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

You’re allowed to call yourself a vegan even if you don’t have it ‘right’

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Does someone need to be 'perfect' at veganism before they call themselves a vegan?  What if calling yourself vegan leads to learning more about it? Or motivates you to do more to help animals? Or makes you take pride in the title and spread it positively, encouraging more people to look into this whole 'vegan' … Continue reading You’re allowed to call yourself a vegan even if you don’t have it ‘right’

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

Vegan FAQ: Responses to Common Debates about Eating Animals

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Currently conversations about eating animals and veganism are happening countrywide after the recent bold and controversial nationwide animal rights protest. Many questions and comments that arise tend to be commonly held. So below are a list of 18 of the most common ones I come across, with my responses to each. 1. "We should continue … Continue reading Vegan FAQ: Responses to Common Debates about Eating Animals

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

Veganism is not a black or white concept

Posted on by animalandmind

It can be easy to see things in black or white - that something is good or bad, right or wrong, perfect or a failure. Termed as 'polarised thinking' in psychology, this type of thought pattern is recognised as unhelpful due to its irrational and simplistic approach. Most of us think in this way from … Continue reading Veganism is not a black or white concept

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’

March To Close All Slaughterhouses

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With the 2018 global March to Close All Slaughterhouses around the corner, I thought I would revisit and share with you my words from the Adelaide March in early 2017. As part of the grassroots activist team I co-coordinate (Animal Rights South Australia), we brought the March to Adelaide for the first time last year, … Continue reading March To Close All Slaughterhouses

Eating animals and freedom of choice

Posted on by animalandmind

Have you ever thought to yourself, "it's my choice to eat meat, stop forcing your choice on others" when faced with a vegan activist? This is a common thought, and in many respects, it's true. After all, people do have the choice to eat animals or not eat animals. And other than most multi-million dollar … Continue reading Eating animals and freedom of choice

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