Vegan education is about helping people connect with their values, not forcing them to change their values

Posted on by animalandmind

Is vegan education about forcing people to care about something they don't care about? Sometimes I hear people say "you can't force people to care about animal rights" as an argument against vegan education. Or that we should continue eating animals because everyone can care about different things, "so I'll care about humans over here … Continue reading Vegan education is about helping people connect with their values, not forcing them to change their values

Animal activist whistle-blowers: why defending them is defending democracy

Posted on by animalandmind

Recently the Australian government has been cracking down on vegan animal activist whistle-blowers. Activists entering farms to capture footage may be able to face up to $200 000 fines as of this year, this is despite the fact that activists have captured countless footage of animal cruelty (both legal and illegal practices) in Aussie farms … Continue reading Animal activist whistle-blowers: why defending them is defending democracy

How not to debate – a demonstration by the President of the National Farmers Federation about Aussie Farms Map

Posted on by animalandmind

This week Australian animal charity organisation Aussie Farms released an online map detailing the location of over 5000 animal farms and other related animal facilities around Australia. Since its release, it has caused notable reaction among farmers, creating controversy. Following this response was a national televised debate on Australian news talk show The Project about … Continue reading How not to debate – a demonstration by the President of the National Farmers Federation about Aussie Farms Map

Responding to the infamous ‘But plants have feelings too’

Posted on by animalandmind

During a recent presentation I gave about veganism, I was asked by a member of the audience during Q&A - "plants are living things too, so why eat plants?"   I know many advocates roll their eyes at this question, and fair enough, many people ask it to be deliberately antagonising. But then there are … Continue reading Responding to the infamous ‘But plants have feelings too’

Coping after witnessing animal suffering

Posted on by animalandmind

Bearing witness to the suffering of animals can be powerful yet traumatic. Not only are we exposed to violence, but the empathy we feel for the victims can cause us to suffer vicariously. Add to that the vastness of the cruelty, and the knowledge that it is largely unknown or ignored by most of society. … Continue reading Coping after witnessing animal suffering

PTSD and Trauma in Animal Activists

Posted on by animalandmind

  There is a very real risk among animal activists of developing a mental health condition that not many are talking about. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - a mental health condition initially understood predominantly in the context of war veterans, psychology has since come a long way to explain similar experiences in others who have … Continue reading PTSD and Trauma in Animal Activists

Street conversations: talking about veganism effectively

Posted on by animalandmind

When you are talking to someone not only about a sometimes unpopular topic, but one that may also attempt to dismantle their lifelong beliefs, there are some important things to consider. As part of my team at Animal Rights South Australia, one of the more regular forms of outreach we engage in is street education. … Continue reading Street conversations: talking about veganism effectively