry and promote animal products derived through less extreme forms of exploitation. Yet, activists of earlier eras, facing situations just as challenging, made a different choice. The English anti-slavery movement resisted compromise and achieved success pioneering groundbreaking protest and outreach techniques that are still being used today. Likewise, there are striking parallels between the tactics of co-option employed by today’s meat industry and those used by slaveholding interests in their attempts to derail the abolition movement.

7:30 - 9:30 PM
Visioning a New Movement

A structured dialogue intended to harness the collective wisdom of our community. Can we transcend the corporate control and compromise now plaguing US animal advocacy, and instead, invest our energy in creating a new and vibrant justice movement based on the values we hold dear?

10:00 - 11:45 PM
Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home

Screening of this 78-minute award-winning documentary followed by Q&A with filmmakers and film subject Harold Brown. About the Film

10:30 - 11:20 AM
Breaking Down, or Breaking Through?
James LaVeck

What causes disillusionment and disempowerment, and what role do they play in our moral development? How can activists harness the power of these challenging experiences to become more whole human beings and more effective agents of change?

11:30 AM - 12:50 PM
Why It’s All Worth It
Tribe of Heart team and conference speakers

Working for justice can be frustrating, and heart breaking. But for those who stick with it, there is the reward of experiencing life-changing breakthroughs, and witnessing incredible awakenings in others. In this session, a number of longtime activists will share some of the moments that changed their lives and transformed their activism.

1:40 - 2:30 PM
Using Peaceable Kingdom as a Tool for Change in your Community
Tribe of Heart team and friends

Ten ways to use this groundbreaking film to awaken compassion and inspire a commitment to justice, with tips and inspiring stories of success from educators and activists who have already put the film to work in their communities.