Hi @vascoamaralgrilo, thank you! We indeed plan on gathering structured feedback and measuring the course’s impact, both in the short and long term. In addition to a comprehensive post-course questionnaire aimed at refining the learning experience, we will also run a yearly survey to assess how the course has influenced participants’ careers, skill development, and advocacy work. Furthermore, we will stay in touch through ARVAN—our Animal Rights and Vegan Advocacy Network (hosted on Hive)—to offer ongoing mentoring, guidance, and peer support, thereby ensuring sustained engagement in animal rights law.

Right now, we are editing the course lectures and materials to offer an on-demand version through Google Classroom. As we iterate and refine the content, we may explore platforms like Coursera or applying for a MOOC through a university in order to reach a broader audience. This broader distribution, however, would require additional administrative steps and collaboration with a partner institution, so we will likely revisit it after we have completed and evaluated the on-demand release.

What progress have you made since your last update?

We have successfully launched the first live edition of the CIARL online course in January 2025, and have just completed 8 weeks of interactive lectures and class activities. The students have actively participated in discussions, submitted weekly assignments on which they are receiving detailed feedback, and reported substantial learning outcomes. They are now preparing for two major course milestones:

• Online Speed Moot Court (15 March) on aquatic animal rights, where teams will present oral arguments based on a recently distributed moot problem and booklet containing all materials.

• Research Presentations (22–23 March), evaluated by a panel of prominent animal rights law scholars.

  We are also proud to have awarded 18 full scholarships (out of 30 total participants) to students across the globe, ensuring a diverse cohort that includes legal advocates, law students, veterinarians, environmentalists, ethicists, social scientists, journalists, lawyers, and NGO workers and founders. This has created a supportive, inclusive learning environment that reflects our commitment to making animal rights law accessible to everyone.

What are your next steps?

• Editing & On-Demand Course: We are currently editing lecture recordings to offer an on-demand version of the CIARL course, further expanding accessibility.

• Post-Course Questionnaire: To improve future offerings and better meet students’ needs, we will distribute a comprehensive post-course survey. The results will guide our refinements for upcoming seminars and the next live CIARL edition.

• Certificates of Completion/Attendance: Students who fulfill course requirements will receive formal certificates, recognising their commitment and engagement.

• ARVAN (ICARE’s Animal Rights and Vegan Advocacy Network): Upon completing the course, participants will join ARVAN (hosted on Hive’s Slack) for continued mentorship, guidance, and collaborative advocacy initiatives.

• Second Edition, Fall 2025: Due to the success of this first cohort, we have opened a waitlist for the next live edition in Fall 2025.

• Promotions & Scholarships: We will continue to seek funding to keep the course affordable and to sponsor students from low-income backgrounds.
  

Is there anything others could help you with?

• Spread the Word: Any assistance in promoting the on-demand course and upcoming waitlist for Fall 2025 would be greatly appreciated.

• Sponsor a Scholarship: Your donations will directly help students in need join the next live edition, ensuring the course remains accessible to individuals from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.
  

What progress have you made since your last update?

We are thrilled to announce that we have hired our interviewer, the brilliant animal rights law philosopher Dr. Paulina Siemieniec. Our first seminar will also open for registration very soon and is scheduled for World Aquatic Animal Day (3 April 2025) with an amazing guest.

Although we faced some delays with initial invitations, we used the opportunity to adjust the seminar schedule, moving from monthly to bi-monthly sessions.

Unfortunately, we have yet to hire a live illustrator. If you know of someone who can assist—or if you have recommendations for an AI-based solution—please get in touch by mid-March.

What are your next steps?

• Invitations & Guests: Continue sending invitations and confirming speakers from diverse fields in animal rights litigation and legislation.

• Promotional Materials: Develop and distribute marketing content and promotional materials.

• Editing & Publishing: Record, edit, and upload each seminar to our YouTube channel and Substack, accompanied by blog posts offering deeper insights into each topic.

• Advocacy & Education: Maintain a strong focus on learning from international contexts, refining best practices, and sharing insights that can benefit advocates and practitioners—ultimately advancing animal rights worldwide.
  

Is there anything others could help you with?

• Spread the Word: Promote our seminar series by sharing links and announcements in your networks.

• Attend & Engage: Join the discussion sessions; your questions and perspectives help enrich the conversation.

• Recommend a Live Illustrator: We would still love to have a talented illustrator to capture the essence of each session live. If you have a recommendation—or ideas for an AI tool—please let us know.
  

What progress have you made since your last update?

Since receiving the grant, we have successfully launched our website and published our first Call for Papers for a special issue, in anticipation of our symposium on 13 June 2025 and a special issue publication by the end of 2025. We received over 20 proposals from contributors around the world, demonstrating strong engagement in this emerging field of animal rights law. We are currently evaluating submissions and will share our decisions in early March. In parallel, we are preparing to publish the first articles in our journal, marking the official start of this open-access academic project.

Thanks to the grant, we were able to purchase the PKP Basic Plan for our first year of publication. We also secured a partnership with an animal rights law group, which will contribute nearly half of our yearly publication costs (600 CAD). ICARE has kindly offered the use of its Zoom account for online events, substantially reducing our operational expenses.

What are your next steps?

• Finalise and communicate decisions for the Call for Papers, aiming to ensure a high-quality inaugural special issue and symposium.

• Prepare and publish our first set of articles by mid-year.

• Revise our website to ensure accessibility, and publish our website in French and Spanish as well (we are working on it).

• Continue building partnerships and collaborations with scholars and practitioners in animal rights law.

• Secure sustainable funding to cover the remainder of our publication expenses for the coming years.

• Hold our first advisory board meeting in Fall 2025 to review the JARL's strategy.

• Attend the AVA Summit in North America, and possibly in Africa to promote the journal and meet new authors and readers.

Is there anything others could help you with?

We still need to raise approximately 400–500 EUR annually to meet ongoing publication costs, especially bank charges, conversion fees, and the remaining portion of the PKP basic plan. Any assistance in securing sponsorships, grants, or other funding sources would be invaluable. If you know of potential funders or partners—or if you have advice on making our journal more financially self-sufficient—please let us know. Your continued support helps us maintain our open-access model and advance critical scholarship in animal rights law.

@yesonip28 Very interesting! Thank you for sharing!

Great initiative! Thank you for your work! 🙏🏽

@Melina-Tan Thank you so much, Melina! This is extremely helpful! 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

That sounds like a good and welcome project! I agree with the problems identified.

Not enough information is provided about this project. This is not detailed enough.

@Marine-Lercier *for their donations, my apologies for typing too fast!

Thank you so much, dear @Jason, for helping us reach the minimum funding for this project! And thank you a lot, of course, to everyone for donations.

@JakobW Thank you so much for your kind support! 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

AAA is doing an excellent work to improve the lives and raise awareness about the welfare of aquatic animals, and is securing important wins! 👏🏽 I’m particularly grateful for your work against octopus farming and for banning shrimp eye-stalk ablation. 🙏🏽

@ceciliavalenza Second that! 👏🏽

Interesting programme! 👏🏽

@Marine-Lercier 🤞🏽🤞🏽🤞🏽

Minimum funding for this project has been lowered to $500, and I hope that we can reach it!

Minimum funding for this project has been lowered to $500, and I hope that we can reach it! 🤞🏽

Faunalytics is doing excellent, useful and impactful work! 👏🏽 I have planned to attend Faunalytics Office Hours in the coming weeks. 🙏🏽

@stevenrouk Thank YOU for your work! Connect for Animals is amazing. Well done!

@stevenrouk Thank you so much, Steven, for looking at our project and for your generous donation. I appreciate your feedback.

We originally came together as a result of successive workshops organised by the Cambridge Centre for Animal Rights Law, first in Europe and then in the United States. The last one was held in India, and we're hoping to recruit more associate editors to join our team in the majority world because, at present, our founders, who came from these first law lecturers' workshops, are not representative enough. Now that we are entering our recruitment phase and have just launched the journal, however, we very much hope to be able to achieve this.

We are also currently recruiting members for our advisory board, which will be much more diverse, inclusive, and, therefore, global.

I agree that collaboration is key in the animal rights/law space. Any advice is welcome, and we're willing to organise a global animal rights law conference to come together within the next three years -- without financial barriers for all. The more, the merrier.

@Brad-West Thank you! We cannot wait to start teaching the course.

Congratulations on this amazing work! 👏🏽

Great work! 👏🏽

Great programme! 👏🏽

Amazing work! 👏🏽

Congratulations on your amazing work and good luck with this project! 👏🏽🙏🏽

Good luck with this project! 🙏🏽

Sentience is doing such a great work! Good luck with your projects.

Your work seems extremely beneficial! Would you consider helping new charities develop their social media presence/strategy? That would be very helpful for a new NGO like mine.

@SofiaBalderson Thank you for the support! 🙏🏽

@Jason Thank you very much for your question! I have tried to shorten the project summary, but I should have said more about the target audience. Here are more details about the course:

It is designed for students, legal professionals, researchers, and animal advocates looking to expand their knowledge and impact in animal rights. It covers legal and ethical issues and provides practical skills for addressing challenges in animal rights law from an interdisciplinary, comparative and global perspective.
- Individuals considering a career change can also explore new pathways in animal rights law through this comprehensive overview of legal challenges and opportunities within the field.
- Law students will gain specialised knowledge, preparing them for potential careers in animal rights advocacy or legal practice.
- Academics and researchers will benefit from the course's interdisciplinary approach, fostering collaborative and innovative research.
- Policymakers and government officials will also learn to create and enforce animal rights and welfare laws that balance societal, ethical and legal considerations.
- Legal practitioners will gain advanced insights into the intricacies of animal rights law, keeping them updated on current legal trends and equipping them to advocate for animal interests, rights, and welfare in legal contexts.
- Animal rights advocates and NGO workers will gain critical insights into the legal aspects of animal rights and welfare. The course provides valuable resources and strategies for effective animal rights advocacy, policy influence, and legal engagement.
- Activists dedicated to animal protection will become better equipped to effect change, influence policy, and engage with legal processes more informedly and impactfully.

In addition, thank you so much for the advice on CLE and the potential revenues it could bring. I'm currently looking into the possibilities for accreditation of this course and other specialisations and trainings to come, in terms of credits, but the funding aspect, particularly from professional bodies, is invaluable!

I’m extremely grateful for the newsletter and all advice from Hive! The community calls are also helpful! Thank you for your work 🙏🏽

Everyone’s support means a lot and is much appreciated 🙏🏽

@Celine-Lercier Merci beaucoup! 🤩🙏🏽⚖️🐾🌱

@eguzzardi Thank you so much, Emily!