Veganism Is Direct Action
Becoming vegan is a transformational act-—a decision both life-changing and life-affirming. It positively impacts every area of our lives, involving the way we eat and select clothes, and how we relate to others. Indeed, veganism changes the way we see and engage the world. Many vegans proclaim it’s the best thing that ever happened to them.
Naturally, we want our friends, family, our co-workers—our whole society —to become vegan. We hope our zeal is contagious and our words are persuasive. We then carefully consider how we can become successful advocates.
The idea of becoming an activist may conjure up imagery of a person yelling at fur wearers on the streets or someone standing in front of a fast-food restaurant carrying a graphic poster in an effort to shed light on the hideous realities contained therein. The term activist, for many people, describes physical action, conflict, confrontation, protest, “doing something.”
And confronting big, vested interests are important; our ability to effect most every kind of change, however, depends on seeing the people we engage as people who, like us, would benefit from a more peaceful society.
Veganism itself is the embodiment of meaningful activism. Living in accord with the larger ideals of veganism—consciously avoiding harm, opting out of animal agribusiness, challenging systemic oppression and domination—is the most profound and productive way of healing our world. In essence, veganism can become a seamless part of everything one does; we have the opportunity to lead by peaceful example.
Ideas for Getting Started:
Join an online discussion forum such as Vegan Views , which is linked to this site. Vegan Views is an online forum that explores, broadly, what it means to be vegan. Vegan Views explores the history of veganism, what it means to be vegan, recipes, lifetime hopes and everyday frustrations, thoughts about envisioning a vegan world, and ways to cultivate a respectful view of all of the earth’s inhabitants. Everything on this site can be discussed at Vegan Views.
Buy a good vegan cookbook like Dining with Friends: The Art of North American Vegan Cuisine, which is also linked to this site. Learn how to cook delicious, nutritious and satisfying vegan meals. Make delicious vegan food for your friends and family; bring food to the office to share.
Stock your local cafes , libraries, vegetarian restaurants, community centers, college campuses (student centers and residence halls), bookstores, thrift stores, etc. with Vegan Starter Guides. You can download or order them from the Resources section of this site.
Have your book club, meet-up group or social activist group discuss the in-depth analysis of activism in the book Capers in the Churchyard: Animal Rights Advocacy in the Age of Terror.
Ask your local library to sponsor a World Vegan Day (the 1st of November) or Vegan Month (all of November) display.
Hand out Vegan Starter Guides at your local farmer’s market . You might also prepare some vegan samplings to give away at your table: try Bob’s Peace Vigil Date Bars! Find out if your local markets allows a person to have a free table.
Host a vegan potluck at your home. Invite vegans and non-vegans alike. Have a food theme, or share recipes. Have each person bring the recipe for the dish for distribution, and allow each person to talk about the dish— how to prepare it, or make variations, or why you like the particular recipe. Have a conversation about the food itself.
Host a group outing to a local vegan restaurant; if there are no vegan restaurants in your area, choose a restaurant that prepares vegan dishes. Discuss the idea with the restaurant in advance to ensure it can accommodate you and the group. Oftentimes, restaurants are happy to prepare special vegan dishes; be prepared to make suggestions. Also, write thank-you notes to the restaurant, suggesting that they offer more vegan dishes as a regular part of the menu. Tip: Chinese restaurants, in particular, are adept at delicious vegan cuisine; they can often “vegan-ize” any dish on the menu. Make sure eggs are not used.
Search MeetUp.com for other vegans in your area, and get involved.
If your city or town has a vegetarian society, join. Often, vegetarian societies are wonderful places to find community, learn more about veganism, participate in meaningful discussions, and finding ways of engaging the community. The word vegan means taking vegetarianism to its logical conclusion!
Write a letter to your local paper’s editor to counter printed views that support animal agribusiness. A letter to the editor can effectively offer a viewpoint that many people will read.
If you enjoy writing, you may also propose to write an Op-Ed (opinion editorial) for your local newspaper. Choose a local issue. For instance, if there’s a local store in your area which sells fur, you can write letters that attempt to educate the owners about this industry. Make your letters polite and factual, and, if possible, provide further educational materials.
Start your own zine. A zine, short for fanzine (a short magazine), is a self-published, small circulation magazine that explores an issue through a variety of media: art, short articles, poetry, photography and collage. A zine can be type-written, handwritten or a combination of the two—and is often photocopied and distributed amongst one’s friends and local community; independent bookstores will often stock them. A zine is a creative outlet for exploring veganism and animal rights in a creative, fun and engaging way. Always ask permission of other authors to publish their work, allowing the zine to bring many voices together.
Join Friends of Animals. An inexpensive membership includes a copy of our quarterly magazine Action Line, which brings a broad range of vegan and animal issues into focus. Learning, as the adage goes, is a lifelong process, and staying abreast of current issues in the movement is critical. Much of Action Line is also available for free online.