Hello beautiful people!
IF – AS GANDHI SAYS – ‘COMPASSION IS A
MUSCLE THAT GETS STRONGER WITH USE’,
IS JUST BEING VEGAN ENOUGH? I’ll be honest,
some of the nicest people I’ve ever met have been
vegan and some of the meanest people I’ve ever
met have also been vegan too. I strongly believe
that if we truly want to promote radical change in
this world, then we need to exercise our
compassion muscles in all areas of our lives – not
just in promoting veganism. And so the theme
for this issue is compassion – and that’s a
wonderful theme to start the New Year with,
don’t you think? As usual we’ve got lots of beautiful and inspiring content to help us identify
areas in our lives where compassion plays its part. Founder of Free From Harm and author
of the new book ‘Farm to Fable’, Robert Grillo is our front cover interview and he gives us a
fascinating insight into the marketing strategies of the animal agriculture industries; how
fact is mixed with fiction to make myths our reality and it’s the animals that suffer. We
meet the super cool Jez Haur from Hipster Veggie to discuss compassion for self and how to
promote veganism in our communities; author Sarah Withrow King explains how caring for
animals can help shape our faith in God, and Dr. Casey Taft shares his thoughts regarding
oppressive behaviours in the vegan anti-natalist movement. We’ve also got some delicious
recipes from leading vegan children’s book author Ruby Roth, from her new book ‘The Help
Yourself Cookbook for Kids’, a few favourites from ‘Homestyle Vegan’ by Amber St. Peter
that will take you back to the taste of home, and we caught up with Tess Masters (a.k.a The
Blender Girl) to get her top tips for setting health goals for the New Year and her favourite
recipes from her new book: ‘The Perfect Blend’. Plus there’s so much more! As vegans we
already seek to live a life reflective of our values of kindness and compassion. So I’ll leave
you with this thought… What other ways are there that we can turn this compassion into
action to help bring more love and justice into the world in 2017?
With love,
Emma Letessier
Regular Contributors...
Anneka Svenska is the founder of
‘Green World Television’ & ‘Angels for
the Innocent Foundation’. To view
some of the Green World TV Films
Anneka has released please click here .
You can also visit her website & connect
with her on Facebook & Twitter.
Valerie McGowan is the Director of the
Vegan Society of Humboldt & studied
Holistic Nutrition . She writes about
intersectional veganism & how Christian
teachings support a vegan lifestyle. You
can read Valerie’s writing at her website
& connect with her on Facebook.
Katrina Fox is an award-winning
journalist, media and PR consultant,
founder of the content and events
platform Vegan Business Media and
host of Vegan Business Talk podcast.
Visit her website & connect with her on
Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
Julia Feliz Brueck is an illustrator &
runs a vegan craftivist page, where she
posts about cruelty-free craft. She holds
two diplomas in illustration, as well as
undergraduate & graduate degrees in
marine science & conservation ecology.
Connect with her on Facebook.
Linda Monahan is an ethical vegan,
writer, poet, priestess & flower
essence practitioner. You can find out
more about Linda’s work by visiting her
website.
Clare Mann is a psychologist, bestselling
author & animal advocate. She
provides skills training to help vegans
& animal advocates communicate
more effectively. Visit her website &
connect with her via Facebook &
Twitter.
January/February 2017
Barefoot Vegan Magazine
www.BarefootVegan.com
Honey Morris is the creator of
Veggie Yum Yums, a friendly vegan
Facebook page, & she’s also the
Assistant Online Editor of Barefoot
Vegan. Click here to visit her
website.
Editor
Emma Letessier
editor@barefootvegan.com
Advertising enquiries
advertising@barefootvegan.com
Tom Leslie is a lover of endurance
sport, especially running and cycling.
A key reason for opting for the vegan
lifestyle was his love for animals and
his desire for all creatures to be free
from harm and exploitation.
Got a story idea?
Click here to find out
about writing for
Barefoot Vegan...
Design
Emma Letessier
‘Barefoot Vegan’ is a trade mark of Letessier
Communications Ltd.
ISSN 2058-9840
© 2017 Letessier Communications Ltd. All
rights reserved.
While every effort has been made to ensure that
information is correct at the time of publication, the
authors and publisher cannot be held responsible
for the outcome of any action or decision based on
the information contained in this publication.
The publishers or authors do not give any warranty
for the completeness or accuracy for this
publication’s content, explanation or opinion.
This magazine is not intended as a substitute for the
medical advice of physicians. The reader should
regularly consult a physician in matters relating to
his/her health and particularly with respect to any
symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical
attention.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form without prior written
permission of the publisher. Permission is only
deemed valid if approval is in writing.
All images used have been sourced via Shutterstock,
Freepik.com, and Pixabay.com. Images used in
editorial context have been credited.
Curbside
Compassion
78
CONTENTS
MIND, BODY, SPIRIT
8 The Help Yourself Cookbook for Kids
Recipes from author Ruby Roth’s latest book
17 Homestyle Vegan
Amber St. Peter shares vegan recipes that capture
that taste of home
24 The Perfect Blend
Tess Masters shares her tips for setting New Year
health goals plus recipes from her new book
36 Veganism is Compassion
Stacey Cook shares why she believes the two are
inextricably linked
40 Hipster Veggie
We meet London YouTuber Jez Haur to discuss
compassion for self & inspiring your community
46 Compassion Fatigue
Author Jennifer Blough on how to cope with burn out
when caring for others
50 Confessions of a Vegan Heretic
With Valerie McGowan
54 Faith and Compassion
A Christian take on what it means to live
compassionately
FRONT COVER
58
Robert Grillo: We spoke with author,
founder and director of Free From
Harm, Robert Grillo, on some of the
myths that prevent us from living
compassionately.
54
102
17
66 Compassion Over Cruelty
A film to challenge what we know about cruelty-free cosmetics
ANIMALS
72 Vegangelical
Author Sarah Withrow King on how caring for animals can
shape our faith
78 Curbside Compassion
Linda Monahan on our attitude to animals killed on roads
82 Compassion for Animals Through Veganism
With Tom Leslie
SOCIAL JUSTICE
88 Why Compassion is Essential to Social Justice
With Katrina Fox
96 Anti-Natalism is Bad for Veganism
Dr. Casey Taft shares his thoughts on oppressive behaviours
in the vegan anti-natalists movement
102 Craft as Activism
Author and illustrator, Julia Feliz Brueck on creative ways to
speak up for animals
104 Compassionate Crafting
96
Honey Morris shares her love of crafting and how to ensure it
remains vegan-friendly
“Your kiddos, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and students
are going to go bananas for this book! It's also the perfect
gift for adults who are "too busy" to eat healthy. There's no
easier cookbook, ha!” - Ruby Roth
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Struggling to get your kids to eat their
fruits and vegetables? Try letting them
help themselves!
Ruby Roth is the world's leading author and illustrator of
vegan and vegetarian books for kids and her latest
offering is the gorgeously illustrated Help Yourself
Cookbook for Kids.
Experts tell us the best way to teach kids healthy eating
habits is to involve them in the process. This irresistible
cookbook presents 60 appealing recipes kids will beg to
make themselves, in fun and charming illustrations they
will love. Bursting with colour, humour, cute animal
characters, and cool facts (did you know your brain
actually shrinks when you're dehydrated? Drink water,
quick!), Help Yourself empowers children to take charge
of their own nutrition - for now and for life!
Ruby has shared three of her favourite recipes with us
from the book. So what are you waiting for? Get those
kiddies busy in the kitchen!
Click on the cover image above to
buy your copy.
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Homestyle
VEGAN
Amber St. Peter is known for her delicious and
approachable recipes that inspire the vegan community
to cook at home more often.
In her latest book, Homestyle Vegan, you’ll have
access to creative vegan remakes of old favourites.
There’s 80 incredible recipes―each paired with a
beautiful photo―this book will have everyone
round your dinner table begging for more. You’ll
be cooking healthier dishes that remind you of
home in no time.
Amber has very generously shared three of her
favourite recipes from the book with us. Enjoy!
To get your copy of this
delightful cookbook, just
click on the cover image.
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Baked Butternut Squash
Mac ‘N’ Cheese
My mum made a mean baked mac ‘n’ cheese when I was a kid. Cheesy, ooey-gooey and covered in
crispy bread crumbs—it was one of my favourite meals! This butternut squash version blends the
sweet and savory flavours of winter squash into a cheesy sauce to make a meal that’ll totally take
you back to childhood. I covered mine in bread crumbs, too. Mum would be proud!
INGREDIENTS:
SERVES 6 TO 8
6 cups (840 g) peeled and cubed butternut squash (1" [2.5 cm] cubes)
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 lb (454 g) elbow noodles
1 ½ cups (360 ml) unsweetened almond milk
2/3 cup (80 g) nutritional yeast
3 tbsp (45 ml) lemon juice
1 tbsp (14 g) Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic
½ tsp turmeric
1/3 cup (50 g) bread crumbs
Fresh parsley, for garnish
TIP
Creamier mac
more your style?
Skip the baking!
Preheat the oven to 400ºF (205ºC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Spread the cubed squash onto the baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake
for about 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until fork-tender. Keep the oven on.
While the squash roasts, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Pour in the elbow noodles and a pinch of salt and
bring back to a boil. Cook for 6 to 10 minutes, until al dente. Strain and set aside.
When the squash is ready, pour it into a high-speed blender or food processor along with the almond milk,
nutritional yeast, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, turmeric and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Blend until
smooth, then pour the mixture over the cooked noodles and stir to combine.
Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-cm) baking dish, top with the bread crumbs and bake for about 15
minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling and golden. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley!
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Vegetable
Pot Pie
Pot pies stuffed with seasonal vegetables are the best. Easy to make and even easier to eat up, they
come together quickly and have plenty of room for experimentation. This healthier, meat-free
version topped with a buttery crust has become a go-to weeknight dinner in our house!
SERVES 6
Filling
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup (150 g) chopped yellow onion
3 cups (475 g) frozen mixed green beans, carrots, corn
and peas (or sub fresh!)
1 cup (225 g) cubed red potatoes ( ½ " [1.3 cm] cubes)
½ cup (63 g) all-purpose flour
2 cups (480 ml) vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tbsp (15 g) vegan butter, melted
Crust
2 ¼ cups (281 g) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp (15 g) sugar
1 tsp salt
½ cup (115 g) cold vegan butter or coconut oil
1/3 to ½ cup (80 to 120 ml) ice water
Preheat the oven to 400ºF (205ºC). Grease an 8 x 8-inch (20 x 20-cm) square baking dish.
Prepare the crust by combining the flour, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry
cutter or fork until small crumbs form. Drizzle in the ice water, using a wooden spoon to stir the mixture together until
a dough forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge to chill.
To prepare the filling, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté until
soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the mixed vegetables and potatoes and stir to combine. Next, add in the flour and stir to coat
the vegetables. Then, whisk in the vegetable broth. Finally, add the bay leaves, salt and pepper and simmer the mixture
until thickened, about 10 minutes.
While the mixture thickens, remove the crust from the fridge and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Split the
dough into two halves. Roll them out to about ¼ -inch (6-mm) thickness, and press one half of the dough into the
greased baking dish, being sure to cover the dish completely. Set the other rolled-out dough aside for the top layer of
the pie.
Once the sauce has thickened, remove the bay leaves and discard. Pour the thickened vegetable filling into the crustlined
baking dish. Carefully place the second crust over the top, using a fork or your fingers to press together the edges.
Poke a few small holes in the top for steam to escape using a fork or a toothpick. Brush the top generously with the
melted vegan butter.
Bake the pie for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
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Chocolate Chip
Cookie Bars
These bars are FREAKY good. Packed with protein from the peanut butter, they’re basically a
workout food . . . that’s how that works, right? They’re sweet, chewy, ooey-gooey and very worthy
of your next girls’ night Netflix marathon.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup (192 g) sugar
1 cup (180 g) peanut butter
¾ cup (180 ml) unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups (188 g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp (7 g) baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ cup (100 g) vegan chocolate chips or chunks
MAKES 12
Tip For denser,
fudgier bars be sure
to refrigerate the
bars for at least 2
hours before eating.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Line or grease an 8 x 8-inch (20 x 20-cm) baking dish and set aside.
In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, peanut butter, milk and vanilla. Pour in the flour,
baking powder and salt and beat until a stiff batter forms. Fold in the chocolate chips, then add the batter to the
prepared baking dish, using a wooden spoon to press the batter evenly into the pan.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool. Once completely cooled, cut into 12 equal bars and serve!
Recipe credit: All recipes in this article reprinted from Homestyle Vegan by Amber St. Peter with the
permission of Page Street Publishing Co.
Photo credits: Amber St. Peter
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Tess Masters - a.k.a. The Blender Girl— is an online phenomenon and in
her new book (The Perfect Blend) she offers up 100 recipes for healthy living
with tasty, crowd-pleasing dishes to help boost nutrition.
The Perfect Blend functions not only as a cookbook but also as a
guide for how to lead a more vibrant and healthy life. Tess lays
out a dozen healthy goals for readers, capitalising on current
trends such as gaining energy, boosting immunity, reducing
inflammation, detoxing the body, and probiotic power. Then,
using her fun, playful voice, she gives easy-to-follow recipes for
smoothies, elixirs, snacks, salads, sides, soups, mains, and desserts
that help get results fast. Including a guide to key ingredients, an
extensive resources section, and optional nutritional boosters for
each recipe, The Perfect Blend will help readers find their own
perfect blend.
We spoke with Tess to get her tips for setting New Year
health goals and she has also very kindly shared some
of her favourite recipes from The Perfect Blend. To get
your copy, just click on the cover image, right >
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It’s the New Year, and your book is perfect for
those of us who need a health reboot! What
are some of the health goals people should be
setting for themselves?
There are a few easy things people can do to achieve optimal
health:
Hydrate: drink plenty of low sugar fluids like filtered water,
freshly made juices, and herbal teas, as well as increase the
intake of high-water contents raw fruits and vegetables like
melons, cucumber, celery, lettuces and leafy greens, citrus
fruits, radishes, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower.
Go Green: increase the consumption of green vegetables
like spinach, kale, chard, collard greens, bok choy, arugula,
lettuces, broccoli, brussel sprouts and other mineral-rich
vegetables. Either use them in a salad, or add them to stirfries,
stews, and soups, or throw them into a smoothie.
Push The Probiotics: include pre-biotic and probiotic-rich
foods to aid gut health and immunity. Include beverages like
kefir, kombucha, or rejuvelac, eat ½ cup of cultured
vegetables with a meal, or add some probiotic powder to a
smoothie or juice.
80/20 Plate: Reverse your thinking about portions. Consider
filling 80% of the plate with vegetables and 20% with clean
protein choices.
Move: engage in some kind of gentle movement – walking,
rebounding, stretching every day, and some kind of weight
bearing exercise a few times a week.
How does the content in The Perfect Blend
support people towards achieving these
goals?
I open the book with a master list of nutrient-dense hero
foods that help keep the body in optimal health. Anchored
to this master list, the recipes are then divided into 12
chapters, all categorised by health goals. You can make
recipes to gain energy, optimise protein intake, boost
immunity, lose weight, combat inflammation, lower carbs,
utilise healthy fats, include probiotics, balance alkalinity,
combine foods for optimal digestion, or just blend fabulous
flavours for culinary pleasure.
Each chapter opens with the top foods that help
you achieve that specific goal, practical information
about their health benefits, and tips for how to blend
them for amazing textures and tastes. Then, there are
recipes for smoothies, elixirs, snacks, salads, sides,
mains, and desserts utilising these foods. So,
incorporating your daily quota of fruits and veggies is
easy and fun.
The recipes are designed to be functional and
flexible, and all include three optional boosters that
enhance flavour and nutrition. So, you can tailor these
meals and snacks to your own preferences to find your
perfect blend.
On your blog, you describe your own
health journey, and explain that one of
the biggest lessons you learnt was that
there is no ‘one size fits all’ diet approach.
What advice would you give to others who
are still searching for the way of eating to
suit them best?
Yes! I dogmatically followed countless whole foods
diets, and the moment I embraced the concept of bioindividuality,
and adopted a flexible and fluid approach
to health and nutrition my whole world opened up.
We all have varying needs depending on our genes,
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“Perception is a huge
barrier to healthy
living. When you have
amazing recipes,
vegetables can be sexy,
mind-blowingly
delicious, and really
enjoyable.”
age, activity levels, overall health, and so on. And there is a
lot of conflicting information about health and nutrition. It
can be confusing to know what to do. But, the one thing
that everybody agrees on is vegetables are a boon to health.
So, I always start there. Vegetables are a great base from
which to build a healthy diet around. Beyond that, keep a
food diary, and note what you eat, and any changes in your
body. After a week or two a very clear pattern develops.
With this personal experience, take this information to a
healthcare practitioner who can help you interpret and
study the information further.
Read books, look at cookbooks or food websites, and
compile a great collection of staple recipes that are plantbased,
taste delicious, and are easy to prepare. Healthy
living must be fun or it doesn’t stick.
What do you think are the major challenges
people face today regarding access to
healthful foods? And what advice would you
give on how to overcome them?
Perception is a huge barrier to healthy living. When you
have amazing recipes, vegetables can be sexy, mindblowingly
delicious, and really enjoyable. Arm yourself with
the tools to succeed – great recipes, friends and family who
want to prepare healthy food with you, and set goals and be
accountable to making positive lifestyle changes. Join
groups to meet other people with similar interests and goals
so you’re not in it alone.
Getting extreme – going cold turkey off of your
favourite foods or coming at things from a place of
deprivation is never any fun. Be gentle with yourself
while you make changes. Small consistent shifts with
encouragement and love is the best strategy for lasting
results.
Finances – fresh foods can be expensive. So, if
budget is holding you back, head up to your local
farmers’ market towards closing time, and see what
boxes of produce they’re giving away at a huge
discount. Join a CSA or community garden, and start
growing your own food. You can grow many vegetables
and herbs in small pots on a balcony or small backyard.
What’s one of your favourite recipes from
your latest book?
There are so many delicious recipes. But the shiitake
and asparagus lettuce cups with lime drench on page
126 hold a special place in my heart because they’re
super easy, take less than 30 minutes to throw
together, and are low in carbs. We’ve been enjoying
these for many years and they’re always a huge hit. I
served them at my launch party for The Blender Girl
Smoothies and woke up the next morning after the
party with over 100 texts, calls, and emails begging me
for the recipe. I knew I had a winner.
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>
shiitake & asparagus lettuce cups with
lime drench
MAKES 16 LETTUCE CUPS; SERVES 8 AS AN APPETIZER, 4 AS A MEAL; LIME DRENCH MAKES 2/3 CUP (160ML),
FILLING MAKES 4 CUPS (800G)
lime drench
¼ cup (60ml) fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon Bragg Liquid Aminos, gluten-free soy sauce, or tamari
1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 1 clove)
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1½ teaspoons coconut sugar or other sweetener
filling
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
1 small green chile, ribbed, seeded, and finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 cup (72g) finely chopped green onion (white and green parts)
6 cups (312g) finely diced shiitake or cremini mushrooms
1 cup (110g) finely diced zucchini (1⁄2 medium zucchini)
1 cup (140g) finely diced asparagus (about 5 medium spears)
¼ cup (60ml) toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos, gluten-free soy sauce, or tamari
1⁄2 cup (14g) loosely packed finely chopped cilantro
16 large butter, Bibb, or romaine lettuce leaves (outer leaves of about 4 heads)
optional boosters
Pinch of red pepper flakes
½ cup (70g) raw or dry-toasted pine nuts
2 tablespoons gomasio (ground sesame seeds and sea salt) or sesame seeds
To make the lime drench, throw all of the ingredients, including the red pepper flake booster, into your blender and
blast on high for about 30 seconds until well combined. Transfer to a container and set aside.
To make the filling, in a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the garlic, green chile, ginger,
green onion, mushrooms, zucchini, and asparagus for 3 to 5 minutes, until the mixture has reduced to about half the
volume; gradually add the sesame oil and liquid aminos as the mixture cools. Don’t overcook or the vegetables will get
mushy. Stir in the cilantro and the pine nut booster.
To assemble, scoop ¼ cup (50g) of the filling into each lettuce leaf, drizzle with 1 teaspoon of the lime drench, and
sprinkle with the gomasio booster. Serve immediately, passing the remaining lime drench at the table. These are
fabulous cold, too. Chill the filling and the dressing before assembling.
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nutritional facts (per serving, based on 16 servings)
calories 65 kcal | fat 5.3 g | saturated fat 0.7 g | sodium 224.4 mg |
carbs 3.9 g | fiber 1.1 g | sugars 1.5 g | protein 1.4 g | calcium 16.1 mg |
iron 0.6 mg
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avocado avenger
SERVES 4 TO 8; CHIMICHURRI MAKES 1¼ CUPS (300ML)
chimichurri
¾ cup (180ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1½ tablespoons finely grated lime zest
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1½ tablespoons minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
1 teaspoon natural salt
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
¾ cup (30g) firmly packed mint leaves, plus more to garnish
¾ cup (30g) firmly packed cilantro leaves, plus more to garnish
½ cup (24g) firmly packed finely chopped chives, plus more to garnish
4 avocados, halved, pitted, and peeled
¼ cup (35g) peeled and finely diced English cucumber
¼ cup (35g) seeded and finely diced tomatoes
optional boosters
½ cup (55g) shaved zucchini ribbons (½ small zucchini)
¼ cup (70g) seeded and finely diced watermelon, plus more to taste
¼ cup (35g) raw sprouted watermelon seeds
To make the chimichurri, throw the olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes into
your blender and blast on high for 10 to 20 seconds, until the sauce is emulsified and the zest, garlic, and pepper flakes
have been completely pulverized. Add the mint, cilantro, and chives, and pulse on high for a few seconds, then on low
for a few seconds just to break down the herbs, but keeping the dressing very loose and not completely blended.
On a large platter, lay out the zucchini ribbon booster. Then place the avocado halves cut sides up on top of the
zucchini, like boats. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the chimichurri into each pit hole. Next, place 1 teaspoon diced tomato and
1 teaspoon diced cucumber into each pit hole or on top of each avocado. Place 1 teaspoon of the watermelon booster on
top. With a squeeze bottle or a spoon, drizzle more chimichurri sauce onto the avocados. Top with a sprinkle of mint,
cilantro, chives, and the watermelon seed booster. Sprinkle with the remaining tomato and cucumber and with the
remaining (or more) watermelon booster if desired. Enjoy immediately.
nutritional facts (per serving, based on 8 servings)
calories 350 kcal | fat 35 g | saturated fat 5 g | sodium 301.5 mg | carbs 13.9 g | fiber 7.4
g | sugars 1.2 g | protein 2.5 g | calcium 30.3 mg | iron 1 mg
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french toast with caramelised bananas
SERVES 4
french toast
1 cup (240ml) unsweetened almond or macadamia milk (strained if homemade)
1 ripe medium banana
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, plus more to serve
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
1 tablespoon white (or black) chia seeds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄4 teaspoon natural salt
8 slices gluten-free sandwich bread
1⁄4 cup (60ml) coconut oil (in liquid form), plus more as needed
caramelised bananas
2 medium bananas, thickly sliced on the diagonal
1⁄4 cup (37g) coconut sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons coconut oil (in liquid form)
Pure maple syrup, to serve
optional boosters
1⁄4 cup (60ml) bourbon or rum
2 tablespoons crushed raw pecans or walnuts
1 tablespoon unsweetened dried shredded coconut
Set the oven to its lowest temperature or the “warm” setting.
To make the French toast, pour the milk, banana, maple syrup, vanilla, chia seeds, cinnamon, and salt into your
blender and blast on high for about 30 seconds, until well combined. Pour the mixture into a large shallow baking dish
and let rest for about 5 minutes to thicken slightly. In batches, place slices of the bread in the baking dish and let soak
on one side for 8 to 10 seconds. Flip the slices and let soak for another 8 to 10 seconds, until evenly moistened.
In a medium skillet (that fits two slices of bread) or on a large griddle (that holds all of the slices) over medium heat,
warm 1 to 2 tablespoons of coconut oil per two slices of bread. (Resist the urge to use less coconut oil, or the bread
won’t get crispy.) Add the bread and fry for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crispy on the edges;
you may need to add more coconut oil after you flip the bread. If cooking in batches, transfer the French toast to a
lined baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm, and repeat to fry the remaining bread, adding more coconut oil
to cook each batch.
While the last pieces of toast are cooking, make the caramelized bananas. Combine the banana slices and the coconut
sugar in a zipper-lock bag, seal, and shake to coat evenly. In a skillet over medium-high heat, warm the coconut oil,
add the coated bananas and the bourbon booster, and fry for about 2 minutes on each side until nicely caramelised.
Serve two slices of French toast on each plate, topped with one-quarter of the caramelized bananas, one-quarter of the
crushed nut boosters, and one-quarter of the coconut booster. Pass maple syrup at the table.
CREDIT: All recipes in this article reprinted with permission from The Perfect Blend, copyright 2016 Tess Masters.
Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
Photography copyright 2016 by Anson Smart.
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nutritional facts (per serving)
calories 476 kcal | fat 26.4 g | saturated fat 16.4 g | sodium 414.3 mg |
carbs 60.5 g |fiber 6.1 g | sugars 29.4 g | protein 6.5 g | calcium 78.6 mg |
iron 1 mg
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IS
Compassion
By Stacey Cook
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Each choice along this path
is made with mindfulness and
deep consideration for
ourselves, for others and
for all animals.
C
ompassion. It’s likely the most important trait we
can develop, nurture and pass on. The ability to
feel another’s suffering and deeply wish to end
that suffering has profound power individually
and world-changing potential collectively.
In a world dominated by a “me” culture, this emotion
stands out as a game changer. Often, it’s the catalyst to
great change through its creation of thoughtfulness,
kindness and right action. A life lived with compassion as
the focal point is the most efficient way to creating our best
selves and our best world. It is the simplest strategy to
living out Mahatma Gandhi’s famous quote, “Be the change
that you wish to see in the world”.
And like Gandhi, compassion doesn’t discriminate.
Therefore, understanding another’s suffering is not
dependent upon their species. All sentient beings suffer, and
more importantly, all desire not to. Showing compassion to
those similar to ourselves is helpful (some would even say
easier), but showering it to the world and to all who
experience pain is a necessity if we want to create a kinder,
more peaceful place to live.
It’s a fact that animals feel no less pain than we do.
Making any distinction or drawing lines between us/them,
defeats any real progress on this front. With that in mind,
choosing a vegan lifestyle becomes the definition of living a
compassionate life.
Each choice along this path is made with mindfulness
and deep consideration for ourselves, for others and for all
animals. It takes a very caring individual to devote their
time, sacrifice their convenience, and endure living on the
outskirts of today’s society - all to ease the suffering of
others.
Compassion for Ourselves
We are told that you must love yourself before you
can fully love another. The same argument could be
made for compassion. How can we begin to
understand another’s anguish and ultimately desire
to help them, if we haven’t attempted to lessen our
own?
Many of the worst types of physical suffering are
attributed to the consumption of animal products.
The American Cancer Society confirmed this when it
concluded that red and processed meats are
carcinogenic. And science consistently proves that
cooking beef, pork, fish and poultry at high
temperatures, whether over a stove or a grill,
increases cancer risk.
Add this information to what we already know
about antibiotics and hormones in animal products
and it’s a no brainer - giving up meat and dairy is in
our own best interest. It takes a pro-active mindset
to prevent chronic illness and disease. Making the
effort to greatly lower your chances of extreme
suffering from heart disease, stroke, cancer, and more
is a tremendous act of self-compassion.
Compassion for Others
The health benefits of being vegan don’t end with us.
They are plentiful, far-reaching and we can lavish
them on the world with our commitment to abstain
from animal products.
Raising animals for food is destroying not only our
health but our planet’s as well. Factory farming is
one of the largest contributors to climate change,
land degradation, water pollution and more. Plus,
the amount of grain used to feed the animals we are
raising for meat/dairy is enough to feed our world’s
hungry. Take that in for a moment… We could
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>
Compassion becomes a practice that
expands its reach and becomes allencompassing
with time and attention.
possibly stop world hunger by refusing to consume
animals.
Each time a decision is made (whether mindfully or
not) to consume or refrain from animal products, it has
an impact on every life on earth. Multiple choices are
presented to us each day to have a positive or negative
impact on our family members, friends, neighbours
near/far and for all future generations.
Taking a stand, going against the grain, doing what is
simply “right” and going or staying vegan is an act of
compassion for others … for the world.
Compassion for Animals
Working towards ending the world’s suffering is an
excellent end goal, but why not start with not causing it
in the first place?
Eating animal products is the most direct cause of
animal suffering. What’s worse, is that eating animals is
not mandatory or even necessary. We’ve been
conditioned to think it is, but a balanced vegan diet
provides all the vitamins, minerals and protein we need.
Plant sources are available to supply vitamin D, B12 and
Omega 3, the three most often cited as “lacking” from a
cruelty-free diet.
Even if you truly like the taste of meat, the new meat
alternatives are surprisingly close to the real thing and
can be eaten with a clear conscience.
Same for apparel. Determining between wants and
needs here is imperative. The truth is we don’t “need” to
consume animals in any form. Once this realisation is
made, it becomes clear how to stop suffering before it
begins. Going vegan severs the direct cause/effect link
between the person with buying power and the
defenseless animals who suffer for it.
If you factor compassion into your buying decisions,
the choice is easy. And choice is the key word. The path
to a more humane world boils down to each choice
culminating in change.
Current vegans are leading by example to push this
idea forward. Leading with compassion for those simply
interested, or trying it out, will open far more doors
than a strict all-or-nothing approach. Veganism is
typically a process. There are of course exceptions, but
my experience has been that most give up one animal
product at a time. Each achievement along the way is
important in creating lasting change. And each
compassionate act, no matter how small, deserves to be
celebrated and encouraged with equal amounts of
compassion.
To quote Gandhi again, “Compassion is a muscle that
gets stronger with use.” Every meal, purchase, and
interaction is as an opportunity to flex this muscle and
strengthen it. Compassion becomes a practice that
expands its reach and becomes all-encompassing with
time and attention.
This truth is evident because veganism is on the rise.
More and more people are adopting the lifestyle and the
affect really is benefitting humans, animals and the
environment. More and more of us are considering and
subscribing to a future filled with more compassion for
all. And by simply and openly living our lives in this
way, we bring more normalcy to the lifestyle, open more
doors for discussion on the topic and create smoother
transitions for others. In truth, veganism is compassion
and a definite path to a kinder world. BV
Stacey Cook is a freelance
writer that combines her
education, work and
volunteer experiences to
raise awareness around
causes she’s passionate
about. Follow her work at
https://stacey-cook.com/
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“When you can cater to yourself, you start to
be better equipped to cater to other people
without feeling so overwhelmed.”
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Jez Kaur
Hipster
Veggie
Jez Haur is a vegan YouTuber bringing to
light the importance of compassion for
self and empowering your health with
organic, plant-based foods. Having grown
up in London, embracing her Punjabi
heritage has helped Jez radically
transform her outlook on life. We caught
up with her to find out more…
BAREFOOTVegan | 41
Tell us about yourself and how you
came to be vegan…
I think the first thing that made me switch my diet was
when I was about 18. I was on holiday for a week with
my friends. It was a week of very unhealthy living and I
came back and my brother was in hospital and no one
had told me. It turned out that he had diabetes and my
father has always said that he was the healthy one in the
family. He always went to the gym; he followed the
men's health lifestyle of a high protein-low carb diet,
something that we believed to be very healthy back
then. And he's only five years older than me, so he must
have been about 24 when he got diabetes. Some of my
other family members had high cholesterol and cancer.
Cancer was just popping up everywhere around me.
I went vegetarian and then I went vegan. I began
talking to my parents about how they used to live. I
started to read about how our lifestyle has changed so
much from how it was even in my parents’ generation
and that this can be a factor in the high cancer rate. I
realised that our body and health is affected hugely by
what we eat. We can have a generic predisposition to
being obese, having heart disease or cancer, but if we
adjust our lifestyle we can limit those genes from
expressing themselves. It's about taking our health back
into our own hands.
How would you define self-care? And
how does that show up in a practical
way in your everyday life?
Self-love is being selfish in a sense, but being selfish has
a really negative connotation in society today. But we
need to get rid of that because being selfish can be a first
step to being self-less. When you can cater to yourself,
you start to be able to be better equipped to cater to
other people without feeling so overwhelmed because
now you are running on full fuel. How this looks in my
everyday life is apparent in what I choose to eat.
Obviously I go out. I don't stop my social life from
existing, because that is also a part of self-love. I have
friends, I have a social life but on a day-to-day basis I
only consume organic food. I only buy from local shops
when I can and that is how I see me loving myself. I
want to consume certain foods because I see my body
and my health as being very important. It deserves the
best food that I can provide.
You’ve mentioned before that
vegetarianism is quite common place
in many Indian communities, but a
lot of Indian families that come over
to the UK or to other Western
countries leave their previous
lifestyle behind and it begins to
become detrimental to their health.
So from your perspective, what are
some of the biggest health challenges
that are facing your community?
In terms of disease, cancer, heart disease and diabetes
are the top three threats to my community. It's so
common amongst us and I think it’s one of the risks of
being an immigrant. You literally leave everything that >
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you know behind and you have to change the way that you
behave once you come to this new soil. Nothing is familiar
to you so you try to change your lifestyle. You no longer eat
those organic fresh fruits and vegetables. You're eating
these convenience foods and they're using ingredients
totally alien to you and your ancestors. I think those are
the things that really affect the South Asian community.
Heart disease is something that comes along, obviously
because of food, but also because of stress levels. Being an
immigrant is a very, very stressful thing in itself. I think all
of that combined - changing the food, changing the
environment - really takes its toll on the body. I can't even
imagine being a first generation immigrant, it must be
really difficult.
You learned Punjabi to connect and
learn from your grandparents and they
have really encouraged you to embrace
a simple lifestyle. What are some of the
most important lessons that you've
learned from them?
My granddad’s literally the coolest guy on the planet. He’s
got a huge beard and he's a Sikh, so he carries around a
sword with him all the time. How can you not be a cool
guy looking like that, right? He's awesome. There are a few
things I've learned, but the first one would be the
importance of growing organic fruit and vegetables
yourself. He has his own garden and it's not a big
garden, just a couple of metres, but he's got so
much. He’s got his garlic, his kale, his spinach, his
beetroot, his carrots. And he's grown so much in
abundance. And he stresses so much that we don't need
to add chemicals to our produce because it's from
Mother Earth. From God. We don't need to tamper with
it because it's perfect the way it is. He's a firm believer
that there is a Creator and we are the created. We
should be looking after ourselves with that kind of
respect.
They also taught me how to embrace being
Punjabi and that we have come from a small village. I
used to think it was the most un-cool thing in the world
when I was younger. I remember one of my earliest
thoughts was I wished that I was white because of where
I grew up. I look at that now and I see that was so
messed up. Having dialogue with my grandparents
makes me realise that being who I am is really cool and
there's so much to learn about from the ways back
home.
At the Vevolution Festival that was
held in London in November last
year, you were on a discussion panel -
BAREFOOTVegan | 44
and one of the questions that came up was,
"How can we ensure the vegan movement is
more inclusive?” Can you recap on your
thoughts on this for any readers that
weren't present?
That was a great question because it's one thing identifying a
problem, but we also need to come up with a solution. I think one
of the biggest things we can do is be open with our dialogue so
that we aren’t just speaking to vegans or those that follow a plantbased
diet. We should encourage people who eat meat, people
who don't love themselves, people who don't love animals and talk
openly with all of them about why they should give veganism a go
without making them feel intimidated about it or that they are
going to be labelled.
We need to realise that there's a massive world out there. As
vegans, we're still the minority and we need to engage with people
who are the majority. You’re never going to agree 100% with
anyone on this planet, so if you can find some common ground
cling to that. Everyone's different and we need to identify our
similarities and fight the good fight together.
What's next for you? Have you got any
projects for Hipster Veggie on the horizon?
I'm currently studying to be a health coach, so that will be a
service I’ll have up and running pretty soon. I’ll be working in the
community to help people move towards a plant-based diet,
looking at any nutritional deficiencies they might have and
helping them with food shopping, etc. There are a lot of other
things that I’ve also got in the pipeline for the New Year but I
won’t say too much about them just yet! BV
For more information on Jez’s
work visit her website. You can
also connect with her via
YouTube, Facebook, Instagram
and Twitter.
Jennifer Blough is a professional counsellor,
certified compassion fatigue therapist, and certified
pet loss grief specialist. She owns a private
practice in southeast Michigan called Deepwater
Counselling and has recently published a book about
coping with compassion fatigue.
Tell us about yourself…
I have been involved in animal welfare/rights in some capacity since I
was a child. I became vegetarian at a very young age and attended my
first protest with my grandma (also a vegetarian) when I was about 12.
My grandma was very involved in the animal rights movement and I
followed in her footsteps, including eventually going vegan. I also
have a professional background in animal welfare, including work at
shelters and as an animal control officer. I ended up becoming a
therapist after a personal tragedy. My special-needs parrot and
feathered soul mate, Albert, died suddenly in 2011, which turned my
world upside down. As I worked through my grief, I realised that
resources for people struggling with companion animal loss were
scarce, and so I wanted to become that resource.
What is compassion fatigue?
Compassion fatigue is the emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion
that occurs when caring for animals or people who are suffering or
have been traumatised. It’s not a mental disorder nor an illness; it’s
simply a normal consequence of caring so much that it hurts. All
caregivers and helping professionals – from nurses to police officers to
veterinarians – are vulnerable to compassion fatigue.
“Compassion fatigue
is the emotional,
physical, and mental
exhaustion that
occurs when caring
What inspired you to want to specialise in
this particular area?
It wasn’t until I went back to grad school to study
psychology that I learned about compassion fatigue. It
was emphasised in my program because therapists can
easily develop it when working with traumatised clients.
As I learned more about it, I thought, ‘so this is what I’ve
been struggling with all these years… it actually has a
name!’ In addition to pet loss grief, I wanted to specialise
in compassion fatigue, particularly among animal welfare
professionals and animal rights activists because these
populations are underserved, misunderstood, and so
saturated with pain and grief. Their pain and grief is
often not recognised or accepted by mainstream society.
By that I mean there are a lot of misconceptions out there
that this community is either a bunch of “animal nuts
who care more about animals than people” or they go to
work and play with puppies and kittens all day. Nothing
could be further from the truth. Whether you are
exposed to videos of factory farming or you work with
animals that have been abused, our community faces an
extraordinary amount of trauma and grief.
Why is compassion fatigue a problem?
Compassion fatigue is a huge problem within the animal
welfare and rights community. It affects those of us who
care the most, and so we run the risk of those people
burning out and leaving the field altogether. Untreated
compassion fatigue can lead to serious problems such as
clinical depression, substance abuse, and even suicide.
Veterinarians and animal control officers have alarmingly
high rates of suicide. Compassion fatigue not only takes a
toll on us personally, but also affects our relationships
with others and spills over into our work. Employers
should take compassion fatigue very seriously as it affects
for animals or people
who are suffering or
staff and volunteer morale, work productivity, and
retention.
What are some of the warning signs that
you’re suffering from it?
Compassion fatigue can look different for everyone.
For me personally, sometimes it sits quietly simmering
on the back burner and other times it boils over. It’s
really important to know your own warning signs so
that you can take steps to manage it. Some of those
warning signs or symptoms include sadness, anger,
anxiety, sleep problems, appetite disturbance,
nightmares or flashbacks, low energy, lack of
motivation, grief, wanting to withdraw from others or
isolate yourself, guilt, feeling empty or numb, work
problems, relationship conflicts, low self-esteem, poor
concentration, bodily complaints such as tight muscles
or headaches, developing a bad attitude or negative
worldview, unhealthy coping skills such as alcohol
abuse, and suicidal thoughts.
In your experience, how common is it for
those working with animals and humans
to suffer from it?
have been
traumatised”.
Not only is compassion fatigue common, but it’s also
normal. You can’t be exposed to that much suffering
and not be affected. It’s not like you either have >
BAREFOOTVegan | 47
compassion fatigue or you don’t – it’s more like to what
degree do you have it. If left untreated, it can become
severe enough to the point of burnout. If well managed,
you can remain energised and experience more
compassion satisfaction than fatigue.
Your new book - To Save a Starfish: A
Compassion Fatigue Workbook for the
Animal Welfare Warrior - offers a holistic
approach to dealing with compassion
fatigue. Why is this important?
I have a very holistic approach to treating my clients, and
I wanted this book to reflect that. We hold trauma, grief,
and stress in our bodies – not just our brains. I believe
very strongly in the mind-body connection. And so I
wanted to offer a variety of practical stress management
techniques and self-care skills that people could
incorporate into their daily lives. I don’t believe that
healing comes in a one-size-fits-all approach, and so my
hope is that readers will try the recommendations and
discover what works best for them.
What will readers gain from the book?
The very first thing that I hope readers will gain from the
book is validation. Assurance that you are not alone, that
what you are going through has a name and is normal.
You’re not weak; you’re not flawed. There is no
compassion fatigue without compassion, so chances are
you probably care a great deal. But that comes with a
price, and so we have to learn to manage the symptoms
that can arise from caring so much. We have to take care
of ourselves in order to take care of others. This book
offers helpful tools to manage the many symptoms of
compassion fatigue, including relaxation techniques,
nutrition advice, self-care skills, sleep hygiene,
challenging unhelpful thinking styles, using physical
activity and creativity to combat compassion fatigue, and
much more. Because it’s written in a workbook format,
readers have the opportunity to reflect on their own
struggles and experiences. BV
For more information, visit
Jennifer’s website at
www.deepwatermichigan.com to
learn more and to join her email list
for regular advice on compassion
fatigue, as well as upcoming events
and announcements. Be sure to also
look for The Compassion Fatigue
Podcast, which is scheduled to be
released this month – January 2017!
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By Valerie McGowan
A professed believer who maintains religious
opinions contrary to those
accepted by his or her church or rejects doctrines
prescribed by that church.
I
am a heretic. Not something I ever thought I would
be accused of during my Christian life. I mean I’ve
always felt like I was a bit too liberal for my Christian
community, yet too conservative for the liberals in
my world. More than once I’ve stated in a mostly joking
way that if I expressed all my beliefs and convictions I’d
annoy just about everyone.
A few years ago, I lost a friend for no other reason than
the fact we didn’t see eye to eye on some issues. She was a
fellow Christian who had an uncommon compassion for
animals since her childhood. That was what we initially
bonded over. I say uncommon, because she was the first
Christian that I’d come across that seemed to share my
passion for animal rights. She was not vegan, but
described herself as ‘mostly vegetarian’.
After we first connected through a Christian vegan
website, it didn’t take long to share with each other our
histories, beliefs and perspectives on life. When we finally
met in person, a couple of months later, that rapport
simply transferred over and much of our time spent
together was shopping, discussing history (which we both
loved and she was extremely knowledgeable of) and
laughing.
Yes, laughing. We shared a sarcastic, obnoxious sense
of humor. And even though she was nearly 20 years older
than me, there was never a dull moment.
The small thorn in the side of all this friendship bliss
was our respective political beliefs. I was the liberal
conservative or conservative liberal, depending on how
you want to look at it. She, politically conservative, yet a
self-described bleeding heart when it came to her love of
animals.
For the first few months of our friendship, we
continued to challenge each other with our opposing
views. I found this to be intellectually stimulating, as I
appreciate hearing from different perspectives. But over
time, it became clear that the philosophical differences
between the two of us became more of a strain on our
interaction.
This wasn’t because we didn’t care for each other. I
was happy to continue our friendship as it was. Only, she
wasn’t. After all those months, she was unable to sway
me in to her political/spiritual camp. It had become a
source of frustration for both of us.
To justify ending our friendship, she appealed to the
Bible verse in the book of Amos, Chapter 3, Verse 3(Old
Testament), which states: “Can two walk together except
they be agreed”? The idea that we must have total
agreement on every issue to have positive relationships
baffled me. But, I guess being the liberal, heretical
Christian was just too much.
More recently, I received the honour of being
formally pronounced a heretic. This interaction took
place on social media with a man who came to the
Facebook page for my blog, just to argue with me about
veganism. His condescending and paternalistic tone
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leapt from the screen. Calling me ‘dear’ and such. I must
admit, I found it a bit amusing.
The Bible-thumping was on full blast as he
continuously posted long passages of scripture on my
page to prove that I was in deep sin for refusing to eat
animals. I refused to fight with him, but kept
respectfully firm in my responses. He questioned the
legitimately of my faith in Christ, accusing me of twisting
the scriptures to bend to my vegan beliefs.
I replied that just because something is commanded
or condoned in scripture at the time it was written,
doesn’t necessarily mean it’s binding for all people for all
time. I asked him if he ate bugs, since it’s recorded that
God through Moses gave the Hebrews permission to eat
certain ones. I reminded him that in the New Testament
there are passages where women are told to keep silent
and cover their heads. Although I’m sure by this time he
was wishing I would just shut up and submit to his
‘teaching’ like a good, submissive Christian woman.
When I referenced the importance of considering
context in biblical interpretation, that’s when I suspect
his head exploded, because he was having none of
it! There was no context as far as he was concerned
and apparently, no way to misinterpret the many
verses he shared on my page.
Then pronouncement was made. Heretic. And
not only that, but condemned by my own words
and “clearly not a Christian.” As I mentioned earlier,
BAREFOOTVegan | 52
I found this whole interaction somewhat amusing. But, at
the same time I could not shake the eerie realisation that
had this been four or five hundred years ago, and the
conflict was over me being a woman preacher on the
wrong side of European religious history, my Facebook
bible teacher would’ve happily seen me tortured and
burnt at the stake, all the while believing he had done
God a great service.
So, while I was initially taken aback by the accusations
and questioning of my faith, I feel no regret or doubt over
my choice to live as compassionately as I can and causing
as little harm as possible towards all of God’s creation.
One way I live that out is by being vegan. If that makes
me a heretic, then so be it. BV
You can read
more of
Valerie’s
writing at
her website
and connect with her
via Facebook.
FAITH
and compassion
By Craig Wescoe
T
o some this may come as a surprise, but not all
vegans deny the existence of God and not all
Christians believe animals are here for us to kill
and eat. In fact, more and more people today are
identifying as both Christian and vegan. There are hundreds
of passages in the Bible that support the idea that living a
vegan lifestyle is consistent with living a life that glorifies
God – and there are thousands of vegan Christians in the
world today proving it!
Christians living a compassionate plant-based lifestyle are
not confined to one type of church either. They can be found
kneeling at Catholic Mass, taking the Orthodox Eucharist,
praising in a Baptist worship hall, celebrating the Sabbath in
a Seventh Day Adventist pew, evangelising on the street
corner, or even giving a sermon in front of their own
Lutheran, Presbyterian, or Methodist congregation. They can
be found anywhere, though they are often the only vegan in
their church – at least in the beginning.
If you ask a Christian vegan for the basis of their beliefs,
they’ll likely have a Bible full of highlighted passages ready to
show you in detail, but the two focal points that tend to
come up the most are from Genesis and from the gospels.
Genesis depicts the world’s original state of perfection and
BAREFOOTVegan | 54
its subsequent decline while Jesus represents a return
to that original state of perfection.
The Bible opens with God creating a perfect world
in which animals and humans live together in
harmony, eating all the colorful fruits and vegetation
of the earth (Genesis 1-2). It wasn’t until after the fall
of man that this harmony was broken and humans
deviated from God’s plan and began killing animals
and seeing them as food. Humans were said to be
created in God’s image. Restoring humanity to that
holy image involves no longer deviating from God’s
will and plan for the earth, which means going back to
eating fruits and vegetation and living in harmony
with all of God’s creatures.
In the gospels, Jesus taught that the two primary
commandments are to love God wholeheartedly and to
love your neighbour as yourself (Mark 12). Vegan
Christians extend this love to all of God’s creatures
that inhabit the world around us – not just to our
human neighbours that live next door. Jesus warned
never to seek to justify acts of cruelty (Matthew 23)
and instead to always go the extra mile when it comes
to matters of love (Matthew 5). We have authority
>
Humans were said to
be created in God’s
image. Restoring
humanity to that
holy image involves
no longer deviating
from God’s will and
plan for the earth, which means going
back to eating fruits and vegetation
and living in harmony with all of
God’s creatures.
over the animals just as Jesus has authority over the
church. Jesus lovingly watches over his flock and would
never harm even the least of his sheep. The idea is that it is
good for ambassadors of Christ to likewise follow his
example of compassionate leadership in how we treat the
animals we’ve been entrusted with. It’s a rather simple idea
really.
Given that vegans exist in all types of churches, there is
no universal set of creeds agreed upon or unanimous
interpretation of the scriptures among Christian vegans.
The one common thread is having a heart for God and a
heart for animals. Given that the message of the New
Testament is one of love and mercy, it should come as no
surprise that more and more Christians are adopting a
compassionate attitude toward animals or that vegans are
finding a new hope in a nearly three thousand year old
promise of a world where the lion and the lamb live
peacefully together alongside us on the earth (Isaiah 11).
If you are Christian but not vegan, you may want to
prayerfully consider extending your love and your mercy to
all of God’s creatures. If you are vegan but not Christian, it
may be wise to keep an open mind about God and about
the Bible. Like the Ethiopian in Acts 8, perhaps you simply
haven’t come across the right person to help you
understand what you are reading. I think we can all at least
agree on one point: the world could use a bit more hope
and compassion right about now.
Craig Wescoe graduated with an M.A. in
philosophy from the University of Toledo in
2007. He taught undergraduate courses in
Logic and Critical Thinking before taking a
job in business in 2010. He is a longtime
animal-loving vegan and servant of God. You
can follow his blog here. He is also a member
of the Christian Vegans, Vegan Christian
Community Facebook groups and co-creator
of the New Vegan Support Facebook group.
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Robert Grillo
Farm to Fable
Why do the vast majority of us continue to consume animals when
we could choose otherwise? What are the cultural forces that
drive our food choices? These are the fundamental questions
founder and director of Free from Harm, Robert Grillo sought to
answer in writing his new book – Farm to Fable: The Fictions of
Our Animal-Consuming Culture. We caught up with Robert to discuss
some of his conclusions as to how fictional narratives
orchestrated by the multi-billion dollar marketing campaigns of
the animal agricultural industries keep people from consciously
choosing to live compassionately.
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Tell us a bit about yourself… How did you
become vegan?
I’m a writer, activist and speaker who grew up working in
publishing and advertising where I got a behind-thescenes
perspective on the image building industries and
how they influence the public. I became vegan in 2009
after watching some documentaries, such as Food Inc.
For anyone that doesn’t know about Free
from Harm, can you explain about the
work you do?
We’re a non-profit founded in 2009 and dedicated to farm
animal education and advocacy. Our vision is a world
where non-human animals are no longer exploited and
made to suffer to serve some human end. We live in an age
when this is finally possible and we should celebrate that.
What inspired you to write Farm to Fable?
And what do you hope it will achieve?
Farm to Fable is the culmination of years of exploring the
fictions of animal consumption from the perspective of a
branding and marketing person who has worked on the
inside to see how these fictions are created and how they
function once they’re out there for the public to digest. I
realised early on that even vegans were, to varying degrees,
under the spell of these fictions and some animal groups
even use them in their campaigns. So I felt compelled to
write a book in the hopes that it would bring a much
needed awareness to the vegan community as well as
the public at large. For the general public, my hope is
that the book will prompt them to question what
appears to be “normal” in their everyday lives, to look
more critically at what they see in the grocery stores and
restaurants, what they see on TV and online. I hope that
they might better see how we are being manipulated to
make food choices that ultimately betray our core values
of kindness, reciprocity and decency.
From all the examples of fictional stories
we are told about consuming animal
products that are featured in the book,
which do you feel is the most dangerous
and why?
Consent is the foundation. Consent has us believing that
animals are willing participants in whatever it is we
want to do with them, that they willingly sacrifice
themselves for some greater human purpose. We say
that they give us their eggs, their secretions, their bodies
and even their lives. Of course we know that animals are
not only incapable of giving their consent; they clearly
indicate their resistance to domination and will fight
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“For the general
public, my hope is
that the book will
prompt them to
question what
appears to be
“normal” in their
everyday lives…”
“might-makes-right” worldview. Thanksgiving is an
important example of how these fictions are alive and
well today, sabotaging our judgment to support
unspeakable horrors in the name of tradition and
culture.
like hell to avoid pain and death. Once we believe in consent,
then it’s just a matter of how we treat them. Use is off the
table since it is assumed that they don’t mind being used. This
is why humane-washing has emerged as such a prominent
fictional device today.
You mention how since the beginning of our
recorded history, humans have used
narratives of animals choosing to sacrifice
themselves for the greater good, and how we
have made up elaborate rituals around the
killing of animals for food as a form of
repentance and absolution of guilt. How do
you see this still being a part of people’s
psyches and being played out today?
Whenever some new-age, hipster foodie who captures the
media’s attention waxes spiritual about how we must “give
thanks” or “honour the sacrifice” of the animals we needlessly
exploit and kill for food, we can be sure they are invoking
ancient fictions that are as old as civilisation itself. There’s
absolutely nothing progressive about this “tooth and claw”,
Your book points out the kind of
marketing budgets that the animal
agriculture industry has to target
consumers – annual budgets over a
billion US dollars! What does this
mean for organisations trying to effect
change? How can we compete with
those kinds of resources?
It’s important to realise that aside from advertising, the
entire entertainment, television and film industry, as
well as the mass media where we get our news about
the world, are all disseminating the fictions of animal
consumption. What does it mean for us? Most
fundamentally, it means we must recognise the power
of ideas, beliefs and values in shaping our behaviour
and choices. The fact that corporations spend billions
of dollars on appealing to those beliefs and values is a
testament to just how powerful they are. It means that
just advocating behaviour changes, such as Meatless
Monday, will never even begin to challenge those
beliefs that are necessary for the meaningful change we
want to see. As for how do we compete? The answer is >
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“Consent has us believing that
animals are willing participants
in whatever it is we want to do
with them, that they willingly
sacrifice themselves for some
greater human purpose.”
we can’t compete. We can never win the struggle for
justice by using the exploiter’s tools of deception. Like any
other social justice movement, our success lies in mass
education and building an organized grassroots
movement. And we should partner with all other like
movements to strengthen our common cause to fight
oppression wherever it rears its ugly head.
As a vegan living in a non-vegan world, it
often feels as if people don’t care about
animals. However, your book points to
research that argues otherwise. Can you
tell us a little more about that and how
that should shape our promotion of
veganism?
In his recent BBC series, “Sex, Death and the Meaning of
Life,” the world’s most famous evolutionary biologist,
Richard Dawkins, tell us that: “Science shows we humans
are hardwired to have empathy. Scientists can now scan
which parts of the brain register vicarious pain or
pleasure.” “Brain science helps us to see why we find it a
bad idea to steal, why we hate to see somebody kicking a
dog. We can trace the chemicals in the brain that reward
kindness. We can see what goes on in the brain when we
feel for others. Goodness is natural to us. Kindness is in
our physiology.”
More specific to vegan advocacy, we find a very high
rate of caring about the suffering of other animals, 80% to
90% in people surveyed, but this doesn’t necessarily or
easily translate into food choices. Nevertheless, if one
really believes that one should “meet people where they
are” then we should first recognise that empathy is there
in most of us yet needs to be cultivated. That’s where we
come in. Even if one insists that humans don’t care about
other animals, this is largely a cultural construct that
should not be used as an excuse to avoid the subject.
Culture is malleable. It’s our job as their advocates to
make the case for why people should care, just as it is the
role of any other justice activist to make a case for their
cause. They too dealt with incredible obstacles and
terrible odds and yet succeeded. We have compelling
stories and compelling evidence for why people should
care.
What is the biggest mistake most vegan/
animal advocacy groups are doing in
trying to change people’s behaviour?
What should they be doing instead?
There are certain high profile figures in our movement
who do their fair share of critiquing the vegan messenger,
telling her what to wear, how to act, what to say and how
to say it for maximum “effectiveness.” At times we seem
more obsessed about what people think about us than >
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“We must
communicate the
very real and
urgent need for
change, rather
than pretend that
baby steps are
enough.”
carrying out our actual activism. Some of these people
actually sound like a vegan Miss Manners, extolling pop
psychology or self-help tropes which I don’t see advancing
our cause. My work is instead focused on exploring the
culture that perpetuates “non-veganism.”
As for our vegan community, I think it would help us
immensely to develop a platform that conveys more
dignity, confidence and storytelling savvy. I’d like to see
more honesty and conviction about our goals for animal
liberation and the kind of radical activism achieving those
goals will require. I’d like to see a greater reverence for
truth as the most powerful tool we have against the
exploitation industries that are built upon fictions and lies.
This means that animals never become our “bargaining
tools” to broker deals with their exploiters or with the
public. After all, who are we, as their supposed advocates,
to negotiate the use — any use — of their bodies, or to
negotiate the level of their suffering or victimisation? What
other victim advocates would find this even remotely
ethical? I can’t think of any. I’d like to see more of us
abandon the myth that we have the luxury of time to
advocate transition in steps. If we listen to the urgent calls
from leading climate and environmental experts, then we
must honestly face the fact that time is most certainly not
on our side. We must communicate the very real and
urgent need for change, rather than pretend that baby steps
are enough. They aren’t. As Noam Chomsky famously said,
“Just tell the truth.”
As you quite rightfully point out, it can
be quite a popularity contest between
the various animal advocacy
organisations vying for financial
contributions and public attention. For
those that can’t afford to be so physically
active with their advocacy due to
whatever reason, what advice would you
give in terms of how to choose an
organisation to support? Are there any
criteria for an effective organisation?
In the process of writing my book, I came to question
many more assumptions than I had anticipated. And
one of them is this belief that non-profit organisations
are at the forefront of change and progress for our
movement. I think we just assume that they are — some
appear so polished, professional and convincing — but
maybe that’s just wishful thinking. As much as I
appreciate the Free from Harm donors who have helped
us advance our mission in so many ways, I can’t help
but wonder if larger organisations that become heavily
dependent on and therefore influenced by donors do
not risk losing their focus and impetus for meaningful
change. Maybe instead it will be certain visionaries who
are driven by nothing more than a passion for their
cause who people will rally around, like they rallied
around Cesar Chavez. Other movements have not
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equired a lot of non-profits and donors to build a movement. They
just needed to organise properly. So this all begs the question: can
donating replace actual participation? Can we really expect giving
to replace activism, as the Effective Altruism movement seems to
suggest? Grassroots activism means physically showing up for
events, but it can also mean spreading the message through social
media. At Free from Harm we developed the Pollinators Network
because we realised there is an enormous and still largely untapped
potential to impact our online audience. We also realised that we
have a loyal following of very savvy social media people and still
others who want to become more active and sharpen their skills.
So we mentor them and give them the tools and skills to become
strong “virtual” activists. It’s the next best thing to being there, but
it’s still important to show up.
Connect with Robert’s
organisation Free
From Harm via their
website, Facebook,
Instagram, YouTube
and Twitter. Click on
the image below to
order your copy of
Farm to Fable.
You come from a creative consultancy
background and you’ve very successfully used
your talents to create ‘Free from Harm’. What
advice would you give others to encourage them
to use their own unique gifts and talents to
promote veganism?
Yep, cultivate those talents and see how they can work for your
activism but also share them with a community. On the one hand,
we think it might be more of an effort to show up and develop a
community, but then we also have a yearning for community — for
the community of like-minded, kindred spirits. This is vital to our
own personal fulfilment as well as building our movement. We
want to feel a part of something bigger than ourselves, part of
history in the making, part of a legacy that future generations will
hopefully benefit from. In the end, the pay-off for showing up is
well worth it because of the sense of community with which it
rewards us. BV
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Challenging what we know about
cruelty-free cosmetics
By Anneka Svenska
O
n October 25 th 2016, Naturewatch
Foundation in collaboration with my
animal conservation production company,
GreenWorldTV, launched “Compassion Over Cruelty” –
a film to challenge what we know about cruelty-free
cosmetics.
Every year, millions of animals worldwide are
subjected to painful tests all in the name of beauty.
Chemicals are dropped in their eyes and on to their
skin, often causing painful blinding and burning. Once
used, their bodies are discarded like rubbish as more are
bred to take their place.
The British public is overwhelmingly against the use
of animals for cosmetic testing and indeed, in 1997 the
UK introduced the Cosmetic Testing Ban on the use of
animals to test finished cosmetic products, followed by
a ban in 1998 on the use of animals in testing cosmetic
ingredients. These history-changing laws paved the way
for the European Union, which in 2013 banned all sales
within the EU of cosmetic products or ingredients that
have been tested on animals.
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But this isn’t enough. Cosmetic shoppers in the UK are
still buying into cruelty by purchasing from companies
that sell products outside of the EU, in countries like
China where testing on cosmetic products is still a
requirement by law. By purchasing these brands, or
brands owned by parent companies that are tested in
China, shoppers – who are trying to do the right thing for
animals – are being duped. Compassionate shoppers are
unknowingly handing over their money for cruel animal
testing.
Many of these companies are big multinational labels,
or are selling prestige products and trying to crack the
Chinese market. They offer high-end products that are
perceived as being the best of the best, and they rely on
customer loyalty for their well-known brands. But it is
the animals who are paying the true cost. And it’s
completely unnecessary.
So I joined forces with Naturewatch Foundation to
put truly cruelty-free, compassionate, cosmetics to the
test. How would they hold up against the big players in
the cosmetic industry?
>
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Top hair stylist, Daniel Field from the Daniel Field
Hair Salon in Central London, and makeup artist to
the stars, Alexa Riva Ravina kindly offered to put the
Naturewatch Foundation endorsed cruelty-free
products, featured in the Naturewatch ‘Compassionate
Shopping Guide’, to the test.
Some incredible animal-loving celebrities offered
to appear in the film alongside myself, including
actress Rula Lenska, model Daryna Milgevska, and
comedian Jake Yapp, who put their faith – and faces –
in Daniel and Alexa’s hands. And the results were
beautiful and 100% cruelty free.
The resulting film proves that you can choose
compassion over cruelty, and look fabulous in the
process! We launched the film in front of an audience
of 100% animal loving celebrities at Sanctum Soho in
London’s West End. The evening was hosted by our
dear, compassionate friend Rula Lenska and attended
by some brilliant people including BBC Radio 5 DJ
Nicky Campbell, This Morning’s on screen makeup
artist Bryony Blake and TV presenter Matt Johnson,
the animal-loving Jilly Johnson, actress Vicki Michelle,
cruelty free beauty expert Cindy Jackson and actor Dan
Richardson from Disney’s The Lodge, who has recently
become vegan.
Background
Despite the EU and countries like Australia, Israel and
Norway banning the sale and importation of cosmetics
and cosmetic ingredients tested on animals, millions of
animals are still used in cosmetic testing around the
world.
Cosmetic brands may advertise their products as
cruelty-free in the UK – but if they are also selling in
countries like China, where animal-testing on cosmetics is
still a legal requirement – they cannot genuinely claim
cruelty-free status. At the same time, many popular
brands are owned by larger, multinational ‘parent’
companies that may sell other products in China –
meaning that, for the ethical consumer, being genuinely
cruelty-free can be extremely difficult.
Naturewatch Foundation researches companies
thoroughly and only approves those brands that have a
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Click above to watch the official
‘Compassion Over Cruelty Film’ and click
on the image below to get your copy of
the ‘Compassionate Shopping Guide’.
fixed cut-off date animal-testing policy in place. The same fixed
cut-off date must apply throughout the entire company range,
including the parent company and any subsidiaries.
So Naturewatch Foundation has done the hard work for you.
Naturewatch Foundation has published the ‘Compassionate
Shopping Guide’ regularly for over 20 years. It is now in its 14 th
edition. It has become the definitive guide to cruelty-free
shopping for cosmetics, toiletries and household cleaning
products. It has the strictest criteria of any cruelty-free
endorsement scheme in the world. They do not accept animal
use in cosmetic testing at any level. BV
Anneka Svenska is the founder of ‘Green
World Television’ & ‘Angels for the Innocent
Foundation’. To view some of the Green World
TV Films Anneka has released please click
here . You can also visit her website & connect
with her on Facebook & Twitter.
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“Animals glorify God in their particular animalness,
animals worship God. A friend of mine recently
said that every time a species goes extinct, worship
is silenced, and that’s blasphemy.”
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Vegangelical
How Caring for Animals
Can Shape Your Faith
In her latest book, Vegangelical, author Sarah
Withrow King argues that animal stewardship is a
necessary aspect of a holistic ethic of
Christian peace and justice, and care for animal
welfare correspondingly strengthens our care for
environmental and human flourishing. We spoke
with Sarah to learn more about her work to call
people to a greater attentiveness to one of the
primary relationships in God’s created order,
that between humans and animals.
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Tell us about yourself and how you came
to be vegan?
I think the first time I heard the word “vegan” was when
my brother took me to a restaurant he really loved in
Eugene, Oregon. It was all vegan and totally delicious. I
survived on junk: a lot of fast food and super processed
groceries, so this all-vegetable restaurant was like an
explosion of actual flavour, and I didn’t feel like garbage
after I ate there. There was a booklet on the table that a
local activist group had left and I read it while I was
waiting. It talked about factory farming, routine
mutilations and other abuses of animals, the resource
inefficiency of raising and killing animals for food, and
the health implications of a vegan diet. I was stunned. I
loved animals, I had always loved animals, but I never
thought of them when I ate meat. I never thought of
meat as an animal. And I had no idea what modern
farming looked like or the damage it was doing. So, I
resolved to go vegan. And then my resolve broke. So I
resolved again. And broke again…but one of those times,
my resolve stuck!
When talking to other Christians about
animals and veganism, what are the
biggest challenges you deal with?
I find, in this regard, that there isn’t a big difference
between Christians and others. A lot of people, Christian
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or not, hold the same misconceptions that I did about how
animals are raised and killed for food, what those
processes look like. Once the truth about industrial
farming is exposed, many people (again, Christian or not)
feel at a bit of a loss for how to go about making more
compassionate choices. Eating is a deeply complex act for
many of us and food is so tied up in our family and social
traditions that the thought of making a drastic change can
be overwhelming for people. “What do I do now?” and
“How do I talk to my family and friends about this
change?” are the most common questions we see.
The first book of the Bible – Genesis –
explains that God has given humans
‘dominion’ over the animals. All
theologians agree on this, but what are the
main sticking points that come when
defining ‘dominion’?
The vast majority of people I’ve encountered agree that
dominion can’t be interpreted to mean, “do whatever you
want, with impunity.” I’ve talked to a very few individuals
who would argue that, but they do not represent the
majority of Christians. I think the trouble comes in
understanding that when we interpret dominion to mean
“use for food,” that comes with a host of consequences
now that couldn’t have been seen thousands of years ago.
So, we have to ask what dominion now looks like, and
eating animals isn’t it when we live in a world where many of
us can healthfully and sustainably feed ourselves on plants.
What instructions/teachings in the Bible
stand out the most to you as promoting
mercy and compassion towards animals?
I always caution against taking a verse or two and using it as
a proof for any kind of argument. CreatureKind wrote a little
about that recently. To me, the most biblically compelling
argument for compassion to animals is one that takes the
whole movement of the scripture and the Spirit in mind: we
know that this broken, bruised world is being reconciled
back to a Creator who wants every being to flourish and
thrive. Jesus taught his followers to pray, “Thy Kingdom
come, on earth as it is in heaven.” We know that this
Kingdom will be one of peace for all, where the wolf will lie
down with the lamb, where violence and suffering are no
more. On earth. Not up in the sky, on earth. So, if we know
the Creator is reconciling the whole world back to Godself
and we know that part of that reconciliation will be the
reconciliation of humans and animals to one another, why
wouldn’t we take steps now to realise that?
What does the Bible say about the animals’
relationship to God?
God created animals, God provides for animals, God sees
animals. Animals glorify God in their particular animal-ness,
animals worship God. A friend of mine recently said that
every time a species goes extinct, worship is silenced, and
that’s blasphemy. Humans have so centred ourselves in the
world that we fail to see how we are one part of the whole
creation.
love for one another.” –Jesus. How do we know if
something is Christian? We know that because it’s
loving, love-giving, love-promoting, love-sustaining.
Right before Jesus gives this new commandment, he
washes the feet of his disciples. Washes their feet. He
humbles himself and he serves others. Industrial
farming causes human, animal, and environmental
suffering on a massive scale while lining the pockets
and filling the coffers of wealthy corporations and
their officers. It is destructive, dangerous, and evil and
can’t, in any way, be construed as loving.
It can be tough belonging to a church group that
doesn’t include any vegans. What advice do you have
for vegan Christians that want to remain part of a
church but are struggling with the fact that people in
their fellowship are not interested in, and/or perhaps
ridicule the decision to live a vegan lifestyle?
I wrote about this in “A Plea to Stay Rooted,”
because I’ve been there and I know what it feels like!
We set ourselves up for disappointment when we
expect that people will change their views and actions
on our timetable, but the need for fellowship is real. As
much as possible, don’t make vegan the litmus test for
a relationship. Connect on other levels with people,
answer their inquiries honestly and with compassion,
and let God work on their hearts. People I never
thought would go vegan have done just that,
sometimes long after our initial conversations! I love
connecting with other Christian vegans, and I do that
on a regular basis online, by telephone, and at events.
But don’t let that become your main fellowship,
because if you’re not there in the church, who will
speak up for animals? >
Because veganism/vegetarianism is
promoted in other religions, I have come
across some Christian-based organisations
actively promoting meat-eating, saying that
it is un-Christian not to eat God’s animals.
What response do you have for that
position?
“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.
Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By
this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have
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How has your faith and relationship with
God, helped you be a better advocate for
animals and humans?
Faith and animal advocacy is actually a two-way street for
me! My advocacy has reminded me over and over again
that compassion is a choice we make and that applies to
humans (including ourselves) as well as animals.
Advocacy for animals helped open up the depth and
breadth of God’s promises to the created world in a way I
hadn’t understood before. My faith helps me to remember
to extend grace to people and situations when it’s hard for
me to feel like it. But perhaps most importantly, my faith
is a constant reminder that I am part of a much larger
story, a story that started long before I was born and will
continue long after I die.
During the time that you’ve been vegan
and advocating for animals, what positive
changes have you noticed in the church’s
opinion/stance towards animals?
Oh my gosh, when I first went vegan I felt like I was
totally alone in the church world. Now, literally
everywhere I go… every conference, every church, every
school, every organisation… there’s at least one other
“animal person.” Denominations are passing resolutions
about animal welfare. A huge group of evangelical
Christians signed a document called “Every Living Thing”
last year that named animals as a topic of moral and
practical concern for Christians. Pope Francis’ climate
encyclical was full of thoughts about animals. The
CreatureKind project that I help run with UK theologian
David Clough, was founded in part because enough
Christians care about animals and want to advocate on
their behalf that there’s now a need for church-based
organisations to equip them with the tools to do so.
You wrote and had published two books
on Christianity and veganism/animals
that were released last year. Can you tell
us about them and what inspired you to
write them?
The first book I wrote is called Animals Are Not Ours (No,
Really, They’re Not): An Evangelical Animal Liberation
Theology (Cascade Books, 2016). I was inspired to write it
“This prayer, written by Bishop Ken Untener of
Saginaw in honour of Oscar Romero, is one that I
return to again and again, and helps keep my
place in this difficult work in perspective”.
Archbishop Oscar Romero Prayer: A Step
Along The Way
It helps, now and then, to step back and take a
long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is
even beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny
fraction of the magnificent
enterprise that is God's work. Nothing we do is
complete, which is a way of
saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the Church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes
everything.
This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that
they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further
development.
We provide yeast that produces far beyond our
capabilities.
We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of
liberation in realising that.
This enables us to do something, and to do it
very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step
along the way, an
opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do
the rest.
We may never see the end results, but that is the
difference between the master
builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders; ministers,
not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.
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“My advocacy has
reminded me over
and over again that
compassion is a
choice we make and
that applies to
humans (including
ourselves) as well
as animals.”
during my seminary studies, where I did a lot reading
about nonviolence, liberation theology, and creation
care theology. I would get so frustrated because there
was this obvious blind spot towards animals in the vast
majority of the works. So, in Animals Are Not Ours, I
wanted to demonstrate how animal liberation was a
natural fit with other liberative theologies. It’s a very
wide-reaching book, and I didn’t hold back.
My second book is Vegangelical: How Caring for
Animals Can Shape Your Faith (Zondervan, 2016). I
really wrote this book for my dad. I needed a very
careful, biblically-based introduction to animal issues.
In Vegangelical, I talk about how a few core Christian
beliefs and values can shape our understanding of our
responsibility towards animals. So, once we’ve
established what it is we believe, we can look at the
different ways we use animals today—as pets,
entertainment, research subjects, clothing, and food—
and ask ourselves if what we believe is played out in
how we live. It was a fun book to write, it’s super
accessible, and my dad went vegan after he read it, so I
think I did my job well.
You can read some of
Sarah’s writing at her
website. Click on the
images below for more
info on Sarah’s books.
Is there anything else you’d like to share
with readers?
I feel really lucky every day that I get to work on
CreatureKind, which is a project working from within
the church to engage Christians on farmed animal
welfare. You can read about our first ten months on our
website. We are always looking for partners and are
eager to talk to people who have a heart for this work,
no matter their own faith expression. BV
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By Linda Monahan
P
utting our compassion into action is what makes
us vegan. When confronted with animal
suffering, we have each chosen to do something
rather than remain complicit. But what do we
make of those instances when the there is no
clear actionable response?
The routine deaths of animals that have been hit by
cars, commonly known as “roadkill,” is an issue that has
been especially challenging for me since becoming vegan.
Though I see body after body on the roadside, there is no
company to hold accountable, no rescue to donate or
volunteer with. And unless we are able to abstain from
driving cars, there is no boycott that will lessen the death
toll.
Every day, roughly one million animals are killed by
vehicles in the United States alone (1). Bodies of large
mammals like deer are usually moved from traffic lanes by
state transportation authorities, but they remain visible on
shoulders and ditches as they decompose. The majority of
animals we routinely kill with our cars, however, are
smaller mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians whose
bodies stay on roadways to be driven over and over to
disintegration.
With nearly four hundred million animals killed by cars
annually, “roadkill” is the second largest cause of animal
death in the United States, behind animals killed for flesh
(2) .
Despite these figures, road-killed animals are rarely
afforded human compassion. There are several factors that
contribute to their exclusion from the moral community, as
well as several compelling responses to encountering
“roadkill” that could help to change this fact.
In my chapter for the recent academic anthology,
Mourning Animals, edited by Margo DeMello, I suggest
that demonstrating compassion for road-killed animals
is a productive entry point for people to engage greater
respect for all animals (3). Because vegans already
include all beings in our circle of compassion, we are
primed to become advocates for our local wildlife on
this widespread issue.
Road-killed animals, of course, do not spontaneously
appear in travel lanes as disfigured corpses. There are
identifiable and, often, preventable factors that put
animals at risk of being killed on the road. Road
ecologists have studied what brings certain animals to
the roadside and have long been working toward
preventative measures (4).
Wildlife crossings like vegetation-covered bridge
overpasses and tunnel- and gully-like underpasses have
been proven effective in rerouting the migration
behavior of many commonly road-killed species (5).
These measures, however, are far from commonplace.
Despite the efficacy of these mitigation efforts,
“roadkill” is generally regarded as regrettable but
inevitable. We might express a moment’s despair when
passing evidence of a particularly gruesome collision, or
allow ourselves brief grief over the death of certain
species more than others.
It is hard not to notice the body of a dog or cat on
the side of the road, for example, but it is easy enough
for many to roll past a squirrel or opossum without a
second glance. As wild species, road-killed animals lack
the strong ties to a human community that companion
animals—even those hit by cars—can claim.
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>
To further understand why these animal victims are still
regarded with such little compassion, consider the
similarities between animals hung in butcheries and
those flattened on the road. Both require rationalisation
on the part of the would-be compassionate human.
Language is a big part of this mental-moral negotiation.
As labor scholar Dennis Soron explains, “As a human
creation, ‘road kill’ is just as de-animalized as ‘beef’ and
just as open to cultural meanings that are bracketed off
from the embodied experience of the suffering
animal.” (6) In other words,
simply calling these animals
“roadkill” is the first exclusionary
mind-trick.
For this reason, I use the term
“road-killed animals” to
emphasise that the way in which
these animals die does not
exclusively define their
relationship to the human
community. As individual beings,
road-killed animals have full and
varied lives independent of the
final violence inflicted upon them
by humans.
Other factors that limit the extension of compassion
to road-killed animals include both the practical and the
cultural. On a practical level, travel by car is inherently
inhospitable to demonstrating compassion for roadkilled
animals due to the speed at which we move. Not
only are we only granted just a few seconds to react to an
animal on the roadway (living or dead), but high-speed
traffic makes it dangerous to stop and engage with any
potential feelings of concern or grief upon seeing an
animal’s disfigured corpse.
Culturally, road-killed animals have largely been a
punchline. Twentieth century cartoons like Wile E.
Coyote and gag-gift variations on Playboy columnist
Buck Peterson’s The Roadkill Cookbook series are
expressions of a larger speciesist discourse that
maintains a hierarchical divide between human and
nonhuman animals. Narratives of human dominion and
progress, along with the desire to travel further, faster,
and more frequently in North American car culture work
together to create conditions inhospitable to compassion
for road-killed animals.
A final factor contributing to the lack of compassion
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for road-killed animals is the frequency of drivers’
encounters with such violent imagery, fostering a culture
that is desensitised to the sight. The mundane visibility of
bloody, dismembered wildlife on the road naturalises this
automotive violence in the same way that constant
imagery of meat products in food advertisements
naturalises the consumption of animal flesh.
It is possible, however, for the constant visibility of
road-killed animals to disrupt these animals’ cultural
status as outside the realm of human compassion and
mourning.
Recognising the individual value of road-killed
animals is a critical step toward human accountability for
their lives and deaths. Mourning is a powerful affect that
can translate into compassion for road-killed animals in
ways that are familiar to humans.
Mourning, in contrast to grief, connotes an expression
of feelings of deep sorrow. By making feelings of sadness
and regret visible, audible, or otherwise public, mourning
animals who have been violently killed on the road
mirrors the highly visible, public nature of their deaths.
In recent years, road-killed animals have begun to be
integrated into larger narratives of subjectivity and
interspecies community through activism and art that
seek to fit road-killed animals into established human
mourning practices. PETA, for example, has petitioned
several state legislatures for roadside memorials for
animals killed in transit (though none so far have been
approved).
Author Barry Lopez offers another response on an
individual level in his beautifully woodcut-illustrated
essay, Apologia. He describes his encounters with
individual road-killed animals as moments to take
accountability. For Lopez, accountability means pulling
over to move the broken bodies from the road.
Awareness of the individual compels him to act, to
express his apology through the ritual of burial.
American photographer Emma Kisiel has a similar
response to witnessing wildlife mortality on U.S.
highways. In her series At Rest (2011), Kisiel constructs
and photographs makeshift memorials for found roadkilled
fauna. Kisiel’s new visuality of road-killed animals
allows us to recognise them as individuals worthy of
mourning.
Kisiel, Lopez, and PETA encourage us to take the
time to recognise each road-killed animal we pass. If we
can mobilise compassion for the visible violence of
“roadkill,” we may then be able to inspire greater
compassion for the victims of the invisible violence of
slaughterhouses and laboratories.
The collective force of these millisecond mournings
can have political power: once the affect of care shrouds
these animals, we can press for preventative measures
such as wildlife crossings and driver education
campaigns that value animal life. Alongside creative
works of remembrance, these measures will help
“roadkill” continue its cultural transformation from
laughably grotesque to grievable, animal death. BV
References:
(1) Marcel P. Huijser et al. “Cost-Benefit Analyses of Mitigation
Measures Aimed at Reducing Collisions with Large Ungulates
in the United States and Canada: A Decision Support Tool,”
Ecology and Society 14, no. 2 (2009): 15.
(2) Andreas Seiler and J.-O. Helldin, “Mortality in Wildlife
Due to Transportation,” in The Ecology of Transportation:
Managing Mobility for the Environment, ed. John Davenport
and Julia L. Davenport (New York: Springer, 2006), 166–68.
(3) Linda Monahan, “Mourning the Mundane: Memorializing
Roadkill in North America,” in Mourning Animals, ed. Margo
DeMello (East Lansing, MI: Michigan State UP), 151-157.
(4) Seiler and Helldin, “Mortality in Wildlife.”
(5) Diana Balmori and David K. Skelly, “Crossing to
Sustainability: A Role for Design in Overcoming Road Effects,”
Ecological Restoration 30, no. 4 (2012): 363–67.
(6) Dennis Soron, “Road Kill: Commodity Fetishism and
Structural Violence,” in Critical Theory and Animal Liberation,
ed. John Sanbonmatsu (New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2011),
63. pp.55-70.
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Compassion
for
animals
through
veganism
By Tom Leslie
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B
eing or becoming a vegan means that you show
compassion towards animals. Veganism is based on
the philosophy that the killing of or exploitation of
any animal is not justified and goes totally against the
compassion we should show towards the animals we share
our planet with.
If we did live in a world where animals are treated
‘humanely’ and got the respect they deserved, the following
statement would not be true: over 40 million one-day old
chicks are killed every year. That means 40 million lives that
deserve to have their rights upheld are ended within 24 hours
of birth, due to cruelty, greed and a vast shortcoming of
compassion. There is a common misconception that
veganism is only about diet, the truth is it is a belief that goes
much deeper than simply changing what we eat and drink.
From campaigning to get animals out of circuses and sport,
to only purchasing ethically produced clothing and
household items. Veganism is about showing compassion to
all animals, not only those kept cruelly on factory farms.
I would love to encourage people who read this to think
about veganism in the bigger picture, not just the diet, and
also to show more love towards animals and their habitats. If
you are reading this as a non-vegan, maybe a vegetarian
considering going the extra step, then I assure you that
leading a vegan life is the single greatest step you can take to
show that you care about animal welfare and the planet you
live on. If you are a vegan then I would urge you to get out
into nature and see animals thrive in their natural
habitat, where they should be and really appreciate the
wildlife that we are so lucky to have. Doing something
like this is a wonderful way to remember the
importance of veganism, and reinforce the fact that
you are living a kinder, healthier way of life as a vegan.
Finally, if you are a non-vegan reading this then I
imagine you are quite curious about the diet and
lifestyle. I could not encourage you enough to try a
plant-based diet as a first step (why not sign up right
now to Veganuary?) and start to discover the beauty of
a cruelty-free way of life. For animals, the planet and
your own health. BV
Tom Leslie has been a
vegan since February 2016.
He is a lover of endurance
sport, especially running
and cycling. A key reason for
opting for the vegan lifestyle was his love for
animals and his desire for all creatures to be
free from harm and exploitation. His personal
aim is to use his passion for endurance sport
to promote veganism and to prove that it is in
no way a hindrance to people with active
lifestyles.
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By Katrina Fox
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Our psychological wounds can cause us to lash out at
ourselves and others, even those we’re working with
for a common cause and whose values of kindness we
claim to share. Acknowledging our personal and
collective shadow is key to learning to embrace
compassion for all, writes Katrina Fox.
“You’re a filthy little Arab who should go back to where
you came from.” So said my adoptive mother for the first
time when I was age six, after I’d spilled crumbs on the
floor from a biscuit I was eating. “No wonder your real
mother didn’t want you.” The impact of this cruel remark
was instant and lasted for decades. As humans are wont
to do, I made it mean that I was unlovable and would
never be good enough.
Factual inaccuracies aside (my birth father was
Persian, not an Arab), it was—unbeknownst to me at the
time—my first experience with racism. The idea that
anyone who wasn’t a white English person was inferior
was further solidified by my dad’s constant referencing of
“bloody wogs” to describe black people. I quickly learned
to deny my ethnic heritage right into my 20s—if anyone
asked, I said I was part Spanish or Italian. I even went so
far as to have a nose job in 1993, partly to remove a small
bump, but I can’t deny I was pleased the adjustment
made me look less obviously half Iranian.
Around the age of 10, in 1976, I became obsessed with
the women in the hit TV show Charlie’s Angels. I started
a scrapbook, and asked my classmates to save any
newspaper or magazine clippings featuring the trio of
glamorous female detectives. In addition, my best friend
Susan and I told everyone we loved each other. It was an
innocent enough comment, but a boy in our class said he
thought we were lesbians. It was the first time I’d heard
the word, and when he explained what it meant, without
any judgment, I was happy to take it on. But when I told
the teacher I was a lesbian, she was horrified and told me
not to say that word again or I’d be sent to the
headmaster to be punished. This was my first experience
with homophobia. And, in his typical uncreative manner,
good old dad confirmed my suspicions that same-sex love
and affection was bad by yelling “bloody poofs” at the TV
screen whenever footballers hugged each other after
one of their teammates scored a goal. Cue more
disempowerment.
My first experience with sexism happened around a
similar time, when I asked to play football and rugby
and was told by both the boys and the teachers that I
couldn’t because I was a girl.
So, before I’d even hit puberty, I’d learned that if
you weren’t white, straight, and male, there was
something wrong with you and you didn’t deserve to
participate in life on an equal footing. Essentially, you
were “lesser than” privileged others, although I didn’t
have the fancy language for it back then.
By age 11, I’d learned that animals had it even
tougher. My jaw literally dropped open when I learned
that the beef burger on my plate had once been part of
a beautiful, living cow. While I was brought up on a
council estate just outside of south London in the UK,
I’d visit my cousin in the country occasionally where
I’d climb over fences into farmers’ fields to stroke the
cows and give them apples, with no clue that they
would be trucked off to an abattoir and killed. Learning
that I’d been ingesting the dead bodies of these gentle
creatures made me feel sick, and I became—without
knowing the word at the time—vegetarian
immediately.
Although I embraced feminism, queer rights and
animal advocacy in my early 20s, and found a plethora
of examples of culturally entrenched sexism, racism,
homophobia, and speciesism, I didn’t make the
connections between these forms of oppression until
much later—almost a decade, in fact, when I was
introduced to veganism by a schoolteacher on an antivivisection
demo. It was finding out about the cruelty
BAREFOOTVegan | 90
involved in the dairy industry in particular that made the
light bulbs in my head start to go off.
I learned that in order to produce milk, a cow must be
kept pregnant and lactating, a process carried out by
restraining her in a head stall and artificially inseminating
her; that shortly after birth, calves are torn away from their
mothers, who bellow for several weeks with grief; that dairy
cows are hooked up to milking machines—after suffering
the agonising ordeal of having their horns and, on occasion,
excess teats cut off with scissors solely for aesthetic reasons;
that mastitis—the inflammation of
the mammary glands—is the most
common affliction affecting dairy
cows around the world and causes
them severe pain; that this relentless
cycle of forced endless pregnancy,
birthing, and lactation puts so much
pressure on the reproductive systems
of cows that they become spent—
verging on dead at around four to five
years of age, whereas naturally they
would live for a couple of decades.
It was this moment that the
connections between feminism and
animal rights became obvious: how
could I call for my own reproductive autonomy while
actively supporting the assault on female non-human
animals’ reproductive systems through the consumption of
dairy? As Shy Buba wrote on The Vegan Woman blog, “It’s
contrary to feminism to defend one type of female body
while using and abusing another.”
Fighting Back or Fighting Ourselves?
Over the years, I’ve been involved with both
mainstream gay, lesbian, bisexual and sex and/or
gender diverse communities, as well as alternative
queer groups. Within both communities, there are
passionate individuals and groups campaigning
against one or more forms of oppression while
perpetuating other forms. For example, the rise of
“black face” and other modes of appropriation of
native cultures by white performers in queer feminist
...One of the more
confronting aspects of sacred
activism is learning to love
and forgive the perpetrators
of oppression, cruelty, and
horrendous injustices.
circles; sexism, racism, and misogyny within the
animal rights movement; and speciesism in the
majority of campaigns for human rights.
It both breaks my heart and frustrates me when my
queer, feminist friends and colleagues speak out so
passionately about homophobia, sexism or racism in >
BAREFOOTVegan | 91
one breath, while updating their Facebook statuses
describing the sentient being they ate for lunch or serving
the dead bodies or secretions of tortured farmed animals
at events to celebrate equality or advancement for women
or queer folk. And when the issue of animal oppression is
raised (in the same way that they attempt to gain support
for their particular cause), reactions generally fall into two
camps: “I know, but I don’t care enough to change my
lifestyle to give up my gustatory delights,” or “I don’t want
to know because I don’t want to give up my power and
privilege. Besides, (insert type of creature here) tastes so
good.”
Some are often accompanied by a patronising smile
and a comment along the lines of, “Aw, your love of
animals and vegan lifestyle is so sweet.” Imagine the
reaction if you said that about their anti-racism work.
Unsurprisingly, such disagreements result in an
interminable amount of infighting—in which I admit I’ve
contributed my share. Activist movements are full of
people who have experienced cruelty, oppression,
discrimination, and often physical violence. We’ve been
told that we’re “broken,” “wrong,” “not good enough,”—
not only by individual people, but through the
perpetuation of overt as well as the insidious
reinforcement of what is considered culturally acceptable
or unacceptable.
Depending on the educational or emotional resources
we have access to at any given time, many of us will live in
a state of unconsciousness about our own or others’
oppression, reacting with anger each time we are triggered
by others’ comments. Many of us are fuelled by a deepseated
rage, which can on one hand be a motivator to take
action against injustice, yet unchecked on the other hand
destroys not only our own sense of peace but very often
any power or leverage we may get to achieve our goals of
liberation. While we’re busy putting all our energy into
fighting each other and our potential allies, it seems
oppressors are finding new ways to hold onto and extend
their privileges.
Integrating the Shadow Self and Embracing
Compassion for All
In July 2011, my personal life was a mess. Despite being in a
relationship of 18 years with a woman who loved me very
much and living in an apartment that I co-owned, I was
deeply unhappy and dissatisfied with my life. My career as
a freelance writer and editor wasn’t bringing me the joy it
used to; I felt like I’d lost my writing mojo and felt
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As social change
makers, we owe it
to ourselves, and
to humanity,
animals, and the
planet, to take
action that comes
from a place of
compassion: for
others and
ourselves.
resentful and trapped. Up until that time, I believed that
life happened to me, that my feelings ran the show and I
was at the mercy of external circumstances—in other
words, despite my obvious privileges, I was a victim.
Fortunately, a close friend offered a different
perspective on my situation, one which suggested that I
had a choice in how I acted, reacted, and behaved. At
the age of 46, I was finally ready to hear the pearl of
wisdom that personal development gurus had been
spouting for decades. I felt not just a light bulb but a
whole panorama of bright stadium lights switch on in
my mind. The following 12 months saw me devour
books, audio recordings, and DVDs, and attend
workshops and seminars, all of which taught me that
the past only defines you if you let it; it is possible to
consciously choose to move beyond it and decide who
you want to become.
Now, I realise this may be all very well for a whiteskinned,
middle-class lesbian with certain privileges,
and I’m not suggesting it’s easy (I still struggle with
negative self-talk, but it’s lessening as I equip myself
with the tools of self-awareness), but I have come to
believe that compassion for self and others is the key to
making a difference in the world. As I allowed myself to
be open to new possibilities, I found myself exposed to
individuals who had figured out the importance of
integrating our shadow parts into our lives, instead of
running away from them.
>
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Our “shadow side” is anything we dislike about ourselves
that we’d rather others did not know about us. It can
range from a sense of entitlement and righteousness to
feeling incompetent, like a failure or a fake.
In 2012, I met and conducted an interview with author
Andrew Harvey who coined the term “sacred activism,” a
mixture of radical action/activism and spirituality. What
I like about Harvey’s philosophy is his acknowledgement
of the need to do intense work around the personal and
cultural shadow (our own private wounding as well the
shadow cast by a society that is “narcissistic, selfabsorbed
and utterly suicidal in its pursuit of
domination of nature ” ).
Harvey believes that positive social change will not
be achieved by activists fueled solely by anger or by
“bliss bunnies” who meditate and do little else. In
addition to personal and group shadow work, one of the
more confronting aspects of sacred activism is learning
to love and forgive the perpetrators of oppression,
cruelty, and horrendous injustices. This is a challenging
one, and I am not sure I am quite ready to embrace this,
yet intuitively it rings true.
“It doesn’t mean you don’t act against their policies,”
Harvey told me. “Gandhi didn’t hate the British, but
acted systematically to unseat them. Martin Luther King
didn’t hate white Americans, but fought with sacred
power to bring in civil rights. Not hating people, and
instead forgiving them, doesn’t mean you let the policies
or actions continue, but it does mean your whole action
is not action against; it’s for a vision that includes [the
perpetrators] and their healing. Gandhi believed the
British were killing themselves by gunning down the
Indians, so his action was on behalf of both. King
understood that white Americans pretending to love
Jesus while dishonoring their black brothers and sisters
were destroying a part of their soul, so his actions were
on behalf of White Americans and black people.”
It is a tough one. Attempting to love and forgive
those who carry out the most heinous atrocities on
people, animals, and the environment is not a place I
have reached yet, but I am teetering on the edge of
compassion, with the awareness that the perpetrators of
violence, cruelty and destruction are acting from a place
of fear, self-loathing, and unconsciousness. When I was
around nine, I deliberately killed a centipede. For no
particular reason other than I could. I suppose I felt
powerless, and this was a way I could feel powerful over
another being. I felt guilty and ashamed for many years
afterwards. I have also been reactive, unkind, and harsh
to various people throughout my life—as most of us
have.
We all seek love, significance, and belonging. In that
search we may hurt others. It is because we do not love
ourselves that our ego needs power over others, rather
than empowerment. As social change makers, we owe it
to ourselves, and to humanity, animals, and the planet,
to take action that comes from a place of compassion:
for others and ourselves. BV
This article is an extract
from Circles of Compassion:
Essays Connecting Issues of
Justice, edited by Dr. Will
Tuttle. To
order your
copy, click on
the cover
image.
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Anti-natalism is a philosophical position
that assigns a negative value to birth or
that views non-existence as preferable to
existence (source). There is an
increasing population of vegans
publically expressing aggressive antinatalist
views and here, Dr. Casey Taft
explores how doing so can have a negative
impact on our vegan advocacy efforts.
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I
n a patriarchal society there is great pressure on
women to have children. Women are taught from an
early age that one of their primary functions is to
have babies. When they don't fulfill this societal
role, they may be subtly or not so subtly pressured by
those around them to get with the program.
I have great respect for those women who decide that
having children is not right for them despite the pressure
they're under. For many, the decision not to have children
represents a reclaiming of their personal identity and
what it means to be a woman.
Other women make a different choice and opt to have
children. This choice also may connect them with their
womanhood.
There is perhaps nothing more personal than one's
reproductive choices. I don't think that anyone should be
shamed for these choices, whatever they may be.
Unfortunately, within the vegan movement, many
women and men who refer to themselves as "antinatalists"
engage in shaming women for their choice to
have kids, creating an unsafe space for many women in
the movement. In anti-natalist spaces, and even in other
vegan spaces, women with children are derided as
"breeders" and far worse, and jokes are made about
women who have miscarriages or babies with disabilities.
The ugliness I've witnessed knows no bounds. But yet,
even when direct calls for violence towards women and
babies are exposed and made public, there is often a
disappointing silence among other "child-free" vegans
who otherwise are strong anti-violence advocates. I
suppose it's human nature to ignore violence and hatred
by those whom we may share certain other beliefs or
characteristics.
The anti-natalist argument is based primarily on
scientific claims that rapid overpopulation will be the
death of us all. The science behind these arguments is
weak, with data showing that birth rates are actually
declining in developing and developed nations. 1 The birth
rate in the United States is the lowest rate ever
recorded. 2,3 Despite this, 16% of the world’s population in
developed nations consumes 80% of its natural resources,
indicating that the real problems lie with
overconsumption and misallocation of resources. 4 This
overconsumption is clearly occurring at the corporate
rather than the individual level, as we have a global
economic system that has no regard for the damage that
our major industries cause to the planet. 5 Vegans are as
mindful of this as anyone, since our vegan advocacy helps
combat climate change. The data seem to be telling us
that focusing on people having babies is placing the focus
in the wrong area.
But one should not engage in shaming, coercing, or
abusing women based on interpretations of scientific data
regardless. Our reproductive choices are protected
human rights, and efforts to take away these rights are
oppressive and abusive. Looking the other way when
others in the community do the same is also an injustice.
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How are we going to convince others
that we're a social justice movement
if we promote violence and injustice
among ourselves? How can we be taken
seriously when we speak out against
violence towards non-human animals
while promoting or ignoring abuse
towards our fellow humans?
Just like veganism is an issue of justice and not merely an
issue of nutritional science, so too is the issue of
reproductive choice.
Another tenet of anti-natalism is that it's cruel to bring
other humans into this terrible world. If one believes that
living on this planet is a form of cruelty, I absolutely agree
that having a child may not be a good decision for them.
But many of us feel gratitude for each day that we exist on
this planet. Many of us are vegan because we believe that
being alive is amazing and no animal should be deprived of
this gift.
Yet another argument made by anti-natalists is that
there's no guarantee that a vegan child will grow up to be
vegan, and thus they will do greater harm. As a father of a 3
-year old vegan girl who just grilled all our neighbors about
veganism while trick or treating for Halloween, I call BS.
Our little girl is stronger in her vegan convictions than
many adults we know. When kids are not brainwashed to
do harm to animals, it becomes unthinkable to do so, and
it’s highly unlikely that anything is going to change that.
Having a vegan child has forced us to engage in vegan
education efforts in all kinds of spaces that we otherwise
would not have: with neighbours, pre-school, family, and
friends. If we truly want a vegan world, we need to raise
awareness everywhere, not only with those from a singular
demographic or lifestyle choice.
Our veganism has been strengthened by having a vegan
child. It was the impetus for starting a vegan-themed
publishing company with a mission to raise vegan
awareness. Our connection with our child has made the
bond between non-human animals and their babies
more real and personal for us. When we see a young non
-human animal in an animal use industry, we see them as
we see our own child and it pushes us to try even harder
to make a difference for animals. Our parenthood is a
fundamental part of our veganism.
That is just us, of course, and others will have a
different experience. I'm not trying to suggest that every
vegan should go out there and reproduce, but at the
same time, we should not gloss over the good that can
come from parenting and we should avoid thinking of
vegan babies as some kind of plague for humanity.
Before somebody blurts out "Just adopt!" they should
educate themselves on the difficulties and costs of the
adoption process. I wish this was a more accessible
option and I urge anyone with the inclination and the
means to please do so, but adoption of a human is simply
not the same as saving a companion animal, and I know
of no vegan anti-natalist who has actually adopted a
human child.
Since I've become more vocal against anti-natalism,
I've had several vegan mothers thank me and tell me
stories about how they've been bullied and abused by
others in the community, and how their "friends" have
failed to speak out for them. Many have also described
not feeling safe in the vegan community anymore
because of this. It should go without saying that this is
the opposite of what we should be doing. We should be
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>
inviting others from various backgrounds and lifestyles
into our movement, including parents.
How are we going to convince others that we're a
social justice movement if we promote violence and
injustice among ourselves? How can we be taken seriously
when we speak out against violence towards non-human
animals while promoting or ignoring abuse towards our
fellow humans? It's time to get serious as a movement and
cut out the oppression, in all of its forms. BV
References:
1 Nargund, G. (2009). Declining birth rate in developed countries:
A radical policy rethink is required. Facts Views Vis Obgyn.
2009; 1(3): 191–193.
2 Park, M. (August 11, 2016). U.S. fertility rate falls to lowest on
record. CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/11/health/us-lowestfertility-rate/
3 Rossen LM, Osterman MJK, Hamilton BE, Martin JA. (2016).
Quarterly provisional estimates for selected birth indicators,
2014–Quarter 2, 2016. National Center for Health Statistics.
National Vital Statistics System, Vital Statistics Rapid Release
Program.
4 Utley, G. (October 12, 1999). World’s wealthiest 16 percent uses
80 percent of natural resources. CNN. http://www.cnn.com/
US/9910/12/population.cosumption/
5 Global Sisterhood Network (Fall 2006). 10 Reasons to Rethink
“Overpopulation.” http://www.global-sisterhood-network.org/
content/view/1319/59/
In addition to his work
managing Vegan Publishers,
Casey Taft is Professor of
Psychiatry at Boston
University School of
Medicine. He is an
internationally recognised and
award-winning researcher in the
areas of trauma and the family. He has published
over 100 journal articles, book chapters, and
scientific reports, and has consulted with the
United Nations on preventing violence and abuse
globally. He sees the prevention of violence
towards animals as a natural extension of this
work. Visit the Vegan Publishers website and
connect with them via Facebook and Twitter.
NATURE VS. NUTURE?
“Parents are often bewildered when their
children who have been raised to hold certain
values, go on to reject those values later in
life. However, there is no insurance policy that
your children will follow your own values, even if
they have been subjected to them throughout
their developing years and seen those values
lived out in the family.
“Vegan parents often believe that one of the
biggest contributions they can make to a
creating a vegan world is to raise a child as
vegan. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that
those children raised as vegans will continue to
be when they grow up.
“It is healthy and essential for children to
develop an increasing autonomy and
independence so they can function effectively in
the world. This independent stance could mean
a child who is raised vegan will reject those
values and see their non-veganism as a form of
independence and defiance. However, upbringing
and culture is a major determinant of how
people behave so fortunately for many children
raised as vegan, they continue to be throughout
their lives.”
- Vegan psychologist, Clare Mann
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By Julia Feliz Brueck
I
ncluded with the latest submission to The Vegan
Craftivist Project was a note that read in part, "I like
the idea of vegan craftivist projects because I want
to feel useful and feel like I am still part of a
movement even though I am physically unable to be part
of a lot of actions. Everyone has something to give in
life."
As the note reminds us, we all have something to give
and we can all speak up for non-humans in whatever way
we can. The Vegan Craftivist Project started as a way to
stay active in speaking up for non-humans after my move
to a foreign country where I did not speak the language. I
felt unable to use my voice on behalf of non-human
animals as I did before my move. I was grateful to find an
outlet a few months later when I learned that I could use
my hands to create works that could speak on their own
on issues that I was passionate about. I decided to use
craft as activism within the vegan and animal rights
movement through the collective display of banners
silently yet loudly proclaiming "why vegan" for nonhuman
animals.
Whether you are the only vegan in your area,
unfamiliar with the local language like I was, physically
unable to take part in many actions, or very active in the
vegan movement, the great thing about craftivism is that
vegans from all walks of life can speak up through the
use of their hands.
The term ‘craftivism’ was coined by Betsy Greer with an
aim of speaking up for social justice issues through the
use of craft - knitting, crochet, sewing, and embroidery,
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for example. Community outreach, making things for
those less fortunate, creating something to protest an
issue, or crafting a piece that delivers a message to the
viewer, all count as craftivism. The Vegan Craftivist
Project was the first vegan project to join the craftivist
movement.
With a goal of collecting 100 banners, which will be
sewn together as a large flag and displayed in vegan
venues and demonstrations, world-wide submissions in all
languages from vegans of all crafting skills are welcome to
send in banners. To learn more about vegan craftivism,
the project, and submission guidelines,
visit vegancraftivist.blogspot.ch or join our Vegan
Craftivist Facebook page. BV
Julia is an American currently
experiencing life in
Switzerland. She has spent
the last decade or so
exploring the world
outside of the US, and on
that journey, while in Ireland, she
discovered ethical veganism. Julia has recently
published her first vegan children’s book ‘Libby
Finds Vegan Sanctuary’.
We all have
something to
give and we
can all speak
up for nonhumans
in
whatever way
we can.
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By Honey Morris
I
love to craft, it’s a hobby, and a passion, that I have
rediscovered in my thirties. I find crafting to be
surprisingly relaxing, mediative almost, and I spend as
much time channelling my creativity as possible. A lot
of my family and friends are baffled when I talk about vegan
crafting but frustratingly, a lot of crafting materials are nonvegan.
That’s right, a lot of crafting materials contain animal
products and/or animal by-products! Yes, it’s sadly the case
but on a positive note, eco-friendly and vegan crafting
supplies are becoming more and more popular and as a
consequence, retailers are being encouraged to cater for
conscious crafters.
As an example, paint and paint brushes are often nonvegan,
paint commonly contains charred animal bones,
cochineal, ox gall and squid sacs and paint brushes are,
more often than not, made from fur.
Personally, my main craft is crochet, so my key
consideration is wool. I refuse to crochet with any animalbased
wool, the most common of which is sheep’s wool.
The commercial wool industry is profit driven, shearers are
often paid per sheep and consequently, sheep suffer
emotionally and physically as a result of the shearing
process. I also prefer to use eco-friendly wools, with
bamboo and organic cotton being firm favourites.
When I’m crafting, I love to reuse items. I love the
challenge of creating something with items that are
considered “trash”. This is something that a lot of my
family and friends are aware of so they often pass me things
like buttons, corks, fabric scraps, glass jars, ribbon,
wrapping paper, and I especially love to craft them
something with the items they kindly donate.
I was actually introduced to the idea of craftivism when
my family and friends started offering to pay for my
creations. Initially, I felt a little awkward when
discussing potential prices, however, I soon realised
that I was being presented with an opportunity to use
my hobby to raise some much needed funds for not-for
-profit animal rescue organisations.
So, as a craftivist I use my creativity to make a
difference, albeit a small and gentle one. I donate all of
the profits I make from selling items I have crafted
and/or crocheted and excitingly, since mid-2016, I have
donated over $300.00 (AUD).
Recently, I was able to combine my love of crafting
and my love of food by hosting a Christmas
crafternoon tea. I was overwhelmed with how
enthusiastically my friends embraced the crafting
aspect and it was a fantastic opportunity for me to
share some delicious vegan food with them all.
I am looking forward to continuing with my
craftivism in 2017. I have some exciting ideas for
crochet projects that also raise awareness of important
animal rights issues.
The beginning of a New Year is the perfect time to
introduce a new hobby or like me, rediscover an old
hobby! So, if you’re feeling inspired to channel your
creativity, have a think about what you’d like to do;
jewellery making, crocheting, knitting, quilting,
sewing, card making, scrapbooking, or woodwork! Give
it a go, the possibilities really are endless! BV
Honey is the creator of Veggie Yum Yums, a
friendly vegan Facebook page, and the
Assistant Online Editor of Barefoot Vegan.
Click here to visit her website.
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