Podcast 34

Join Professor Jonathan Dickstein in conversation with Professor Maneesha Deckha, Lansdowne Chair in Law at the University of Victoria and director of the Animals & Society Research Initiative, for a thought-provoking discussion on animal law, justice, and advocacy in global perspective. Together, they explore how legal systems construct and regulate the status of animals, why animal issues are deeply intertwined with race, gender, caste, class, and ability, and what some of today’s most urgent legal struggles for animals reveal about broader systems of power and exclusion. Professor Deckha also shares insights into her Arihanta Institute course, Animal Law in Global Perspective, introducing students to critical animal law, postcolonial theory, vegan ecofeminism, and the evolving legal debates shaping the future of animal advocacy. Don’t miss this engaging discussion on law, ethics, and the pursuit of justice for both humans and nonhumans alike.

📚 Course Spotlight — 1024 | Animal Law in Global Perspective

1. Starts: Monday, June 1, 2026 (materials available)
2. Live Zoom Q&As: Fridays June 5, 12, 19, 26 at 9:15-10:15 a.m. PDT
3. Format: Live online + self-study • ~4 hours recorded video • Weekly readings
4. Registration: $25

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES & LINKS

• Course 1024 | Animal Law in Global Perspective - Arihanta Institute
• Vegan Studies Initiative @ Arihanta Institute | Courses, Speaker Series, Research & More!

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ABOUT OUR PODCAST GUEST

Maneesha Deckha is Professor and Lansdowne Chair in Law at the University of Victoria in British Columbia where she directs the Animals & Society Research Initiative. Her research expertise includes critical animal law, vegan ecofeminist theory, and postcolonial theory. She is author of Animals as Legal Beings: Contesting Anthropocentric Legal Orders and has directed an open access documentary series designed for high school and undergraduate screening called A Deeper Kindness: Youth Activism in Animal Law. In 2023-2024, Professor Deckha was a Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Zurich and a Senior Fellow at the Collegium Helveticum, ETH, Zurich.

ABOUT OUR PODCAST HOST

Jonathan Dickstein, PhD specializes in South Asian Religions, Religion and Ecology, and Comparative Religious Ethics. He received his doctoral degree in Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he wrote his dissertation on ancient Indian animal taxonomies and their relevance for religious ritual and dietary practice. Jonathan’s current work focuses on Jainism and contemporary ecological issues, and accordingly extends into Critical Animal Studies, Food Studies, and Diaspora Studies.

Jonathan has published in a wide array of interdisciplinary journals on topics such as veganism and politics, yoga and diet, Jain veganism, and the ethic of nonviolence (ahiṃsa). Jonathan considers himself a scholar-practitioner, having spent many years not only in libraries but also in public advocating for justice for both humans and nonhumans alike.

ABOUT ARIHANTA INSTITUTE

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit academic institution, Arihanta Institute is dedicated to advancing education, scholarship, critical research, and public dissemination of real-world application of the Jain principles of non-violence (ahiṃsā) and compassion (karuṇā). Our mission is to empower individuals with knowledge to embrace and apply these principles as a force for positive change, addressing the most pressing issues of our time with courage and compassion.