Dr. Les Mitchell PhD, MEd, BSc Hons. HED., CTCM&H
Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics
Research Fellow of the Hunterstoun Centre, University of Fort Hare
Gained his doctorate at Rhodes University for his dissertation on ‘Discourses and the Oppression of Non-human Animals: A Critical Realist Account’. He has worked in Pathology, Community Health and Education in the U.K., Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, and South Africa where he taught sciences in a township school and was the Director of the Hunterstoun Centre of the University of Fort Hare.
Les has published a number of journal articles concerning nonhuman animals, presented at international conferences, co edited the book, Living By Voices We Shall Never Hear and contributed to the following publications: A Critical Animal Studies Reader: An Introduction to an Intersectional Social Justice Approach to Animal Liberation; Global Guide to Animal Protection; Normalising the Unthinkable and Practical Ethics (forthcoming)
His research interests are ethics and non-human animals, critical realism, the social construction of identity, discourses, power, genocide, moral disengagement, open education and alternatives to violence facilitation.
Pauline Mitchell MEd, BEd Hons.,
Began her career as a Medical Microbiologist and conducted research on Trachoma and the field of HIV in Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Has taught at tertiary and High School levels in Malawi and South Africa before taking up a Managerial position in an NGO in Grahamstown. She became an AVP facilitator in 2005 and has conducted workshops throughout South Africa and in Namibia; at schools, prisons, communities and churches.
Examples of some Peace Building workshops facilitated
- Polsmoor prison, Cape Town South Africa
- GIZ Port Elizabeth South Africa
- South African Police and Community forum, Hogsback South Africa
- South African Police Mdantsane South Africa
- Nombulelo Secondary School, Grahamstown South Africa
- Ntsika Secondary School Grahamstown South Africa
- Department of Social Development, Grahamstown South Africa
- Umzi Wethu (Place of Safety) Port Elizabeth South Africa
- Rhodes University, South Africa
- Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa
- Department of Education Bisho, South Africa
- First Training of Facilitators in Windhoek, Namibia
Her interests are Organisational and Personal Change - helping people to reach their potential. She feels AVP is a good foundation for bringing change.