Maroueva E and Jukes N. Outreach, alternatives awareness and replacement in Russia. AATEX 2008;14(Special Issue):225-28


Abstract

Significant progress has been made in Russia during 2005-2007 concerning awareness and implementation of alternatives in education. Several major outreach visits involving presentations and demonstrations of alternatives have been made by a team of InterNICHE campaigners, bringing the concept of humane education to large audiences. Media interest in these new approaches has resulted in nationwide and international coverage. Outreach letters have been sent direct to teachers across the country to promote the resources that have been developed. Printed resources and on-line information have been complemented by the distribution of freeware physiology and pharmacology alternatives - all translated into Russian. A library gives hands-on access to alternatives nationally, and the donation of computers and alternatives to some institutes has established exemplary multimedia laboratories. This multi-pronged strategy has now led to agreements being made between InterNICHE and several institutes to abandon animal experiments for teaching purposes at the departmental and faculty level. Implementation of alternative tools has been achieved at several institutes, with multimedia directly replacing the annual use of several thousand animals. The sharing between teachers of the experience of implementation has now begun. There have also been isolated cases of determined student conscientious objection, and the small number of Russian campaigners is slowly growing, empowered by the successes of recent years.



Author's contacts: elena-maroueva@yandex.ru

Author's keywords: InterNICHE, Russia, alternatives, education, replacement

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Link to journal: AATEX - Alternatives to Animal Testing and Experimentation