The 2012 event is yet to be organised but have a look at what was on offer in 2011

2011 Programme and Speakers

The Christchurch Vegetarian Expo is proud to be hosting a variety of interesting and informed speakers, talking on a range of topics around vegetarianism, including health and nutrition, animal welfare, and environmental issues.

Speakers -

11 - 11.45 Dr Tony Raizis - “Potential benefits of plant based diets in reversing climate change and restoring global biodiversity.”
11.45- 12.30 Doug Hurley - “Our Liver; its Function and our Care”
12.30 - 1.15 Nichola Kriek - "Talking Animal Rights"
1.15 - 2pm Carl Scott, Man in a Cage - “From Slaughter House Worker to Vegan”
2pm-2.45  Male Bone Laing from Malaysia - "Slowing down ageing naturally?"
2.45 - 3.30 Yolanda Soryl - "Vegetarianism 101 -  guide to going veggie"
3.30 - 4.15 Cathy King - "Let thy Food be thy Medicine"

Tony Raizis

“Potential benefits of plant based diets in reversing climate change and restoring global biodiversity.”

Tony Raizis received his PhD at Otago University. His research interests are in cancer genetics, the molecular mechanisms associated with the onset of cancer, genetic diseases and aging. Dr Raizis also has interests in environmental issues, and sustainability and will be talking on these topics at the Expo.

Doug Hurley

“Our Liver; its Function and our Care”

Doug started to look at diet issues in about 1982 and became vegetarian.  In October 1985, his wife Angela came home from hospital with their youngest son and found that the chooks had decimated the garden. When she saw the garden, she said, “Either the chooks go, or the garden goes!” The chooks went and the family became vegan from that time on. Still strong and enthusiastic after 27 years, the Hurleys wouldn’t change – and their family of four has fared well.
With taking this message to the public, they have studied and compared lifestyles and diets all those years. They do public cooking demonstrations (Angela is doing one for us today) and offer help in the homes of people.

Nichola Kriek

"Talking Animal Rights"

The presentation explores and discusses our attitudes towards animals. It looks at historic and current views towards animals and identifies the difference between animal rights and animal welfare. Talking Animal Rights explains the term ‘speciesism’ and considers recent discoveries about animal emotions.
This talk is useful for anyone who is interested learning more about animal rights philosophy and how and why people become animal activists.
Nichola Kriek, SAFE Education Officer
Nichola Kriek  BA (Geography, Victoria University) BMus (Music,   Victoria University) Dip Teach (Wellington College of Education)
Nichola is SAFE's education officer and co-creator of the popular SAFE Animals & Us education programme. She has worked in the field of animal rights/welfare education for 16 years. In that time Nichola has spoken with hundreds of school groups, produced and published Pawprint, a popular children's magazine, and run numerous events for young people: (animal-friendly holiday programmes, beach clean-ups and fundraising).
She trained as a secondary school teacher at the Wellington College of Education in 1991.

Carl Scott

"From Slaughter House Worker to Vegan"

What leads someone from being a Slaughterhouse Worker, to being a Vegan Animal Rights Activist? How does someone who is completely unknown to everyone but his friends and family rise to prominence for carrying out what is believed to be the longest Animal Rights Action ever seen in NZ? Hear Carl talk about the month he spent in a small, cramped cage to protest Battery farming, and his intriguing life journey, which lead to him to his vigil... and beyond!

Male Bone Laing

"How to slow down ageing naturally"

Native to Malaysia, he was educated at Hartland College, Virginia, USA in education and health.
He teaches on several topics such as:
- How to slow down ageing naturally.
- How to increase vital energy naturally.
- How to overcome allergies naturally.
He says it is common practice to include information about pH, Conductivity, Brix (urine sugar level), Urea level, cell debris in almost all of his health presentations.

Yolanda Soryl, Christchurch Vegetarian Centre

"Vegetarianism 101 - guide to going veggie"

Yolanda is co-ordinator of New Zealand’s most active vegetarian community and National Coordinator of Vegetarian Families for the New Zealand Vegetarian Society.  Yolanda is an educator, has raised 4 children as vegans and been veggie for 30+ years.

Cathy King

"Let Thy Food be Thy Medicine."

Cathy is a Natural Health Coach in her business UltraLife.  She is qualified as a nutrition specialist and personal fitness trainer and also has expertise in the areas of meditation, yoga, EFT(tapping) and Bioptron Light Therapy.
Cathy became interested in health during her years as a Montessori teacher observing the poor health of many of her students, their parents and her own friends and family.
She saw how poor health affected every aspect of a person's life. Now Cathy's passion is exploring the peaks of health and life as well as helping others prevent disease and restore health to their lives.
This quote from the father of modern medicine, Hippocrates, is largely ignored by the medical system of today, with its focus on pharmaceutical drugs.  However, at no time in history are his discoveries about the effect of food on our health so obviously confirmed as the present day with escalating, chronic, degenerative and largely preventable diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cancer, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease, and many others.  This talk will focus on the role of food in disease prevention and how it is a necessary component in disease reversal and healing.