(Dis)ability and Animality
Cripping Animal Ethics/Activism
A Series of More-Than-Human Encounters #3. Over the course of this evening, the intersections between animal liberation and disability liberation are explored. How do speciesism and ableism intersect and operate in relation to other -isms in a system of oppression? If certain abilities are the prerequisite to include other animals into the circle of moral consideration, what ethical and practical implications does this hold for humans who do not possess these abilities?
Geertrui Cazaux will discuss how animals other than humans resist their oppression by escaping, retaliating and other acts of everyday resistance. Focusing non-human animals and sharing their stories helps us move away from a human saviourist framing and is also an expression of solidarity with them. They are not voiceless and we are not their saviours but their allies.
Agnes Trzak’s talk will explore the question of what happens if we use cognitive and bodily ability as a criteria to base our moral considerations on. She will share an intimate story of her relationship with her animal companions, to illustrate the danger those disabled by society, whether human or non-human, less ‘humanness,’ less personhood, less agency, less value.
PROGRAMME
20:00 Welcome
20:05 Geertrui Cazaux: Stories of animal resistance. About human saviorism and not so-voiceless animals
20:30 Agnes Trzak: The Moment We (don’t) Compare Disability and Animality
21:00 Q&A with Agnes Trzak, Anaïs Van Ertvelde & Olave Nduwanje
21:30 End
• Agnes Trzak lives with her dog and human companions in Berlin, where she works as an Inclusion Educator for children and their adults. Her practical work is always informed by the theory she explores in her writing about overlapping systems of oppression. She shows how dominant ways of constructing and representing thought, language and the physical environment affect different marginalized humans and non-humans.
• Geertrui Cazaux has been advocating for the rights of other animals since 25 years. After her doctoral research on anthropocentrism and speciesism in criminology, she worked in youth care and as a policy advisor. She is now retired because of chronic diseases and – together with her husband – takes care of adopted animals at home.
A Series of More-Than-Human Encounters is a presentation by VUB Crosstalks & Kaaitheater | curated by Kaaitheater and VUB Crosstalks in dialogue with Olave Nduwanje, Mathieu Charles, Mariska Jung, David Weber-Krebs and Geertrui Cazaux.
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