V-E-G-A-N

I oppose the live export ban campaign. The only vote that counts is the money vote. What would change if live exports stopped? The animals get a long haul truck ride instead of a long haul boat ride. They still get slaughtered which ever country they're in and it will be Halal slaughter. In Australia there are 15 halal slaughterhouses which are exempt from stunning (which is meaningless anyway cos many animals can still fee pain when stunned) and more would need to be built to meet the demand for halal meat for Indonesia if the live export was banned. Scrap that, meat would be imported from Brazil to Indonesia instead. Rainforest beef. So long as there is a demand there will be a supply. Let's stop focussing on the supply side of injustice and get to the cause of it: the demand. And we do that with peaceful vegan education. Only that will stop cow slaughter in any country.

Poll: What do you think of live exports? Tony Abbott says the "last thing" he will do is stop the live export of cattle, but this poll says he is out of step with the public wishes.

A charity that's suitable for vegans. Give without harming others in the process. I want to see more people being fed too.

We send 100% of your gift donation to four hand-picked programs that feed people in need without harming animals. See groups: www.awfw.org/gifts.

Perfect for vegetarians & vegans to give AND receive. Includes the Ethiopian school lunch program with our partners at the International Fund for Africa (pictured below).

During the holiday season, popular gifts include donations to hunger relief programs that promote meat consumption, either by distributing animal-based foods, or by sending live animals as gifts to be used for food.

Our Plants-4-Hunger gift-giving program (www.awfw.org/gifts) provides a compassionate and more effective alternative that's also better for the planet.

We send 100% of your donation to four hand-picked vegan feeding programs with low overhead & proven success in high-need areas.

This year's four projects support school lunch programs in ETHIOPIA and GUATEMALA, delivery of food to those most in need in INDIA, and community food gardens in the UNITED STATES.

These programs provide both immediate assistance AND long-term community solutions that feed people without harming animals.

To make a gift or learn more about our Plants-4-Hunger programs, see: http://awfw.org/gifts.

To learn more about the ways that animal gifting programs harm not only animals, but the families and communities they're intended to help, please see our 10 Reasons To Say No To Animal "Gifts" at: http://awfw.org/no-animal-gifts.

Pictured: through their school lunch program in Ethiopia, our partners at International Fund for Africa provide immediate and long-term assistance to some of the world’s most vulnerable children. In addition to funding vegan meals, local staff and kitchen equipment, the program builds income-generating bakeries and produces school food gardens that will sustain children indefinitely. The Ethiopian School Lunch program is one of our Plants-4-Hunger recipients.

Animal production (meat, eggs, dairy, leather, wool) is an ecological disaster. There is nothing more destructive or resource hungry than animal production.

Saving the Planet, One Meal at a Time: Chris Hedges The animal agriculture industry is the primary cause of the destruction of the ecosystem. Becoming vegan is the most important step we can take to save the planet. - 2014/11/09

Really? Plants have feelings? With no brain or nerve cells? No senses, eyes, etc.... c'mon now! Even if you really want to ignore the thoroughly investigated science that concludes without a doubt that plants cannot feel, surely we can recognise that there is a huge moral difference between slicing open a head of lettuce and slicing open the family dog. The logical conclusion from this is that the family dog is morally the same in value to the pigs, chickens and cows we eat meat, eggs and milk from. It's inconsistent to respect only the dog but hurt and enslave the others. Going vegan is the only way to be consistent in our values of nonviolence for everybody, no matter what race, class, s*x or species.

A great example of why free range humane farming is still wrong as told by teenagers in this skit about campaigning for the humane treatment of free range slaves fed to the lions in ancient Rome. SETS: Society for the Ethical Treatment of Slaves. Go to time 9:47...

http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/youre-skitting-me/CH1257V007S00

You're Skitting Me Fairytale animation continues with the tale of Little Red Riding Hood; prefects sing up a storm telling us how it really is; the Zombies go on a date; Romans stick up for slave rights; and a Ghost Roaster is caught out.

People already believe in veganism, in the values of nonviolence, in caring and not harming. It's just that most people are not living in alignment with their values. I fully exploit this fact (that people already care) when I do my public vegan education.
~Renata

Pictured above is a poster (36 inches wide x 24 inches tall) that says, “If you think it’s wrong to hurt animals, you already believe in going vegan.” Click on the following link to download that poster:

http://www.abolitionistvegansociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/TAVS_20140201_ifyouthinkitswrong_250ppi.jpg

"Respecting Animals Mean Going Vegan" pamphlet

Available free upon application from the International Vegan Association:

http://www.internationalvegan.org/pamphlet/

An ex abattoir worker chatted to me at my vegan information market table. He described his last day working there. One day, Dave went outside for a "smoko". There was a pen with a lone bull inside awaiting slaughter. The bull was a pet no longer wanted by his owners. He came up to Dave and nuzzled him. He licked his hand and arm affectionately as he was used to sharing affection with humans and trusted them completely. Minutes later after Dave's break, he faced the pet bull on the kill floor. He had to kill the confused bull. He couldn't work there anymore after that experience.

Great conversations for a peaceful world with yummy vegan food at the Sunday markets.

Hello! I just did my abolitionist vegan information table with free cupcakes at the Desert Smart Eco Fair in central Australia at the weekend (my fifth year). It's a wonderfully effective form of activism. Have you done some peaceful vegan education recently or have been thinking about doing it? Here's a group for vegan educators: https://www.facebook.com/groups/229756307060193/

What's wrong with encouraging people to go vegan for reasons of compassion?

The following quotation explains it well:

“Let’s stop talking about veganism as a matter of compassion, benevolence and other nice-sounding, but ultimately anthropocentric missives. The idea that we are ‘being kind’, ‘acting compassionately’, or ‘saving lives’ just by being vegan is misguided. It’s also paternalistic. Veganism is a matter of justice, and it reflects the absolute minimum of justice that I owe to other persons (human and non). This doesn’t mean we’re not compassionate people. It doesn’t mean we can’t act compassionately toward other animals (human or non). It just means that veganism is what we owe them. It’s not an act of charity.” - Vincent Guihan

Veganism is a moral choice.

But the upside is that it's also healthy (not to mention Earth-friendly).

Veganism is good for *all* animals, including human ones!

Of course veganism isn't *just* a diet, but it's an important factor in being vegan.

And after a lifetime of non-vegan eating, some learning needs to be done with regards to vegan nutrition.

Luckily for Sydney-siders, the 30-day CHIP (Complete Health Improvement Program) educational program is starting soon with 12-week courses starting at various dates in June and July 2014.

For more details see www.sydneychiphealth.org.au/about-chip. and www.chiphealth.org.au.

***NOTE: while CHIP encourages participants to adopt a vegan diet, they are not necessarily an abolitionists. This, however, doesn't diminish their ability to give nutritional info.***

About the CHIP Program | Sydney CHIP Health About the CHIP ProgramWhat is CHIP?CHIP, an acronym for Complete Health Improvement Project. It is an affordable, 4-week lifestyle education program with thousands of graduates worldwide.It is a scientifically proven, life-changing 30 day journey to a happier, healthier and more abundant life.Mark M…

Mothers Day vegan education at the Sunday markets Alice Springs.

We think it's hard organising a peaceful vegan information market table, buying a tent, baking cakes to give away, printing posters and folding pamphlets... Imagine how bad it is for the animals! Don't forget them ever. We're not the ones stuck in a tiny cage in our poo. We are ok. We have to fight for them. And we fight with education.

Painting with a vegan message by Omanisa Ross