Sign the Basel declaration or attend an AR conference?

I happen to exchange ideas with a colleague of mine about how any kind of animal use is now increasingly being decried by animal rights orgs. It doesn't matter what your aim is, to them using animals is just wrong, unethical and has no place in modern society.
I by far prefer quoting some words from the Basel declaration:

Primates – Research at a Crossroads

1. Research involving non-human primates is an essential requirement for biomedical progress in the 21st century.
2. Biomedical research cannot be separated into ‘basic’ and ‘applied’ research: it is a continuum stretching from basic studies of normal functions to their breakdown in diseases and the development of therapies.
3. Researchers working with non-human primates are committed to the principle of 3Rs (replacement, reduction, and refinement of animal experiments).
4. Informing the public.

Research involving non-human primates is an essential component for biomedical progress in the 21st century.

Research with non-human primates has greatly advanced our understanding of biology. It has lead to the development of crucial medical treatments because of the biological similarity to humans. The spectrum of these advances includes basic physiology, immunology, infectious diseases, genetics, pharmacology, reproductive biology, and neuroscience (for example: polio vaccine, hepatitis and drug safety). We envisage a greater need for non-human primate research in the future, e.g., for personalized medicine and neurodegenerative diseases in an aging society. This continuing need is reflected in the 2010 EU directive on animal experimentation (2010/63/EU), which recognizes that research involving non-human primates cannot be replaced in the foreseeable future.

Biomedical research cannot be separated into ‘basic’ and ‘applied’ research: it is a continuum stretching from basic studies of normal functions to their breakdown in diseases and the development of therapies.

In the past, the vast majority of significant progress in clinical knowledge and treatment developed from research on normal structure and function (often unexpectedly and after a long time). Such research is therefore indispensable for biomedical progress. Any categorical restriction of research with non-human primates is therefore shortsighted and not justified by scientific evidence.

Source: http://www.basel-declaration.org/basel-declaration/primates/

Should you however want to hear more about animal rights, the following link brings you to the  upcoming animal rights conference in Washington.



A look at the program shows how lobbying against animal use can be combined with other causes : Commonality of Oppression (commonalities in the oppression of animals, children, women, minorities)  or how to befriend businesses:
Engaging Business (befriending businesses, stockholder initiatives, social and economic pressure) - Meier, Rice, Vincent.

SELECTED SPEAKERS

Matt Ball - Vegan Outreach Gene Baur - Farm Sanctuary Michael Budkie - Stop Animal Exploitation Now!Joseph Connelly - VegNews MagazineNick Cooney - author "Change of Heart" Karen Davis - United Poultry Concerns Debra Erenberg - Amnesty InternationalBruce Friedrich - Farm SanctuaryCaryn Ginsberg - author "Animal Impact"Michael Greger - NutritionFacts.org Scotlund Haisley - Animal Rescue Corps s Alex Hershaft - Farm Animal Rights Movement Melanie Joy - author, "Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs..."

Shirley McGreal - Int'l Primate Protection League Erica Meier - Compassion Over Killing Dawn Moncrieffe - A Well-Fed World Victoria Moran - author "Main Street Vegan " Peter Muller - League of Humane Voters Norman Phelps - author "The Longest Struggle"Will Potter - Green Is the New Red Becky Robinson - Alley Cat Allies Nathan Runkle - Mercy For AnimalsPaul Shapiro - Humane Society of the US Doll Stanley - In Defense of Animals Michael Weber - Farm Animal Rights Movement Peter Young - Voice of the Voiceless