The 2019 Edition of Canada’s Food Guide: A Vegan Perspective

Hello everyone! I recently wrote a blog post that was published on the Vegan Society blog. The post is titled "The 2019 Edition of Canada's Food Guide: A Vegan Perspective". I hope you find it interesting!

Moving Towards a Vegan Option in Canada

Hello everyone!

I wanted to give you all a quick update. You may remember my two previous blog posts, letting you know about a petition calling on the Canadian government “to require public canteens under federal jurisdiction to provide a vegan option, and to raise this issue and work with provincial and territorial counterparts to require the same at all levels of government.” In practice, this means that a vegan option would be required to be served in all public schools, hospitals, prisons, and other public institutions. This is an important step that our country can take towards animal rights and vegan rights. A similar law is already in place in Portugal.

I didn’t start the petition, but I signed it and mentioned it on my blogs because this issue matters a lot to me.

In total, the petition received 3106 signatures from the public, and it was presented to the House of Commons on February 7, 2018. The government’s response was disappointing—basically, they implied that they don’t plan on taking action on this issue.

Fortunately, however, the dedicated vegan advocates who are working on this issue are not giving up! A new organization, Vegan Option Canada, has been founded to advocate for this new law. Vegan Option Canada is currently running two versions of their petition: an official paper petition and an unofficial, supplementary online petition. You can sign both, as the signatures for each petition are counted separately. You can access the online petition directly by clicking here. Check out Vegan Option Canada’s website to learn more about this issue and to find a paper petition near you. Alternatively, you can order sheets of the paper petition so that you can collect signatures yourself!

I feel quite confident that this initiative can succeed. Let’s work together and make it happen!



Photo Courtesy of Suzette.nu.

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins by Carolyn Harris.



Update on Petition Calling on Canadian Government to Provide Vegan Options at Public Canteens

Recently I received an e-mail from the House of Commons Electronic Petitions website notifying me that on February 7^th, 2018, petition e-1205 was presented in the House of Commons. The e-mail goes on to say, “You will be notified once a government response has been tabled.”

This is a petition that I mentioned on my blog previously—it was calling on the federal government “to require public canteens under federal jurisdiction to provide a vegan option, and to raise this issue and work with provincial and territorial counterparts to require the same at all levels of government.” You can see the full text of the petition here, although it is no longer open to signatures.

On the House of Commons website, it is mentioned that this topic was brought up as well, but it doesn't say if or how anyone responded to it. You can see what I am talking about here.

I am looking forward to seeing how the government responds. I will post on this blog again to let you know how they responded once I receive further information on the subject!

Next Steps for the Revision of Canada's Food Guide

Happy New Year, everyone!

Those of you who have been following this blog for a while probably have heard that Health Canada is currently in the process of revising Canada’s Food Guide, the government-created resource that provides dietary recommendations to Canadians.

Now that it’s 2018, I thought I would give a re-cap of what has happened so far in that process and let you know what Health Canada is planning for the process in the coming couple of years or so.

From October 24, 2016 to December 8, 2016, Health Canada held Phase 1 of the online public consultation in which Canadians could share their views and experiences about Canada’s Food Guide. During that time period, I wrote a blog post entitled “Fixing the Problems on Canada’s Food Guide”, in which I discussed why and how Canada’s Food Guide needs to change. I also included my response to a question on the survey that I completed for the first stage of the online consultation. Additionally, I had an Op-Ed published on the Epoch Times website called “Health Canada Should Recommend a Vegan Diet”.

From June 10, 2017 until July 25, 2017, the second phase of the online public consultation was held, in which Canadians could comment on some of the proposed dietary recommendations for the new Canada’s Food Guide. The proposed new Guiding Principles showed that Health Canada is planning on recommending that Canadians shift towards eating more plant-based foods. I wrote an in-depth blog post on the subject here.

The Government of Canada has also held some focus groups amongst Canadians to learn more about how they use the dietary recommendations. In one series of focus groups, participants were presented with a series of proposed “foundational statements” that may be used in Health Canada's dietary recommendations and were asked to give their feedback. The statements were as follows:

“Make it a habit to enjoy a variety of nutritious foods and beverages each day. Many foods fit healthy eating, choose those that you enjoy and that reflect your culture and traditions.

§ Choose mostly plant-based foods.

§ Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit, whole grains and some protein foods, especially those foods that come from plants.

§ Include foods that have healthy fats.

§ Limit processed and prepared foods high in sodium, sugars, or saturated fat. If you choose these foods, eat them less often and in small amounts.

§ Cook with foods that are lower in sodium, sugars and saturated fats.

§ Make water your drink of choice.

– Replace sugary drinks with water. (Option 1)

– Choose water instead of sugary drinks. (Option 2)

– Avoid sugary drinks. (Option 3)

§ Plain milk, unsweetened fortified plant-based or soy beverages can also be healthy beverage choices.

Healthy eating is more than the foods you eat. It is also about how, where, when and why you eat.

§ Be mindful of your eating habits

– Enjoy your food.

– Take time to eat.

– Notice when you are hungry and when you are full.

§ Plan. Cook. Eat together.

– Plan what you eat.

– Cook more often.

– Eat with family and friends often.

– Share your foods skills, food traditions and culture.”

It is encouraging to see that “plant-based foods” are mentioned in the first statement on this list, as well as “foods that come from plants” making an appearance in the second statement! Also notable is the de-emphasis of milk (as compared to previous Canada’s Food Guides) and the inclusion of dairy-free beverages. However, these things are not particularly surprising, as the previously-released proposed Guiding Principles already showed us that Health Canada is most likely going to recommend a shift towards more plant-based eating, anyway. Of course, I would like them to recommend that Canadians eat a purely plant-based, whole-foods vegan diet. That being said, these statements show a clear improvement over Canada's previous dietary recommendations, and that is something to be happy about. There is still definite room for improvement, however.

According to the Government of Canada’s website, in 2018, they will release “Part 1 of the new dietary guidance policy report for health professionals and policy makers, which will consist of general healthy eating recommendations”, and “supporting key messages and resources for Canadians”. In 2019, they will release “Part 2 of the new dietary guidance policy report, which will consist of healthy eating patterns (recommended amounts and types of foods)”, and “additional resources for Canadians”. It remains to be seen what exactly these resources will be like, but I’ll be sure to report on them for this blog once they come out!

Petition to the Government of Canada Regarding Food Policy

Recently I found out about a new petition that was posted on the Parliament of Canada’s E-petitions website. The petition, which is being sponsored by Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, is calling for all public canteens under federal jurisdiction to serve a vegan option (and for the federal government to work with the provinces and territories to implement this law at their levels, as well).

The main part of the petition reads, “We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to require public canteens under federal jurisdiction to provide a vegan option, and to raise this issue and work with provincial and territorial counterparts to require the same at all levels of government.”

Judging by the way that the petition is worded, it sounds like, if the petition becomes law, this could lead to hospitals, schools, universities, colleges, prisons, and other public institutions to be required to serve a vegan option. This would be a win for vegans, for, as a matter of human rights, it is essential that vegans have access to vegan food. Furthermore, the law would help animals, as it would make it easier for more people to eat a vegan diet, and it could help to indirectly raise awareness about veganism and to help people realize what vegan food actually is.

In March 2017, Portugal passed a law requiring all public canteens (at hospitals, schools, prisons, etc.) to serve a vegan option. Canada needs a law like this, too!

Canadian citizens are able to sign the petition and read more about it here. The petition is open until November 29, 2017, at 2:32 p.m. EDT.



Photo copyright Carolyn H.



Ethical Issues and Pets on CBC Radio One

This morning on a radio show called The Current on CBC Radio One, Anna Maria Tremonti interviewed Gary Francione, Stanley Coren, and Jessica Pierce about their differing views on the ethical issues surrounding pet ownership. Very interesting discussion-- you can listen to it and/or read the accompanying article here.

Have a nice day!

Public History Assignment: Ottawa Earthlings March 2016

By Carolyn Harris

Hello everyone!

I am currently taking a public history course in university, and one of my assignments is to write a blog post on a story, event, or object from my own life that I feel is worth preserving in an online exhibit for future public history students. The event that I have chosen is the 2016 Ottawa Earthlings March!

Photo posted by Savannah Greene on Facebook (not taken by me).

The event

On September 3, 2016, I attended Ottawa’s first annual Earthlings March, which is a peaceful protest that aims to raise awareness about animal rights issues and to call for an end to animal exploitation. Earthlings Marches were started by the animal liberation group Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) and have taken place in dozens of cities around the world—from Montreal to London, and from Tel Aviv to Kharkiv. The idea behind using the word “Earthlings” is that all humans and animals are sentient beings who live on the Earth together. Different species though we may be, we all have the right to be free from abuse and exploitation. The word “Earthlings” also is used by the documentary of the same name, which is about the horrors of factory farming.

Ottawa’s march, which was organized by the Ottawa Animal Defense League, started with some speeches by Ottawa-based activists in front of dozens of participants who gathered in Confederation Park. Then, holding signs and chanting, we marched through downtown Ottawa, including past Parliament Hill and the Chateau Laurier. The march lasted for about an hour.

Photo by Carolyn Harris.





Speeches before the march. Photo by Carolyn Harris.



Our chants

These chants were presumably written by (an) animal rights activist(s) involved in the march (but not me).

Freedom for all,

Photo by Carolyn Harris.

Justice for animals!

Humans and animals

We are all equal

No more oppression,

Animal liberation

For the rabbits and the foxes and the mink and the pigs

No excuses

Let the animals live!

For the lambs and the cows and the birds and the fish

No excuses

Let the animals live!

 Not just for Cecil

 Not just for Harambe

We want justice for all animals!

Not just for dogs, not just for cats, no

We want justice for all animals!

Stop exploitation

Meat abolition

One struggle, one fight

Human freedom, animal rights

The march certainly got a lot of attention from passersby, and some onlookers filmed us with their phones as we walked by. Some march participants handed out leaflets to passersby, and/or put animal rights stickers on telephone poles along the route.

Why does this story need to be remembered?

Amazingly, even though dozens of us were there (and we made a lot of noise, believe me!), there was absolutely no coverage of the march by mainstream media. A quick Google search done months later reveals that the only online documentation of what happened at this event is on Facebook, in one YouTube video (published by one of the activists who was there), and on my vegan advocacy blog in a previous post.

Despite the lack of interest by the media, this story is one that needs to be remembered. The 2016 Ottawa Earthlings March is significant because it was the first of its kind in Ottawa, and furthermore, it is representative of the modern animal rights/vegan movement in 2016-2017. The movement has been changing its message to demand an end to the slaughter (instead of merely suggesting that animals have rights), and it is increasing in its reach like never before. Veganism is becoming more mainstream through increased vegan food selection in grocery stores and celebrity figures adopting a vegan diet. It is quite likely that in fifty years’ time, mainstream Canadian society will see animal rights as an important social justice issue.

Did you know...?

Regardless of what will happen in the future, though, remembering this march would be of interest to public history students because it captures a sense of the new direction in which this movement is headed. Fifty years from now, they will be able to compare the movement as it will exist in their time to how it was in 2016-2017.

The fact is, the history of the animal rights/vegan movement is rarely told in museums and exhibits around the world. But as the author of my public history textbook points out, when repositories accept contributions from the public, this can “allow repositories to ‘actively document those whose voices have been overlooked or marginalized’ (SAA 2011). Public engagement might contribute to limiting historical silences in collections” (Cauvin 46).

Through documentation, the memory of this event will not fade into oblivion quite as quickly as it otherwise would, and with luck, future historians will give it attention when they are writing the history of the animal rights movement/the history of Ottawa.

Canada 150 and Canada’s national identity

When talking about Canada’s national identity, animal rights and veganism do not usually come to most people’s minds. But, although vegans and animal rights activists are still the minority in Canada, our stories are nevertheless worthy of being told.

Besides, I maintain that the animal rights movement is already in line with Canadian values. Canada generally stands for respecting others’ right to live and be free. When one considers the sentience of non-human animals, it becomes apparent that we must respect animals’ rights, too.

Walking past Parliament Hill. Photo by Carolyn Harris.

 

Closing thoughts

Most importantly, this story needs to be remembered for the billions of animals who are killed every year for human tastes and profit. When we remember this march, we are also remembering the animals.

Photo posted by Savannah Greene on Facebook (not taken by me).

(Please note: The first and the last photos in this blog post were downloaded from someone else's post on this event's Facebook Event page. All the other photos are Copyright Carolyn Harris 2016.)

Our Voices Are Being Heard!

Hello everyone,

Many of you may recall that last year, Health Canada was holding Phase 1 of its public consultation on revising Canada's Food Guide. Canadians were invited to submit their opinions and experiences with the Food Guide using an online form on www.foodguideconsultation.ca. (You can read the blog post that I wrote last year on the subject here.) In total, 19,873 submissions were received (although participants were able to make submissions more than once). Of those, 14,297 were from the general public, 5,096 were from professionals, and 461 were from organizations. Now, several documents have been released, including one reviewing the input that has been heard from the Canadian public; an “Evidence review for dietary guidance”; and a proposed description of “Guiding Principles, Recommendations, and Considerations” for healthy eating.

These documents are very encouraging for those of us who are working to spread the vegan message! I am saving the best news for later on in this blog post (under the subheading “Guiding Principles”), but I recommend that you read the whole post to get a more complete picture of how the proposed dietary recommendations relate to plant-based eating.

Public Input from Phase 1 of the Consultation

First, let’s look at the document, “Canada’s Food Guide Consultation – Phase 1 What We Heard Report”.

Happily, veganism, vegetarianism, and plant-based diets are mentioned in the document a few times!

The document can be found in full on the Government of Canada website. Below, I have included 7 excerpts from the document that mention veganism, vegetarianism, and related issues.

1) When asked how useful the current Four Food Groups were, participants expressed the following: “Current food groupings (such as Vegetables and Fruit, Grain Products, Milk and Alternatives, and Meat and Alternatives) were considered useful, to at least "some extent", due to their simplicity, however less useful to some because of their departure from the nutritional components, lack of applicability to all circumstances and needs such as for a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle or dietary restrictions.” (found in Section 4.0)

2) “Other personal interests in healthy eating recommendations that were mentioned by participants include:

• improving the health of all Canadians in general;
• having a focus on dietary choices such as vegetarianism and veganism;
• managing food intolerances/allergies;
• disease management/managing health conditions, such as diabetes;
• concerns about the environment or animal welfare;
• support for educational study; or
• to aid their own involvement in a social or community group related to personal wellbeing, such as:
• a healthy lifestyle
• fitness
• weight loss” (found in Section 5.1)

3) “Participants were very positive about the prospect of revisions to Canada's Food Guide. For some, the current format offers a simple way to structure thinking about healthy eating and encourages Canadians to think about healthy eating principles. Others felt that the current recommendations are misleading and that revisions would be helpful to ensure the recommendations are useful to a broader audience.” (found in Section 5.2)

4) “Generally, participants from the public, professionals and organizations felt that dietary guidance should cover a broad range of needs. Feedback received from contributors on potential content of the guidance included:

·         more focus on audience specific recommendations, particularly for those with lower incomes, elderly Canadians and children;

·         inclusion of guidance addressing a range of lifestyle choices/dietary restrictions; and,

·         more details related to the nutrient requirements for positive health outcomes, such as a focus on macronutrients and micronutrients essential for health.

A few participants also commented on a need for broader changes to the food industry beyond guidance materials to more specific policy changes to improve the health of Canadians by limiting options that negatively affect human health.” (found in Section 5.2)

5) “Many general public participants indicated that the current food groupings were useful to them, to at least "some extent". They often cited the simplicity of the groupings as a good foundation for building awareness of healthy eating habits. Others felt the groupings were not useful due to their:

• departure from the nutritional components (micro and macro nutrients) in foods essential for positive health outcomes; and
• lack of ability to apply the groupings to all circumstances and needs, such as for:
• vegan or vegetarian lifestyles
• other dietary restrictions” (found in Section 5.4)

6) “A greater emphasis on (or de-emphasis of) certain foods was recommended by participating professionals as a way to improve the usefulness of the food groupings. For example, some contributors suggested this could include:

·         a greater emphasis on vegetables, rather than fruits; or

·         a de-emphasis of meat or milk” (found in Section 5.4)

7) “While there are mixed perspectives, both positive and negative, on the value of Canada's Food Guide in its current format (including the content and recommendations specifically), many general public and professional/organizational participants agree that Canada's Food Guide may no longer be reflective of the increasingly varied diets of Canadians today.

There are different, more varied food types on the tables of Canadians than ever before, due to the rise of trends, such as:

·         community gardening;

·         gluten-free products;

·         an emphasis on whole foods and plant-based diets; and

·         the greater variety of traditional cuisines of Canada's multicultural population.

There is a call for healthy eating recommendations to be expanded to:

·         reflect this greater variety;

·         provide a basis of scientific evidence;

·         provide more details to Canadians about the foods they are consuming; and

·         create guidance to inform healthy eating behaviours.” (Section 6.0)

It seems that the government is starting to hear the logic of our movement. That’s not all the good news, however. There’s more!

"Evidence Review for Dietary Guidance"

The document “Evidence review for dietary guidance” does not mention plant-based eating, vegetarian diets, or vegan diets. However, they did make some comments about how some people are concerned about industry influence on Canada's Food Guide:

“Another reported challenge was that there remains a perception among some groups of consumers and organizations that food industry representatives exerted influence on the development of the recommendations in the Food Guide. This adversely affects the credibility of the guidance from a scientific standpoint in the eyes of these stakeholders.” (Page 5 of the PDF)

I wouldn’t be surprised if concerns raised by vegans about the influence of the meat, dairy, and egg industries on the Food Guide are part of the reason why Health Canada makes this statement. I myself expressed this concern in my Op-Ed on the Epoch Times’ website last year.

Guiding Principles

Health Canada has also released a document outlining the proposed Guiding Principles, Recommendations, and Considerations for healthy eating.

Here is a summarized description of the principles:

(Source: Government of Canada)

A detailed description of the Guiding Principles is also available on the Government of Canada website. The word “plant-based” is used 6 times in the Guiding Principles document, and in 5 of those times it is used positively! Here are 4 excerpts from the document that mention plant-based food:

1) “Health Canada recommends:

·         Regular intake of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and protein-rich foods* – especially plant-based sources of protein

·         Inclusion of foods that contain mostly unsaturated fat, instead of foods that contain mostly of saturated fat

·         Regular intake of water

*Protein-rich foods include: legumes (such as beans), nuts and seeds, soy products (including fortified soy beverage), eggs, fish and other seafood, poultry, lean red meats (including game meats such as moose, deer and caribou), lower fat milk and yogurt, cheeses lower in sodium and fat. Nutritious foods that contain fat such as homogenized (3.25% M.F.) milk should not be restricted for young children.”

Note that plant-based sources of protein are mentioned first on the list of protein-rich food sources! It looks like the plant-based/vegan message is doing better than many of us may have thought!

2) “What is needed is a shift towards a high proportion of plant-based foods, without necessarily excluding animal foods altogether.”

While the second part of this sentence may initially seem a bit disappointing, they do seem to be making progress in the right direction. Also, consider the fact that Health Canada actually mentions the idea of excluding animal products altogether; the way they phrase the sentence (“without necessarily excluding” (italics added by me)) makes me think that they don’t think that excluding animal products is at all far-fetched.

3) “A shift towards more plant-based foods can help Canadians:

·         eat more fibre-rich foods;

·         eat less red meat (beef, pork, lamb and goat); and

·         replace foods that contain mostly saturated fat (e.g., cream, high fat cheeses and butter) with foods that contain mostly unsaturated fat (e.g., nuts, seeds, and avocado).

To help meet these recommendations, Canadians can choose nutritious foods and beverages, including:

·         foods and beverages that require little or no preparation such as fresh, frozen and canned vegetables and fruit, canned legumes or fish, tofu, plain milk or fortified plant-based beverages;

·         foods and beverages that are pre-packaged for convenience (such as pre-washed salad greens, pre-cut fruit) or to increase shelf-life (such as powdered milk);

·         foods like nuts, seeds, fatty fish, avocado, and vegetable oils instead of foods like high fat cheeses and cream; and

·         foods obtained through gardening, hunting, trapping, fishing and harvesting.”

Apart from the last bullet point and the recommendations of fish and milk, and, I am encouraged by with the progressive thinking in terms of plant-based eating that is demonstrated here.

4) “In general, diets higher in plant-based foods and lower in animal-based foods are associated with a lesser environmental impact, when compared to current diets high in sodium, sugars and saturated fat.”

Overall, I am quite impressed with the receptiveness to vegan and plant-based eating that the government has shown in this first phase of the consultation. However, there is still definite room for improvement.

Next Steps

Our job is not over yet!

Phase 2 of the public consultation is being held from June 10 untilJuly 25, 2017. In this new phase, Canadians are being asked to submit their input on the proposed Guiding Principles for healthy eating.

I have already submitted my input. Although I did suggest that plant-based eating be further emphasized (and that meat, dairy and other animal products be further de-emphasized), I chose to focus my comments on the positive aspects of the proposed new recommendations, as they appear to be a major improvement from the current Food Guide. I want to encourage the government to keep the progress they have made, at the very least. It is likely that many groups will be submitting their comments to the government on the proposed recommendations, so it is important for vegans to speak up and let the government know that we care about this issue.

You can submit your comments at www.foodguideconsultation.ca. Thank you for caring!

Links:

Canada’s Food Guide Consultation – Phase 1 What We Heard Report

Evidence Review for Dietary Guidance: Summary of Results and Implications for Canada's Food Guide

Summary of Guiding Principles and Recommendations

Guiding Principles

Canada’s Food Guide Should Recommend a Vegan Diet (my Op-Ed)

Fixing the Problems on Canada's Food Guide (my previous blog post)

2017 Animal Rights and Vegan Conferences!

Every year, several conferences and events for vegan/animal rights activists take place across North America and around the world. These events can provide a forum for activists to network, learn about issues and advocacy strategies, and be inspired to make a difference! Below is a list of some of the animal-rights-related conferences that will be held in 2017. Please note that this is not a complete list, and, as I haven’t been to any of these events in previous years, I can’t say which ones are the best/most worthwhile to attend!

Animal Rights National Conference 2017: According to this conference’s website, the Animal Rights National Conference is the largest and longest-running animal rights gathering—the first one was held in 1981! It is organized by the Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM). If you can go to only one conference this year, consider making this the one you go to. Here’s what they say you can expect:

“The Animal Rights National Conference is designed for people who wish to improve their animal advocacy skills or simply to network with other animal activists. The Conference offers a number of educational and networking opportunities, including:

• Sessions on animal advocacy, organizing, tactics, and issues
• More than 100 speakers from 60 organizations
• Eyewitness reports on key campaigns
• 100+ free exhibits
• Video premieres
• Newcomer Orientation
• Nightly networking receptions
• Awards Banquet on Saturday evening
• Closing celebration on Sunday evening
• Post-conference protests on Monday”

When: August 3 – 6

Where: Alexandria, Vermont (just outside of Washington, DC), USA

Pre-registration opens: January 2017

Vegetarian SummerFest 2017: This is an annual vegan festival and conference. The 2016 conference was jam-packed with world-renowned vegan speakers, cooking classes, fitness classes, vendors, and more!

When: July 5-9, 2017

Where: last year it took place in Pennsylvania.

International Animal Rights Conference: This conference took place in Luxembourg in September 2016. Their website does not yet mention if there is going to be a 2017 conference, but I speculate it is likely that there will be, as they have had six of these conferences to date.

Conscious Eating 2017 Conference: This conference, hosted by United Poultry Concerns and Berkeley Organization for Animal Advocacy, will focus on the ethics of eating and the role that religions play in the issue of animal liberation.

When: Saturday, March 11, 2017, 10am-6pm

Where: Berkeley, California, USA

Cost: $15/person (free for students)

The Anti-Fur Society Vegan Conference: This conference is focused on promoting vegan alternatives to fur in clothing.

When: Saturday, April 8, 2017

Where: Manhattan, New York, USA

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine "Food For Life" Training: Interested in getting certified by PCRM to teach healthy vegan cooking in your community? Anyone interested in this can register to attend the next training! This isn't a conference, but I've included it because vegan activists may be interested in it anyway.

When: Wednesday, May 3 - Friday, May 5, 2017

Where: Washington, DC, USA

Your local VegFest: Don't forget to find out when your local VegFest will be taking place this year!

There's also:

• The Animal Film Festival on February 25, 2017 in California
• The World Vegan Summit (date not yet announced) in the USA (I cannot confirm that there will be one in 2017, but it sounds like there will be)
• Animals and Social Change Conference from June 29 - June 30, 2017 in Liverpool, UK
• Conference on Animal Rights in Europe, which took place in 2016 in Warsaw, Poland (I don't know if there will be a follow-up conference to this)
• Animal Activists Forum 2017 in October 2017 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
• Vevolution Festival 2017 (date not yet announced) in London, England

There is also an animal welfare conference taking place in Ottawa, ON, Canada in 2017. It doesn't look like it's related to animal rights at all, but if you live in Ottawa, it might be good to bring your vegan voice to that conference, to raise awareness! 

The events that I've listed above are the ones that I believe are the most relevant, but you can find a list of some other events at All-Creatures.org, and a list of some major vegan festivals at Vegan.com.