Força Vegan Magazine: Issue 3 by VegfestUK

FREE

OCT 2021

FORÇA VEGAN JUSTICE FOR ANIMALS, PEOPLE & THE PLANET

M A G A Z I N E

Vegans in

Africa Social Media

Activism

VEGAN FOR HALF

A CENTURY

Being vegan from 1960s to present

VEGAN CAPITALISM Are we adapting, and do we need to?

SHAC Vegans

of India

Camp Beagle

FORCA VEGAN

W EL C OM E T O

CLICK TO OPEN: ISSUE #2

ISSUE #1 Hello and welcome to Issue 3 of Força Vegan Online Magazine, touching base with the 4 corners of the globe in this post-pandemic epoch overshadowed by the combined threats of climate change, corporate negligence and the consistent annihilation of billions of living beings and vast hectarage of wildlife habitat, confronted by the consistent actions of millions of committed activists and individuals fighting for change, for justice and for liberation.

ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

Força Vegan continues its journey that began back in March 2021 and enhanced in May 2021 with a fabulous collection of news, views and reflections from a compact yet undoubtedly bijoux selection of contributors from across the globe. Our gratitude and respect extends to all those living the change we want to see in the world, those working for a vegan future for everyone, and especially those featured in this collection of inspirational vegan and animal rights activism.

EDITOR TIM BARFORD

DESIGNER PETE METCALFE ISSN 2634-9566

Published by VegfestUK © www.vegfest.co.uk Enquiries: info@vegfest.co.uk

The views expressed in Força Vegan Online Magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor nor VegfestUK Ltd, and neither the Editor, Design team or VegfestUK Ltd accept any liability for any matter in the magazine, nor can be held responsible for any actions taken as a result of the content of this magazine. Advertisements and paid promotional copy are accepted without implying endorsement by the editor or publishers. Paid promotional copy is marked ‘Promotion’ on the appropriate pages.

CONTENTS 12

VEGAN

CAPITALISM

CAMP BEAGLE Camp Beagle is to be found outside of MBR Acres in the UK, a temporary home to a number of Beagles bred for testing on animals...

CAMP BEAGLE MERCH

Lorri from VEGAN Happy Clothing is helping the Camp with their merch - a vital fundraiser as the Camp heads into the winter months, as well as great promotion for the cause.

VEGAN FILM SCREENING

The Vibrant Vegan Society of Ghana is a nonprofit organization whose prime objective is to advocate & demystify VEGANISM ...

THE GHANAIAN VEGAN Zulfiquer Gbedemah aka The Ghanian Vegan takes a break from his favourite occupation to say hello and bring us up to speed with the current vegan scene in Accra Ghana.

THE UNAPOLOGETIC VEGTINO

My name is Martin Stanley Adansi and as a vegan activist, animal rights activist and a climate conscious individual, I stand for a life of non-violence and ethical living standards.

CONTENTS: CONTINUED

VEGAN SOCIETY OF

KENYA

My name is Rachel Kabue, founder of The Vegan Society of Kenya. I first became vegetarian in 2011, after visiting India for a yoga teacher training course...

KAMPALA, UGANDA Activist Kyobe Ashiraf updates us with a brief overview of vegan activism in Kampala, Uganda...

RUBY MOSS Here comes Ruby Moss! 14 year old Ruby from Dublin Ireland went straight to #1 with her first single release on her 14th birthday in July of this year...

68 M.C RONEN

Maya Cohen-Ronen (pen name M. C Ronen) is a New Zealand vegan of nine years and animal rights activist. When she isn’t bearing witness outside the local slaughterhouse or protesting, she is a business analyst, a mother of two children, two dogs and one rabbit, and a published author...

SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVISM

As part of the two-day Global Vegfest event organised by VegfestUK in September, 2021, I chaired a panel discussion on “social media activism” with a group of activists.

VEGAN LIFE

FESTIVAL

After a two year long absence due to the covid-19 emergency, the Athens Vegan Life Festival opened its doors again and we could not have been more delighted.

CONTENTS: CONTINUED

THE MAKING OF

ANIMAL REBELLION

Dan Kidby, Animal Freedom activist and founding member of Animal Think Tank & Animal Rebellion looks back over the past decade with us, in this truly impressive ‘origin’ story.

100

VEGANS OF INDIA:

ATUL SARIN

Atul Sarin is the founder of Welfare for Animals in Goa.

106 VEG’FEST MOROCCO

110 VEGAN FOR

HALF A CENTURY

Jordi Casamitjana, author of ‘Ethical Vegan’, talks with 4 vegans who have been vegan for over 50 years.

The international festival of Moroccan vegans “Vegfest Morocco”: ...in honour of Dr. Jane Goodall.

134

VEGAN F.T.A

I was told recently by an animal rights advocate of rather mature years that ‘You can’t call yourself an activist unless you’ve been arrested’...

154

ART OF COMPASSION PROJECT:

A VIRTUAL 3D SHOWCASE

142

The Art of Compassion exhibition series is the first of its kind—a virtual 3D showcase of never-before-seen vegan art ...

INSIDE SHAC

Tom Harris became involved with SHAC in 2000, and spent the next decade as a SHAC activist in the UK. Tom is currently writing a book about the history of SHAC ...

160

...AND IF YOU KNOW YOUR

HISTORY: PART 3

In the third of this series, Dr. Roger Yates turns his attention to Leslie Cross, who would have a profound effect on the vegan movement ...

ALL AROUND

THE WORLD Here are some more online AND live vegan events happening all over the world in the next couple of months.

Global Vegfest 2 takes place online on the weekend of December 18th & 19th 2021 at www.vegfest.co.uk and associated social media platforms – free, no registration required and featuring activists from around the globe in a series of livestreams and panels. The first event in September 21 included collaborations with The Plant Based Health Professionals UK, Vegan Business Tribe, and VIVAS – Vegan Women Leaders, several cookery demos & some fabulous entertainment plus activists from Hong Kong, Japan, Pakistan, Ghana, Egypt, Morocco, USA and UK. The December edition includes a focus on Africa with guests from Kenya, Uganda and Ghana with more to be confirmed. View the September 21 Global Vegfest Event Programme here: https://www. vegfest.co.uk/globalvegfest/programme/

The National Afro-Vegan Conference Virtual Summit (13th November 2021) is an online event featuring guest speakers, plant-based chefs and medical professionals who promote plantbased eating and vegan living as a solution to many of the global challenges we currently face. https://www.afrovegansociety.org/event-details/ national-afro-vegan-conference-virtual-summit 10

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Veg’fest Morocco - 6th & 7th November 2021: The National Association of Moroccan Vegans is organizing the second digital session of the international festival “ VegFest” Morocco. After organizing Its first edition of VegFest Morocco last year, they had been awarded the grand prize presented by the United Kingdom for the best global initiative. The association plans to organize the second digital version on November 6th and 7th on its official Facebook page, taking into consideration a free registration to the event IFMAG is highly encouraging the adoption of a healthy, responsible diet that respects animals and contributes to the preservation of the environment. The International Festival of Moroccan Vegans is also covering Africa as a theme and African vegan activists to honor Dr. Jane Goodall, who has given her life to animal service and activism in Africa.

Join Made in Hackney community food service head chef Sareta Puri to celebrate the South Asian festival of lights, Diwali. (6th November 2021) Discover how to make some of Sareta’s favourite festival and party foods - pakora, tofu tikka, coconut chutney and mango burfi - and learn more about the illuminating festival. This live interactive class will include: - How to make authentic Indian festival and party foods - vegetable pakora, tofu tikka, coconut chutney and mango burfi - Learn about Diwali festival traditions across South Asia How to make fresh, healthy versions of traditional Indian dishes Benefits of plant-based foods - Recipe handout To learn more and to register, click here!

Animal Advocacy Conference Asia - 20th - 28th November 2021: A space for animal justice advocates across Asia to come together and learn together! We will have workshops from prominent advocates from across Asia and beyond on topics including nonviolent communication, farm transformation, corporate engagement, diversity and inclusivity, lobbying and campaigning in Asia and so much more. Get your tickets now! Full programme and ticket registration are here: https://www. animalallianceasia.org Follow us! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/animalallianceasia/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnimalAllianceAsia Twitter: https://twitter.com/animal_al_asia YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK6C3Xs8k9EGXtjsviBGaIQ

The Himalayan Vegan Festival will last for 6 days and start in Kathmandu, Nepal on the 15th, 16th & 17th of April 2022 and continue from the 18th, 19th & 20th in Thimphu, Bhutan. It will be the largest ever vegan event in the Himalaya! The Himalayan Vegan Festival will be hosting over 75 exhibitors and 100+ international and local delegates and speakers and welcoming thousands of attendees to discover, celebrate and support a compassionate, plant-based lifestyle in the heart of the Himalayas! The Himalayan Vegan Festival has something for everyone and is simply not to be missed. So make sure to mark your calendar – and come join the celebrations for FREE at the Himalayan Vegan Festival in 2022. Be a part of this history-making event in the heart of the Himalaya https://www.himalayanveganfestival.org

Join us for a delicious day of fun and inspiration! This will be our 5th WHANGAREI VEGAN EXPO and is set to be our biggest yet, with more stalls and event rooms than ever before. It will be held at Forum North on Sunday 7th November 2021. This event has incredible value - you will see cooking demonstrations, movie screenings, sample food, enjoy live entertainment and meet some new people - it’s a great day out for the whole family. This is a fun and interactive day for anyone interested in learning more about the vegan movement. There will be delicious vegan street-food stalls, vegan lifestyle product stalls, live music and entertainment, interesting talks from plantbased doctors and sports people, raw food workshops and cooking lessons.’’ https://www.facebook.com/ events/796897091029230

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VEGAN

BY TOM HARRIS

Anti-capitalism and veganism are two sides of the same coin. Maximum profit from minimal investment is the reason industrial slaughter exists, and for generations being vegan meant avoiding multinationals. Companies like McDonalds hated us as much as we did them; they didn’t even make vegan fries. But the rise of ‘vegan capitalism’ has ushered in a new era, and it poses a new question. Are we adapting, and do we need to? In 2017, I finished a fiveyear Anti-Social Behaviour Order. This followed a fiveyear prison sentence I received during a coordinated attack by the British state to end the anti-vivisection movement. As a result, I had been isolated from other animal liberation activists for the best part of a decade. Dozens of my friends were in the same situation, or worse. As I emerged into the cold light of freedom, the movement I grew up in had all but vanished. Something new, and in some ways better, had replaced it. For the first time since the 1960’s a 12

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new generation of activists had appeared with little guidance from those who came before. Before my arrest, my activism consisted of deconstructing businesses. I routinely follow the financial press, and in those pages I noticed another change; one which slipped under the radar of many. As my ASBO ended, the western-world’s plantbased revolution began. The catalyst wasn’t the animal liberation movement, but an unusual research project. The Wellcome Trust

and Oxford University are a sinister pairing, responsible for countless depraved and violent experiments on non-human animals. But this time their study took place amid the aisles of Sainsbury’s supermarkets. They placed veggie food on the same shelves as meat, gave vouchers to shoppers who chose vegetarian options, and provided recipes cards to help shoppers eat less meat. Their aim was to increase plant-based eating in an attempt to slow the looming climate crisis. Through this study, influx of plantbased foods onto supermarket shelves had begun.

... Now however, these corporations are converting to plant based of their own volition. Now, the fastest way to animal liberation appears to be accelerating that change.” FORCA VEGAN

Months later, Bill Gates, Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz, and Asia’s third wealthiest man Li Ka-shing invested over $75 million in Impossible foods. Plantbased egg manufacturer Hampton Creek added senior employees of Dupont and Heinz to their board and secured funding from investors including Yahoo cofounder Jerry Yang. Companies such as Beyond Meat saw similar investment surges, as capitalist grandees rushed to back plant-based foods. As a result of their efforts, between 2016 and 2019, Britain’s vegan population soared from roughly 250,000 to over 600,000. Capitalism isn’t reacting to the plant-based revolution; it is driving it. Multinationals often present as faceless hives of evil. SHAC was feared by the establishment because we recognised that these companies are actually comprised of individuals. Decisions aren’t made by a collective, unaccountable consciousness, but by people with hobbies, biases, families, and lives. Over time, those people change, both literally and figuratively. Take the CEO of bakery chain Gregg’s. After watching The Game Changers, he adopted a plant-based diet and began working to create plant-based versions of Gregg’s bestselling products. The CEO of KFC switched to eating plant-based burgers, acknowledging ‘they’re as good as the regular burger.’ Unilever subsidiary Knorr launched a ‘Cheat on Meat’ 14

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strategy, inspired by their CEO’s vegan daughter. Unilever themselves sell many of their plant-based foods at a loss, to lower demand for animal products. Not so long ago, the fastest way to total animal liberation was to tear downs these corporations and replace them with something better. There was nothing in McDonalds for us to eat even if we wanted to. Now however, these corporations are

converting to plant-based of their own volition. Now, the fastest way to animal liberation appears to be accelerating that change. Personally, I am idealistically anti-capitalist. I routinely reject multinationals in favour of smaller, more ethical brands whenever I can. However, I have met few people who practice anti-capitalism as rigidly as many preach it. Who do you know who grows all

‘The Game Changers’ - the film that inspired Gregg’s CEO to go plant-based

their own food on squatted land? Even dumpster diving and shoplifting rely on the existence of capitalism. Someone’s location, household budget, privilege, and a host of other reasons dictate their ability to live off entirely ethical products. We are all forced to make uncomfortable compromises, and each of us has our own, often wobbly red lines. Twenty years ago, I regularly enjoyed a cooked vegan

breakfast at roadside café Little Chef on my way to or from an action. The company predominantly sold meat products, yet I ate alongside prominent activists from the largest animal liberation campaigns of the last fifty years, including several ALF veterans. None of the people who shared a table with me in Little Chef would have entered McDonalds without a megaphone, or a dried-out sponge to block their toilets. Somewhere between Little

‘McLibel’ - the book documenting the infamous McLibel case in the UK; 1986.

Chef and McDonalds is a level of capitalism many of us are willing to tolerate. McDonalds’ became the face of evil in 1986 when London Greenpeace created their infamous ‘What’s wrong with McDonald’s?’ leaflet. They clearly and concisely made their case from every progressive angle. They detailed the company’s involvement in deforestation, worker exploitation, child labour, plastic pollution, and violent farming practices. The leaflet caused a stir, London Greenpeace were dragged through the courts as McDonalds attempted to defend their collapsing reputation. By the time the ‘McLibel’ trial was addressed in the European Court of Human Rights fifteen years later, the company insisted that ‘times have changed and so has McDonald’s.’ A lot of their changes were flagrant greenwashing, but how much has changed? We know they still murder billions of non-human animals, but do they still exploit children and chop down rainforests? Their chicken supplier, Cargill does both, and far more besides. More and more multinationals are driving the plant-based revolution to slow the climate crisis, but Cargill are doing the opposite. Alongside Heifer International, their ‘Hatching Hope’ initiative targets deprived areas of developing nations. Here they pressure struggling families in plant-based communities to create poultry farms as they attempt to balance FORCA VEGAN

out the decrease of animal agriculture in the west. As the world’s leading chicken feed supplier, the scheme protects Cargill’s profits for generations to come, even as the world burns around them. On top of that, Cargill have deforested so much of the Amazon even McDonalds begged them to stop. Cargill agreed to spare the Cerrado region, but simply moved their operations to other vulnerable sections of the Amazon. They poison rivers, buy from farmers who use forced child labour, and own a phalanx of abattoirs, supplying a quarter of the US’ meat supply. McDonalds’ relationship with Cargill warrants a continued boycott of the fast

food chain, but does that complicate things? If we boycott McDonalds because of Cargill, then we should avoid Cargill’s other customers, including Tesco’s, Morrison’s, and the thousands of companies who purchase their cocoa, salt, coconut oil, animal feed, and meat. We elevated McDonalds above these other companies because there was a targeted pressure campaign against them. The facts the campaign highlighted were so compelling they resonate decades later. This highlights the power of grassroots activism, and the importance of research and knowledge. It should also highlight the need to ensure our information is up to date and relevant.

DAMAGING THE ENVIRONMENT Forests throughout the world - vital for all life - are being destroyed at an appalling rate by multinational companies. McDonald's have at last been forced to admit to using beef reared on ex-rainforest land, preventing its regeneration. Also, the use of farmland by multinationals and their suppliers forces local people to move on to other areas and cut down further trees.

What’s Wrong With McDonald’s? McDonald's spend over $2 billion every year worldwide on advertising and promotions, trying to cultivate an image of being a 'caring' and 'green' company that is also a fun place to eat. Children are lured in - dragging their parents behind them - with the promise of toys and other gimmicks. But behind the smiling face of Ronald McDonald lies the reality: McDonald's only interest is money, making profits from whoever and whatever they can, just like all multinationals. The company's sales are now $40 billion a year. The continual worldwide expansion of fast food chains means more uniformity, less choice and the undermining of local communities. PROMOTING UNHEALTHY FOOD McDonald's promote their food as 'nutritious', but the reality is that it is processed junk food - high in fat, sugar and salt, and low in fibre and vitamins. A diet of this type is linked with a greater risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other diseases. Their food also contains many chemical additives, some of which may cause ill-health, and hyperactivity in children. Modern intensive farming and production methods are geared to maximising profits. As a result, the widespread use of unnatural practices and chemicals has also affected people's health (e.g. BSE and food poisoning). EXPLOITING WORKERS Workers in the fast food industry are paid low wages. McDonald's do not pay overtime rates even when employees work very long hours. Pressure to keep profits high and wage costs low results in understaffing, so staff have to work harder and faster. As a consequence, accidents (particularly burns) are common. The majority of employees are people who have few job options and so have no alternative to being bossed around and

Another popular boycott shows how important this is. In the 1980’s, Unilever owned animal testing facilities. Animal Liberation Front (ALF) activists rescued dogs from these laboratories, and aboveground campaigners dropped banners from roofs and picketed their offices. The boycott began, and no animal liberationist would dream of buying their products. Unilever eventually sold their laboratories, but the boycott didn’t end. Why would it? They still paid others to test their products. Now however, Unilever subsidiaries ‘only’ test products when required by law to sell in regions such as China. Remarkably, Unilever are the primary force pressuring the Chinese authorities to end cosmetic testing

exploited - and they're compelled to 'smile' too! Not surprisingly staff turnover at McDonald's is high, making it virtually impossible to unionise and fight for a better deal. This suits McDonald's who have always been opposed to workers' rights and Unions. The same is true for workers toiling in sweatshops in China to produce McDonald's 'happy meal' toys. ROBBING THE POOR The demands made by multinationals for cheap food supplies result in the exploitation of agricultural workers throughout the world. Vast areas of land in poor countries are used for cash crops or for cattle ranching, or to grow grain to feed animals to be eaten in the West. This is at the expense of local food needs. McDonald's continually promote meat products, encouraging people to eat meat more often, which wastes more and more food resources. 7 million tons of grain fed to livestock produces only 1 million tons of meat and by-products. On a plant-based diet and with land shared fairly, almost every region could be self-sufficient in food.

McDonald's are the world's largest user of beef. Methane emitted by cattle reared for the beef industry is a major contributor to the 'global warming' crisis. The heavy use of chemicals in modern agriculture destroys wildlife, plants and the soil. Every year McDonald's use over a million tons of

unnecessary plastic and paper packaging, the production of which requires environmentally-damaging chemicals and degradation of forests. Most of the packaging ends up littering our streets or polluting the land buried in landfill sites. CRUELTY TO ANIMALS The menus of the burger chains are based on the torture and murder of millions of animals. Most are intensively farmed, with no access to fresh air and sunshine, and no freedom of movement. Their short lives are cruel and their deaths are barbaric - 'humane slaughter' is a myth. We have the choice to eat meat or not, but the billions of animals slaughtered for food each year have no choice at all.

WHAT YOU CAN DO Food is central to our everyday lives, yet we have virtually no control over its production and distribution. The way we eat, and even the way we think about food is being manipulated by these powerful institutions and their sophisticated marketing campaigns. But despite strenuous marketing efforts, McDonald's is widely despised, and its 'reputation' - along with that of the food industry in general - continues to sink ever further. Every year on 16th October there is an annual World Day of Action against McDonald's and all they stand for - with pickets and demonstrations all over the world. Together we can fight back against the institutions which currently control our lives and our planet, and we can create a better society without exploitation or oppression. Workers can and do organise together to fight for their rights and dignity. People are increasingly aware of the need to think seriously about the food we and our children eat. Environmental and animal rights protests and campaigns are growing everywhere. People in poor countries are organising themselves to stand up to multinationals and banks which dominate the world's economy. Why not join in the struggle for a better world? Talk to friends and family, neighbours and workmates about these issues. Please copy and circulate this leaflet as widely as you can. For more information, visit: www.mcspotlight.org Please copy and distribute. If unable to copy, contact: Anti-McDonald's Campaign, c/o 245 Gladstone St, Nottingham NG7 6HX Your local contact (if applicable) is:

‘What’s Wrong with McDonald’s?’ - the leaflet that led to the longest libel case in UK history

Unilever - a call to action regarding their affiliation with animal testing in the 1980s

once and for all. They have even funded XCellR8, who replace animal products used in ‘non-animal testing’ (such as bovine foetal serum) with fully plant-based ingredients. This is no defence of Unilever, they are a terrible company who have done terrible things. But it should make us evaluate our position. Few of us dogmatically demand new vegans boycott every harmful company. Kraft Heinz are Unilever’s major competitor. They have a weaker policy on vivisection, own slaughterhouses, and are responsible for at least as many non-human deaths. Yet I rarely hear calls to boycott Tesco own-brand baked beans or Amoy soy sauce (both made by Heinz).

Once a pressure campaign convinces us that a company is the epitome of evil, is there any point at which we can accept they’ve changed? If McDonalds became fully plant-based, paid fair wages, and stopped exploiting their workers, would we still demand people boycotted them? If that is a possibility, there is clearly a long way to go. The launch of McDonald’s plant-based burger generated more revulsion from animal liberationists than the release of the Impossible burger, which is animal tested and not suitable for vegans. And what of the once ethical companies who pursue the capitalist path? This year the company behind Veganaise sold themselves to dairy giant Danone. Old school sta-

ple Scheese supply Cargill customer Tesco with their own brand cheese, and Oatly recently got into bed with a consortium of investors including Amazon destroying Black Rock. Older vegans remember the scandal of the Body Shop selling out to L’Oreal, and many continue to boycott them for it now. However, the Body Shop were dropped by L’Oreal and are now owned by a vegan cosmetics company from Brazil. Over the next two years, The Body Shop are set to become fully vegan themselves. This is a stronger stance than Lush, who continue to exploit bees and sheep. And yet, the people who insist we boycott the Body Shop often suggest Lush as an alternative.

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So what do we do? Do we prioritise our hatred of capitalism, or our desire for immediate animal liberation? Do we demand never-ending boycotts in hopes our withheld cash drives companies out of business? Do we follow the path of Animal Rebellion and target our boycotts and actions to pressure them to become less unethical? Or do we patronise these businesses to encourage them to change with their favourite thing: money? Ultimately, that comes down to personal choice. Personally, I think we can disrupt capitalist multinationals without disrupting their plant-based ambitions. Our anger should be directed at their oppression, rather than their attempts to mitigate it. We should be furious that McDonalds sell meat, not that they sell plantbased burgers. Those calling on perpetual boycotts of companies like McDonalds should do so through empathy and education rather than demands and dogma. People will only join a boycott if you provide them with solid reasons. Why is that company worse than any other? If new vegans, or plant-based eaters, aren’t convinced by your

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arguments, perhaps to them your information seems out of date and irrelevant. Shouting louder, or more aggressively won’t change that, but rethinking your arguments and doing some extra research might. Equally, if someone passionately pleads with you to avoid a specific company, listen to them, look into the issue, and draw your own conclusions. More than anything, trans-generational boycotts demonstrate the efficacy of targeted pressure campaigns. The boycotts are a residual symptom, the true power came from the campaign itself. In four decades, nothing has caused McDonalds more damage than the simple truth, printed on a sheet of paper by London Greenpeace. But it was what people did with that piece of paper that really mattered. It is how they spread that information to the world. Whether we want to push capitalism towards a plantbased future, or push it off a cliff, we need maximum knowledge, and we need maximum action. Attacking new vegans online will never help the animals, but forming or supporting targeted pressure campaigns to attack the systems of oppression which exploit them will.

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CAMP BEAGLE Camp Beagle is to be found outside of MBR Acres in the UK, a temporary home to a number of Beagles bred for testing on animals. The Camp has been in existence since the summer of 2021 and has helped bring the issue of vivisection once more into national scrutiny, drawing attention from both media and government alike. Camp Beagle team members offer us a quick update and some insight into the founding of the camp and its goals and achievements.

Hey team. Thanks for talking to Forca Vegan about the Camp. How did the camp come about? The camp came about after a small demo outside the gates of MBR. One of the protesters Polly refused to leave the site. So, her and another lady called Bethany decided to sleep over in their Smart Car. Once the word got out, the camp grew organically.

What got you started? What got me started personally was seeing it on social media. I never knew they conducted animal testing on beagle puppies so was horrified to find out about this reality. I have never done any form of animal rights protest before, so this is completely new to me!

The initial protests seemed to snowball pretty quickly... The protests we held at the start grew and grew by the week. The more it was shared on social media the

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more people would turn up. All horrified to find out what was going on behind the gates of MBR Acres.

How would you describe the press coverage generally? The press coverage has been good in some respects lots of local newspapers regularly publish stories of the camp. However, we need it to hit the main news channels!

Local feedback? The local feedback has been absolutely astonishing! The amount of support we get every single day is amazing.

The protests we held at the start grew and grew by the week. The more it was shared on social media the more people would turn up. ”

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People bring us hot meals, water, and supplies. The camp never goes without anything. Which we are extremely grateful for.

Does the camp have a vegan policy? The camp doesn’t have a vegan policy. We do have a vegan kitchen to cater for everyone, but no matter what you eat you are welcome to Camp Beagle.

How do you resolve conflicts? We resolve conflicts by working together. Yes, there have been tough times as it is a very emotional situation. We have all been thrown together, but the most important thing is communication. We are like one big family!

The recent High Court actions seem to have gone your way… Yes, the High Court case has gone in our favour, which was brilliant news! Camp Beagle isn’t going anywhere! Priti Patel has said she was ‘shocked’ by what goes on at MBR Acres. Now she needs to act on those words!

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The Camp has definitely put the issue of Vivisection and Animal Testing firmly back in the centre of Animal Rights movement right now – what’s the long term aims? The aims of Camp Beagle are to Free the MBR Beagles and ban all dog experiments. Our longer-term aims are to create an official enquiry into vivisection as a whole!

What can activists and supporters do to help? If activists want to help, we will ask them to please come down to camp! We work mostly through face-to-face conversations and feet on the ground. If you can’t make it to camp, then we ask that you please share us on your social media and spread the word in your local community.

THECAMPBEAGLE.CO.UK

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CAMP BEAGLE MERCH Lorri from VEGAN Happy Clothing is helping the Camp with their merch - a vital fundraiser as the Camp heads into the winter months, as well as great promotion for the cause.

Hey Lorri – Camp Beagle! What’s your role currently? I am the owner of VEGAN Happy Clothing but recently I have become involved with Camp Beagle and the Free The MBR Beagles Campaign. We have recently just finished building their website for them which is the least we can do to help this amazing cause so please do sign up for updates to this cause here www.thecampbeagle.co.uk In case you didn’t know, Camp Beagle is the physical manifestation of the Free The MBR Beagles Campaign, to close down MBR Acres in Huntingdon that breeds 2,000 puppies a year for needless toxicology testing.

Tell us why this campaign means so much to you. Beagles are close to our heart as it was our Beagle Poppy who sparked us to go vegan, and ultimately gave birth to VEGAN Happy. So 24

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when a fabulous customer called Donna asked us to get involved, we jumped at it. We always donate 10% or more of profits back to animal rescue so this cause jumped out at us to try and help more than usual, to put more effort in rather than just funds. I would like to point out, that we are just a very small part of the huge amount of amazing people that make up Camp Beagle, there is no leader, just lots of amazing people coming together to further this cause. So many people are involved and that is what makes this campaign so powerful, a collective of amazing activists, bundled with a huge amount of passionate animal rights people, means that this movement is growing so fast, we really do have a good chance of getting a review of the law, and hopefully changing the UK law on vivisection for good!

How can people help the Camp? In so so many ways! If anyone wants to find out how they can help just click here: https://www.thecampbeagle.co.uk/how-to-help

Although there are a lot of campers that stay permanently at the camp outside MBR Acres, there are so many day visitors, that no matter how much time you have, every minute spent at camp or sharing our posts on social media, or signing petitions, and so much more, really does help this campaign continue to snowball and we really do have a chance to change the law and end vivisection in the UK for good. Anyone is always welcome to come to Camp, there is always a cup of tea ready for you and endless amounts of food that kind supporters bring. How to find Camp https://www.thecampbeagle.co.uk/visit-contact

What’s your favourite bit of Camp Beagle merch? So many lovely pieces of merchandise, it really depends on your taste, there really is something for everyone, and all merchandise is 100% profit going straight back to Camp Beagle, so a

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great way to raise funds. We can’t thank enough our brand supporters: Viva-la-Vegan (official merchandise provider) @v_e_g_a_n_s_t_i_t_c_h ...and of course, VEGAN Happy.

A good bit of support from some high profile vegan celebrities we note. We have such huge support it’s incredible. Our favourite always being Scarlett, the Beagle rescued from a laboratory after 2 years of tor-

ture, who always reminds us why we are doing what we are doing at Camp Beagle. 2,000 puppies a year here are like Scarlett and destined for labs and in the cases of MBR, death after 3 months of torture at approximately only 6 months old! You can find out more about Scarlett here https://www. thecampbeagle.co.uk/scarlett I didn’t want to name drop Ricky or Peter here so focused on Scarlett as when they hit the page they will see them etc.

And briefly… a new range from VEGAN Happy?

soon! If anyone wants to find out more about that, please sign up to our newsletter at www.veganhappyclothing. co.uk as we are launching next week! Our range is designed to be a bit edgier for 18-30 year olds primarily (although we are sure it will have a much wider appeal) and we think it’s unique in the vegan apparel market. For a hint... for some of our designs, we commissioned a graffiti artist to create unique artworks for us, and that’s just a taste of what is to come.

So excited to be able to tell you that we are launching VEGAN Happy Urban very

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About Yaoh Yaoh Hemp Products, founded in 2002, supply an award winning range of hemp bodycare products, including the sunblock range, bath products and the most wonderful hemp oil based moisturisers, lip balms and body butters. In addition, Yaoh supplies organic dehulled hemp seed and hemp oil – bringing those essential fatty acids and plenty of protein to the plant based table. See yaoh.co.uk for the full range – and sign up to our monthly ebulletin and our free hemp hamper giveaways + news of regular special offers.

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VEGAN FILM

SCREENING VIBRANT VEGAN

SOCIETY OF GHANA The Vibrant Vegan Society of Ghana (VVESOG) is a nonprofit organization whose prime objective is to advocate & demystify VEGANISM via online campaigns, workshops, conferences, fairs & festivals. The Society is widely recognized for it’s consistent advocacy of animal rights education & activities with the aim of making veganism an easily-adopted lifestyle. On the 11th September, 2021, VVESOG in collaboration with Accra Animal Save organized a Vegan film Screening + Inspiring Vegan Talks, which was well attended by non-vegans & a few vegans. The film (documentary) titled “Dominion” was screened to inform & reveal the hidden realities/ cruel activities ongoing in factory farms and dairy farms. Although some attendees couldn’t stand the horrendous graphics being displayed on the screen,they were poignant by the de32

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gree of cruelty meted out to Animals on the daily. At the end of the film screening, two options were laid out: Either we continue to pay for animal cruelty or we constantly educate ourselves to make the world a better place. The second part of the event was graced by 3 illustrious activists who shared with attendees their journey prior & after going vegan. Most inspiring message all activists highlighted on was the need to go vegan, to put an end to animal abuse & help curb climate catastrophe the world is currently experiencing. A short profile of the activists (speakers) is as follows:

At the end of the film screening, two options were laid out: Either we continue to pay for animal cruelty or we constantly educate ourselves to make the world a better place.” FORCA VEGAN

- Martin also known as Mart Tino is a vegan activist, an environmentalist and an animal rights activist who is so passionate about the ecosystem and all living beings. He tries to educate individuals about the reality that occurs in farm houses and where essential nutrients originate.

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- Ghanaian Vegan, popularly known as Zuu is a photographer, graphic designer, digital marketer and content creator. He has been publicly advocating for Veganism & a plant-based lifestyle for the last two years. As a result, his social media posts have become a hub in the global vegan community.

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- Majeed Suhuyini is an Actor/Filmmaker and a vegan traveller who aims to influence the world to go vegan through his creative crafts and passion for traveling. Majeed reveals how he was able to defy the odds to be vegan from a family full of butchers.

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Edutainment is one powerful advocacy tool the organization adopts to raise awareness about Veganism; thus attendees were treated to authentic traditional highlife music, intermittently, by 2 talented & experienced musicians namely Nii Buxton & Nii Osabu, who deployed their musical prowess to keep attendees grinning from ear to ear and dancing their stress away. Sideshow was ignited by vendors showcasing assorted vegan products,organic farm products & ecofriendly crafts.In addition, the Society gave out free Tree Seedlings to attendees Refreshments (food & drinks) was made available by Anasthasia Tetteh (Vegan Chef & the Organizer for Accra Health Save). Meals were strictly served in katemfe leaves - a conscious measure adopted by the society to reduce plastic pollutants in the enviroment. The Event was hosted my Tivai Seyenam & co-hosted by Mart Tino. Please NB: All programs organised by the Organization are FREE to the general public.

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THE GHANAIAN VEGAN ZULFIQUER GBEDEMAH

Zulfiquer Gbedemah aka The Ghanian Vegan takes a break from his favourite occupation to say hello and bring us up to speed with the current vegan scene in Accra Ghana.

Hey Zuu – The Ghanaian Vegan! What’s cooking? Hi guys! I’m blessed and loved! It’s a pleasure speaking to you.

Accra looks a really vibrant place for plant based food! It’s honestly something that surprised me. Before I transitioned to a plant-based lifestyle a couple of years ago, I had very little diversity in my meals. Now, my eyes have been opened to all the delicious options that have been a part of the food culture here for centuries. In an increasingly globalised world where fast food is more attractive, some of our traditional food options, which require more time and care to prepare tend to take a back seat. 38

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Do you do a lot of cooking? I try to cook my own food as often as I can. I prefer making my own food because I’m completely in control of what goes into the pot. Funny enough, cooking is something I’m still getting used to because I was never a fan of making my own food while I was growing up; it took too long for my liking. My friends and family find it funny that I’ve come full circle to making cooking videos on the internet!

And eating presumably? That is my real talent. My favourite thing to do in this world is to eat, and I’m very good at it! The best part about cooking food is eating it. In recent times, food has taken me on a journey around Accra. I’ve tried most of the vegan and plantbased spots in the city and

I’ve loved every moment of it. There’s a diverse and growing vegan food culture out here and there’s a lot to experience and enjoy.

You’re on social media a lot? I’ve always taken naturally to social media. I have a background in media, digital marketing and content creation so when I started my vegan journey, it felt like the natural thing to do to document it on social media. It started as a way to keep myself accountable but later, I realised I could be a source of some of the valuable information I struggled to find while I was transitioning. Using social media for veganism has been surprisingly refreshing. Most of the people that interact with me are more curious than malicious. Of course, there have been a few unpleasant interactions here and there, but it’s been a largely pleasant experience.

I prefer making my own food because I’m completely in control of what goes into the pot.”

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And TikTok!! Fun? Initially, it was a little challenging to stay on top of TikTok and the ever-evolving trends. Once I got the hang of it, it’s been a very fun experience! Unfortunately, I haven’t joined in on the dance trends because of

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my two left feet, but maybe I’ll surprise everyone one day. TikTok and Instagram remind me daily of how imaginative people are. In the vegan space, it’s been a joy seeing how clever my fellow creators are. Creating

content, especially around food is extremely hard work so seeing the immense work rates of my colleagues always leaves me awestruck!

TikTok and Instagram remind me daily of how imaginative people are. In the vegan space, it’s been a joy seeing how clever my fellow creators are.”

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There is room to improve in every field of your activism so don’t get complacent. Always strive for growth.”

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Any tips for budding vegan activists? Always be ready to research! Never be afraid to ask questions and find out the truth for yourself. Always have an open mind and be ready to listen. Try to build or join a community because no matter how talented and strong you are, you cannot do everything alone. And I think one of the most important qualities to have is patience. There is room to improve in every field of your activism so don’t get complacent. Always strive for growth.

Favourite groups in Ghana that promote veganism? The Vibrant Vegan Society of Ghana (VVESOG), ran by Tivai, is one of my favourites. They do great work, especially around animal rights. The Vegetarian Association of Ghana is another worth checking out. They host a great annual event, VegFest. I will be hosting a few events in the coming months, so if you’re ever in Accra, keep your eyes peeled or get in contact with me for any details!

Photo credit: Ghanaian Vegan

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UNAPOLOGETIC VEGTINO MARTIN STANLEY ADANSI My name is Martin Stanley Adansi and as a vegan activist, animal rights activist and a climate conscious individual, I stand for a life of non-violence and ethical living standards. I have been volunteering for environmental activities such as beach clean ups and also decided to make an impact on the people and climate by creating the necessary awareness of how a vegan lifestyle could reverse the climate catastrophe, health complications and also ensure a better wildlife environment. I have been vegan for three and half years which is something I’m super excited about, and that’s because of what I’ve learnt throughout the journey. There is stuff involved in veganism which is not being taught in schools so that gives vegans all over Africa the opportunity to spread the truth - the reality about the greenwashing from cooperatives. In view of this, I decided to involve myself in a massive advocacy group called the 44

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VIBRANT VEGAN SOCIETY OF GHANA(VVESOG). This vegan group is one of other groups in Ghana working tirelessly to create an ‘edutainment’ platform that would bring Ghanaians and folks from the diaspora to understand the essence of ethics over pleasure. I am a marketing specialist by profession but usually dedicate most of my time to volunteer and also educate non-vegans and other vegans about what it means for the world to choose a plant based system and reveal the benefits. My last presentation was on 11th September, 2021 at the VVESOG event which was massive because of the reaction from most of the attendees. Some folks felt terrible for playing a part in the exploitation and abuse of dairy cows, chickens and other farm animals.

This vegan group (VVSOG) ... is working tirelessly to create an ‘edutainment’ platform that would bring Ghanaians and folks from the diaspora to understand the essence of ethics over pleasure.”

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The film from the event also revealed traumatizing scenes which made the attendees wonder if the poor non-human animals did go through that torture! Another thing I also try to educate people about is the idea of starting some organic backyard farms just because most farms use so many chemicals to grow plants which negatively affects our health and the ecosystem in general.

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Fortunately, Ghana and Accra to be precise has a lot of new vegan options to choose from. There are cost effective vegan restaurants around which makes veganism comfortable but of course there are other over priced restaurants which serve good vegan food as well. Vegan options around me also consist of local and continental vegan dishes which creates uniformity for all.

How I get my vegan food is always convenient because of these two options: 1. I get my organic groceries and prepare my own vegan meal. There are groceries in almost every market or shopping mall to use for your dish. 2. From the comfort of my home, I could just order any vegan meal from these restaurants and it will be delivered. Isn’t that so cool.

Looking at the number of years I’ve been vegan and the activism I’ve noticed so far across Africa, It makes me feel confident to say Ghana is becoming one of many vegan hubs in the world.”

Looking at the number of years I’ve been vegan and the activism I’ve noticed so far across Africa, It makes me feel confident to say Ghana is becoming one of many vegan hubs in the world. Schools and some individuals are understanding what veganism actually is and also people begin to feel guilty for their unethical actions.

One amazing thing is how my colleagues (Leonard and Seth) at work are trying to go vegan because of my lifestyle haha. I would keep giving them the insights and how their decision could affect the nation and the world at large. More vegan societies in Ghana are also organizing inspiring events inviting both vegans and non-vegans. This event seeks to reveal the torture that animals

go through in the dairy industry and making people aware of the ethical alternatives available. I have devoted most of my time to sharing stories about climate change, animal exploitation, human exploitation etc as part of my activism. Spreading the word by giving talks at vegan events is also part of my activism. This I believe will push the

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agenda for more people to realize that they are doing more harm than good if they continue exploiting human and nonhuman animals.

With this movement, activists out here have plans to hold vigils across the country to create that necessary attention.

I would say the Accra Animal Save is a massive movement in Ghana that’s trying to create an awareness of how sentient animals are.

What I would like to see growing more in my country is for the ministry of education to promote veganism by organizing some vegan events and inviting vegans across to educate the pupils in schools.

This is a way of thriving for animal rights in the country and there are amazing activists doing the work, making sure that the lives of these animals are taken into consideration.

We are always open to organizations out there who are willing to collaborate to strengthen the process and build that vegan community.

Vegans out here are always looking out for the response from individuals which I fully support. So it’s great if the response is positive. It also requires more effort when the response isn’t much of a positive one. We will call on more vegans from the diaspora to also share their thoughts about their journey to inspire folks out here who are willing to go vegan for health, animals or for the planet. Going vegan is one of the few best decisions I’ve ever made. Pictured: Director of Vibrant Vegan Society of Ghana, Tivai Seyenam, & Martin

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Going vegan is one of the few best decisions I’ve ever made.”

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VEGAN SOCIETY OF KENYA

RACHEL KABUE My name is Rachel Kabue, founder of The Vegan Society of Kenya.

I first became vegetarian in 2011, after visiting India for a yoga teacher training course.

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My greatest passion is working with children, and delaying, or completely avoiding their “unlearning” and losing of their inherent connection to nature and especially to animal-kind.”

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After seven years of informal outreach, I finally registered the Vegan Society of Kenya in February of 2020.”

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My name is Rachel Kabue, founder of The Vegan Society of Kenya. I first became vegetarian in 2011, after visiting India for a yoga teacher training course. While looking for vegetarian recipes online, I stumbled upon veganism, and this was the first time hearing about the lifestyle. It resonated with me and I embraced the lifestyle in 2012. I started outreach and animal rights activism in 2013. After seven years of informal outreach, I finally registered the Vegan Society of Kenya in February of 2020.

My greatest passion is working with children, and delaying, or completely avoiding their “unlearning” and losing of their inherent connection to nature and especially to animal-kind. The best way I found is to make veganism fun, and a part of their daily life. This is why I started a vegan lunch program in my country last year. I worked with two schools last year and the interest, excitement and enthusiasm displayed by the children inspired me to add three other schools in my list this year. The three schools are located in the

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nomadic part of our country, where meat, meat products and dairy are a staple, and are deeply imbedded into their culture. In these schools we have started a kitchen garden, and a one hour lesson on animal welfare every week. I provide lunch for all students (about 250 students in each school) as well as the seedlings. In one school, I have to provide diesel to pump the water otherwise the plants will wither and die. In the next quarter starting on the 13th of October,

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we plan to plant fruit trees in the school compounds. It is a hot region so we are going to start with a fast growing variety of Papaya and mango trees. Our country recently rolled out a new education system, Competency Based Curriculum. This system emphasizes on the significance of developing skills and knowledge, and also applying those competencies to real life situations. The teachers in the schools we are piloting our vegan lunch program welcome our in-

In these schools we have started a kitchen garden, and a one house lesson on animal welfare every week.”

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most of the cats that come to us are special needs cats.”

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put, and they go out of their way to accommodate us. They have also been good mediators between us and the community, and we now have the full approval of the leaders in the community. We also have the mothers taking turns to help cook the food we provide for the children. I also have another project running, Vegan Made in Af-

rica, where I showcase innovators in Africa. We feature people making vegan products in Africa, using raw materials found in Africa. I also run a cat sanctuary, The Nairobi Feline Sanctuary. We rescue cats, spay/neuter and vaccinate them. We also try to rehome the ones that can be rehomed, but most of the cats that come to us are special needs cats.

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KAMPALA, UGANDA: KYOBE ASHRAF

Activist Kyobe Ashraf updates us with a brief overview of vegan activism in Kampala, Uganda.

Hey Kyobe - what are you up to? Expressing compassion for every sentient being.

We get questioned, laughed at by religious leaders, even being told we will never be able to change anything! But what I am sure of is we’re making a difference.

Any new vegan options in Uganda?

And the Vegan Society of Uganda?

Although we have a net gain of vegan restaurants in our capital city (Kampala), now many other gig restaurants in other cities have vegan options on their menus, in part due to the demand from tourists.

It’s a community based organization founded by myself, to inspire a vegan lifestyle through food and information, for us, for animals and for the planet. We use football as our main awareness raising activity.

How’s veganism growing in Uganda?

Is there any thriving animal rights movement in Uganda?

It’s rising slowly because through raising awareness - we deal with a lot of grief both online and offline from peers, family, even friends.

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There are some many excellent animal rights organizations around the coun-

try, just that they’re not on a government basis so they lack funds and special consideration.

What would you like to see more happening for veganism in Uganda? The growth of more Vegan restaurants around the country, and the construction of rescue centers for the stray dogs and cats. And government sponsorship for all animal rights movements in the country. For more information, visit:

UGANDAVEGANSOCIETY.ORG

We get questioned, laughed at by religious leaders, even being told we will never be able to change anything! But what I am sure of is - we’re making a difference.” FORCA VEGAN

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[Vegan Society of Uganda] It’s a community based organization founded by myself, to inspire a vegan lifestyle through food and information, for us, for animals and for the planet. We use football as our main awareness raising activity.” FORCA VEGAN

RUBY MOSS VEGAN SINGER / SONGWRITER Here comes Ruby Moss! 14 year old Ruby from Dublin Ireland went straight to #1 with her first single release on her 14th birthday in July of this year. Ruby penned Ruby’s Song/Invisible last September when she struggled to fit in in secondary school. Ruby has been vegetarian her whole life and vegan since she was 8. ‘It is easy to relate to the lyrics of the song about feeling isolated because you’re different in whatever way.’ ‘No-one wants to wait for me, wants to hang around, so I’m on my own another day, I pretend that to look busy, pretend that I don’t care, living on a lie I told myself. But in my head, I see it differently, I see everything another way.’ It can be difficult to fit in when you see ‘everything another way.’ Ruby goes on to sing that ‘things will get better, this is not forever, you are not alone’ bringing a message of hope that things won’t always be this way, that things can change. 62

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Ruby’s musical career began when she joined St Patrick’s Cathedral Choir School in Dublin. This is a primary school attached to St Patrick’s Cathedral where students are immersed in music, beginning each day with singing. Learning instruments is encouraged and Ruby continued piano lessons here and took up the flute. During this time, she also joined a traditional Irish group, Comhaltas and learnt the button accordion. It was when Ruby first heard the organ played by Master of Music, Stuart Nicholson was when she decided that she wanted to learn the organ - ‘the sound of the organ touched my soul’, she said. Ruby was awarded a prestigious organ scholarship this year with Dundalk

Grammar School. She is currently on the lookout for vegan organist shoes – if you know where she can get them, please get in touch! Learning the button accordion was inspired after seeing vegan musician Sharon Shannon play in the National Concert Hall in Dublin. It was at this event, Ruby also met multi-instrumentalist Susan O Neill (SON), who has also been a huge inspiration to her. Ruby guessed from some of the songs that Susan sang that she was possibly vegan too. Having role models like these two amazing women has been important to Ruby and Ruby hopes that she will inspire others to write and sing too.

Things will get better, this is not forever, you are not alone.”

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Ruby’s second single Shades of Grey, released on Wednesday 8th September, went straight to #1 in the iTunes singer songwriter chart. Ruby wrote, recorded and co-produced Shades of Grey in July of this year. Shade of Grey is first of a series of three songs that deals with urgency and difficulty communicating the need for change to prevent the worst effects of the Climate Crisis that we have caused and how we will all pay if people don’t listen up and make the necessary changes and go vegan.

“I’m hearing all the words you say And knowing we must find a way To help you see the shades of grey And in the morning When the day is dawning You will hear the warning of the words I say You will see the shades of grey You want things to stay the same So I just have to say again Come and see the shades of grey I know you like things as they are And change can seem so very hard Until you see the shades of grey And in the morning When the day is dawning You will hear the warning of the words I say You will see the shades of grey You will see the shades of grey And finally we all will pay” - Ruby Moss; from ‘Shades of Grey’

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Both of Ruby’s songs are being sold in aid of two organisations that are important to her - Go Vegan World and Jigsaw for Youth Mental Health. As the situation around climate change continues to worsen, more and more young people will need mental health support.

Jigsaw provides free support to young people all over Ireland. ’Go Vegan World is an organisation that is close to my heart because animal rights are intrinsically linked to human rights and environmental rights. Until all of our rights and our autonomy are respected there is room for none of us to be respected.’

Please support Ruby Moss by liking and subscribing to her on YouTube, and by following and playing her on Spotify. You can contribute to both charities by buying the songs on iTunes or Bandcamp.

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WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD?

FAVOURITE SUBJECTS AT SCHOOL?

Toast with melty spread and homemade jam!

Music followed by everything else equally except for PE.

DO YOU COOK? I’m learning, I can make a great pasta sauce!

BEST THING ABOUT LOCKDOWN?

WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME? Music is always on my mind but I also draw - mainly cats!

FAVOURITE TV SHOW?

Being close to the fridge and having more time to work on my music

SheRa and the Princesses of Power

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MUSIC?

FAVOURITE CLOTHES? Denim shorts with leggings,

I love ELO and The Beatles because they have so many different sounds. Susan O Neill has been a big inspiration to me. I have a ten-hour playlist on Spotify and I love every song I have added to it!

WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO BE?

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t-shirts, comfortable shoes with lots of friendship bracelets

Home.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER SINGER SONGWRITERS? Believe in yourself, don’t be afraid to try something different. Don’t forget to record those melodies when they come to you!

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER YOUNG VEGANS WHO ARE STRUGGLING IN SCHOOL? Know you aren’t alone, find someone to talk to who understands. Things are going to change for the better and more and more people will understand where you are coming from. Look at the amazing people like Sandra Higgins of Go Vegan World and see the work that they do. Don’t give up being you.

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MAYA COHEN-RONEN ACTIVIST & PUBLISHED AUTHOR Maya Cohen-Ronen (pen name M. C Ronen) is a New Zealand vegan of nine years and animal rights activist. When she isn’t bearing witness outside the local slaughterhouse or protesting, she is a business analyst, a mother of two children, two dogs and one rabbit, and a published author. The final instalment of her ‘Liberation Trilogy’, a series of dystopian suspense books for vegans and pre-vegans, was published in July.

What made you go vegan? When he was a wee toddler, my son developed a keen interest in sharks. Back then I hardly knew anything about sharks and could barely name more than three. Through the marvel of his fascination, a new world had opened to me. I decided to foster and nurture his interest and joined him, diving into this wonderful world of animals unbeknown to me. From that point, the rout to Sea Shepherd was short. I learned what they did to preserve and defend the oceans and became a big supporter. Through them, I was finally exposed to the shocking extent of the atrocities perpetuated on ocean68

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ic lives. My son was young, but in my imagination, he would be grown, and we’d be braving the elements on a Sea Shepherd ship in the Southern Ocean, chasing whalers with rage and purpose. But then, to my surprise, I read somewhere that all Sea Shepherd ships were strictly vegan. Erm… what? Defending whales was all well and good but being vegan? Why be so… well… extreme? I decided to research it. I looked for vegan sites and read everything I could find. Lo and behold, it turned out the cows don’t really ‘give us milk’ after all… and the chicken, they don’t ‘give us eggs’… I was embarrassed at the level of my own ignorance. As a mother, it never occurred to me that all mammalian females must be pregnant first in or-

der to lactate, just like me. That was my watershed moment. I decided to go vegan, no detours or baby steps. My husband, then a vegetarian, followed me and the entire household became vegan. It’s been nine years since.

You are also an animal rights activist. What forms of activism do you engage in? I follow the phrase ‘doing nothing does harm’. Soon after becoming vegan, I felt the burning need to speak

As a mother, it never occurred to me that all mammalian females must be pregnant first in order to lactate, just like me. That was my watershed moment.” FORCA VEGAN

up for the animals. Being vegan wasn’t enough. I didn’t know anyone in my neighbourhood who was vegan or an activist, but I assumed there were activities held. I checked online and sure enough, I joined a vigil on the highway just outside the local slaughterhouse. That was my first action. Since then I joined many others. Be it a vigil, bearing witness, a demo, a food-based outreach, a protests, a march, a cube or social-media posts, I would willingly support and participate in any form of activism, with these two provisions: (1) That it is non-violent, even if it is a social disruption. The violence might be directed at us, but not perpetuated by us; and (2) That I can see how it benefits the cause. I strongly believe that anyone can do something. It doesn’t have to be holding a sign in public, there are many ways to contribute. My ‘business as usual’ main activities are through my involvement with the local Animal Save chapter, and through my writing.

What made you write your books? If you are a bookworm like me, or even an occasional reader, you may have faced with this issue yourself – you pick up a book that was recommended to you by someone, or maybe a best seller which created a lot of hype in the media, and just as you dive into it, you are faced 70

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with the sour truth: The obvious embedded animal cruelty and speciesism of it. It might be the mention of a bacon breakfast here or a chicken sandwich there, a heroine who hunts animals, a protagonist who loves wearing leather… It is everywhere, unavoidable, and deeply frustrating. I found that I just couldn’t enjoy reading anymore. I have a particular taste for Young-Adults and NewAdults dystopian suspense with twists and surprises, but every book is filled with animal cruelty sentiments. So, at one point I decidedif it doesn’t exist, I’ll write it myself! As a vegan and as an activist it was important to me to create fiction books that have a clear ethical undertone and message, but that could easily appeal to pre-vegans as well. I basically wrote the books I wanted to read my-

self, with the added value of them being an extension of my activism and a form of outreach. These books are trying to give our cause a voice within mainstream literature.

You say your books are ‘ethical fiction’what does that mean? It simply means I write stories that have an ethical engine room, namely, they have a vegan message that applies to both vegans and pre-vegans. The books have been very effective in making pre-vegans think about their ethical choices. I get messages from readers who tell me enthusiastically that they couldn’t stop thinking about the story, that they were changing their

ways as a result, and were sharing the books with their friends and family members to help people around them connect the dots as well.

What influenced you to choose to write the story about sunny, a girl on a farm? As a child I loved the book Animal Farm by George Orwell. I watched the animated film as well and it really impacted me. I loved how Orwell used the farm animals to tell a tale about humans and their social orders and behaviours (it was an anti-Stalinist story). My books were influenced by his approach, however reversed it. I use humans to tell a tale about animals and how we treat them.

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You also Identify as a feminist That’s right. I was raised by a strong mother, who would say to me things like ‘I’m not a feminist, but…‘ and then list all the feminist reasoning to why women are equal and should have equal rights and opportunities. She raised me to know my worth and value are not connected to my sex. It is only as I grew up that I identified as a feminist. My mum belonged to a society that frowned upon the word “feminist”, with all of its false negative connotations, and yet, the essence of my strength and sense of social-worth stem from the very feminist manner by which she had raised me. I broke the chains of shame and assumed the title with great

pride. This feminist identity had led me to I choose to study my postgraduate degree in Gender and Society. I was eager to broaden my understanding of what it meant to me, what it meant to other communities, what it meant historically, and what it might mean in the future. To me, being a feminist and supporting broader concepts of human equality and rights was always a matter of ethical course. It is possible that this state of mind, carefully nurtured by the University of Edinburgh, was the fertile ground that allowed the broadening of my rights-based approach beyond the human animal. When the connections were made, everything fell into place. All oppressions are interconnected. Does it truly matter if the female whose sexual organs are perpetually exploited is a human or a bovine? Abuse is abuse.

In other words, the bleak future of my books began with our own generation, our own doing.” 72

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We are all Earthlings. My books are very much the result of my feminism and animal rights activism coming together.

Are there any other hidden messages in your books? There is quite the emphasis on climate change as well. The story takes place in a futuristic dystopian world, very sparsely inhabited, with nearly all human population wiped out and the animal kingdom thought to be fully extinct. It is made clear in the books that the cataclysmic events which brought about such a brutal future, generally named as ‘The Catastrophes’, can be

traced back to such things as the burning of the Amazon Rainforest. In other words, the bleak future of my books began with our own generation, our own doing.

What would be your advice to readers of this magazine Who might want to write? Believe in yourself, trust your skills and do it. We desperately need more vegan fiction writers to flood the market with powerful ethical stories.

Can you share a short synopsis about the books? The Shed tells the story of Sunny, a girl living in a community on a farm in a seemingly apocalyptic world. The farm has strict rules that are firmly observed, and especially the rule that girls like Sunny must not enter The Shed, an impending building inside the farm. Only grown women are allowed in, but even then, some who go in never come back. One night the farm is raided, and some are taken. A few years later, when Sunny’s friends are summoned to The Shed, Sunny‘s mother orders her to escape. But Sunny’s path of escape still leads her right inside The Shed. What will she find there? Why was the

farm raided and what world awaits beyond it? Liberation returns to Sunny who is now an activist who fights to liberate other slaves from their hopeless, grim destiny. The dangerous and relentless battle for total liberation provides for many suspenseful encounters, as well as several unexpected discoveries. As romance buds in the activists’ bunker, an old villain returns to Sunny’s life through an unexpected turn of events, with the promise that she had changed. But can she be trusted? The final book of the trilogy, It was in our Hands, now sees Sunny as a seasoned, long-time activist who fights to liberate enslaved and exploited victims, is herself an escapee from a farm where she was kept as a slave. Years of battling for total lib-

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eration did not dampen her highly developed sense of justice. But time has come to take the fight into a brandnew arena – the treacherous political one. Could the Liberation Amendment be passed into law? And if so, at what cost? The Liberation saga powerfully ends with this eventful, emotional rollercoaster. A tale of love, loss, violence, bravery, compassion and friendship.

What does the future hold for you, now that the trilogy is complete? Since ‘The Shed’ came out I’ve been continuously receiving feedback telling me how perfectly the story would translate into a film or a TV series. I’m currently pursuing this avenue. I started drafting a script based on The Shed, and hopefully it will progress. Potentially, Sunny’s future could be very exciting. The books are available via Amazon (Amazon UK and other worldwide Amazon stores) as well as a variety of other on-line retailers. Find Maya on Facebook www.facebook.com/MCRonen

and Instagram

@mcronen_activist_author

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M. C RONEN

The LIBERATION Trilogy It Was In Our Hands - the final book of The Liberation Trilogy by vegan, animal rights activist M. C Ronen, was finally published on 15 July! The Liberation Trilogy (‘The Shed’, ‘Liberation’ and ‘It Was In Our Hands’) is a unique, first of its kind creation of ethical fiction. In this breathtaking dystopia, the reader follows the protagonist Sunny from her days as a young girl, growing up in an ominous and oddly guarded, isolated farm - an d all the way to becoming a leader of a courageous team of activists whose aim is achieving ‘Total Liberation’ for all who are abused, exploited and brutally oppressed. Each book in this trilogy has its own tone and pace, but all three are suspenseful page-turners that are sure to keep you at the edge of your seat. Most importantly, they are sure to make you think about the real world in which we live, and the implications of your daily choices.

SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVISMROGER YATES

As part of the two-day Global Vegfest event organised by VegfestUK in September, 2021, I chaired a panel discussion on “social media activism” with a group of activists. These activists were Nella from Greece, Rob from Scotland, and Jennifer and Shane from Ireland, who, in the main, are using TikTok but also other social media platforms as forms of vegan education. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, TikTok does not issue many public statistics about the platform, although it is estimated that it has roughly 1 billion monthly users. It is accessible in more than 150 countries in more than 70 languages and, in 2020, was the most popular downloaded application in the world. TikTok users are said to spend over 14 hours on the site every month. So, one of the main reasons for animal activists using TikTok is that they believe it enables them to escape “the vegan bubble” (see previous article ‘The Clock is TikTokking’). This is one of the issues the Global Vegfest panel discussed. 76

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Once a user gets more than 1000 “followers,” they can supplement the usual 1-3 minute videos with livestreams on the platform. Rob and Jennifer often “go live” on TikTok. While many TikTokkers show themselves on their lives, answering written questions in a “chat” area on screen, or inviting people on to talk, Rob and Jennifer specialise in showing on the screen slogans, magazine pages, and vegan leaflets in order to bring in an audience. There is much that is a mystery on TikTok, so each appearance on the platform produces a different engagement result. For example, the panellist’s lives have created audiences ranging from around 100 people to as many as 135,000. In an ironic way, creating a large audience on TikTok can create a problem in the sense that the on-screen chat moves so quickly that it is hard and sometimes impossible to catch the questions

and, in that circumstance, it doesn’t take long before there are accusations that questions are being ignored. It will not be a surprise to anyone reading this to learn that many comments consist of little else than animal flesh emojis, insults, and insincere questions about protein and the sentience of plants. However, many people are clearly engaging in order to learn about vegan animal rights. Many serious questions are asked and answered, and some challenging issues are raised, such as “crop deaths” and what a future vegan world would look like. Some of the panel report that people have made contact to say that their content has encouraged them to check out vegan philosophy and to begin to live vegan. Outside of the wonderful world of TikTok, Nella talked about the utility that social media provided during the

many people are clearly engaging in order to learn about vegan animal rights. Many serious questions are asked and answered, and some challenging issues are raised, such as “crop deaths” and what a future vegan world would look like.”

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WATCH HERE:

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recent devastating fires in Greece. Nella is one of the hosts of the weekly Animal Rights Show and she regularly updated us on this situation while the fires raged. Many other animals had been abandoned and yet not released as the humans had panicked and fled, so animals found themselves locked into compounds and chained up in the areas affected by fire. Social media turned out to be a vital tool in co-ordinating rescue missions, and to alerting the mass media and general public to the plight of the animals in fire zones. So, what can be the downside of social media activism? Shane argued that self care issues are crucial to protect one’s mental health. We all agreed that social media can be a toxic place,

whether only animal advocates are involved or not. The online arena is an interesting advocacy tool but probably not best described as a diplomatic space, or a space where diplomacy and kindness comes easy. I made the oft-repeated point that people simply would not behave across a table in the way that they do online. This is a communication issue yet to be resolved in the animal advocacy movement but one that can have serious consequences. I’m always talking about “Tom Regan’s revolving door.” Our greatest rights-based philosopher, author of The Case for Animal Rights, was long concerned that we as a movement seem to often fail in retaining members much more than we do in gaining them in the first place. People’s experiences interact-

ing with other movement members could well be one of the factors that explain why we lose some people from the cause. In conclusion, social media activism, like most other things, raises pros and cons. The internet in general is a remarkable communication tool, affording animal activists instant and global reach to others. As Nella suggested, it can be used to galvanise support and to co-ordinate action. However, humans are social animals and even video conferencing does not allow for the usual reading of body language and nuances that occur in face-to-face communication. Pros and cons or not, one thing we can all say is that social media activism is here to stay.

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VEGAN LIFE FESTIVALNELLA GIATRAKOU After a two year long absence due to the covid-19 emergency, the Athens Vegan Life Festival opened its doors again and we could not have been more delighted.

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Admission to all events was free and the thousands of visitors had the chance to attend talks and workshops on Animal Rights and Veganism”

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As for us vegans this was a great meet-up.”

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Two days full of vegan education, delicious vegan food, activities for children and music in an emblematic indoor/outdoor venue in down town Athens – the old gasworks plant that has become a hub of cultural events hosting exhibitions, performances and educational programs. Admission to all events was free and the thousands of visitors had the chance to attend talks and workshops on Animal Rights and Veganism by academics, activists, health professionals, artists and chefs, enjoy delicious vegan food, browse and buy vegan and zero waste prod-

ucts and get acquainted with the vegan way of life. Activist groups were also there ready to discuss the objections and questions of those non-yet vegan and to encourage those already vegan to become active. And those who needed a little more help to make the transition to the vegan way of life, they only had to talk to the Vegan22Greece team and sign up for the three week challenge. As for us vegans this was a great meet-up. A chance to get together, see old friends, make new ones, celebrate our way of life and get a glimpse of the future we so much long for.

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Sounds awesome? It was. Because awesome things happen when people get together and try to find ways to spread the vegan message involving the local community. Especially when these people embrace the true meaning of veganism, the full focus and scope as Dr.Yates would phrase it, seeing the principles of the festival are clear: solidarity with and allyship to anyone, human or non-human, who faces oppression and injustice, recognition of every sentient being’s birthright to a life free of exploitation, and adoption of an environmentally friendly way of life.

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The Vegan Life Festival was launched in Athens in 2016, in Thessaloniki in 2017 and in Chania in 2019. Not so long ago we had no vegan festival in Greece and now we have three thanks to the organizers who attempted what at the moment seemed impossible and the dozens of volunteers who embraced the idea. The Vegan Life Festival has become an institution that raises awareness, brings joy and fill us with hope until the day the answer to the question on the banners of the festival “Who the f*ck still eats “meat”? is no one.

Not so long ago we had no vegan festival in Greece and now we have three thanks to the organizers who attempted what at the moment seemed impossible”

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THE MAKING OF

ANIMAL REBELLION Dan Kidby, Animal Freedom activist and founding member of Animal Think Tank & Animal Rebellion looks back over the past decade with us, in this truly impressive ‘origin’ story.

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Also, I can’t not mention the Rebellion without mentioning Mr Broccoli! I’m proud to say I had the privilege of sharing a police van with him after being arrested whilst dressed as a pea – or Mr Pea as I came to be known!”

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Tell us a little about going vegan – when and why? I became committed to the cause of animal freedom in 2014, when I was 23 years old. I was part of a regular meditation group and had a transformative moment of insight and connectedness. Following this experience, I had a greater capacity for empathy, and found myself caring a lot more about injustices in the world. The next time I was faced with the question about eating and using animals, I gave it the attention it deserved. Once I took time to think about it in good faith, it quickly became obvious to

me that I could not morally justify my participation in systems of violence and exploitation towards animals. I stopped my consumption of all animal products. I began campaigning soon afterwards for animal freedom and other issues. As time has gone on, my solidarity with animals has only deepened by personally experiencing the horrors of so called ‘free-range, organic, RSPCA farms’, and by learning countless inspiring stories of animals resisting their oppression in farms, laboratories, circuses and other spaces of oppression.

How did you get into activism? My activism journey began in 2015 with a six-week Occupation of London School of Economics with a demand for free education. We moved into and transformed the senior management’s meeting rooms into the ‘The Free University of London’. We created an open and liberatory learning environment where thousands of students, workers and staff worked together to vision the kind of society we wanted to create. This campaign was a trigger event which led to a resurgence in the UK student movement, with occupations all over the UK and actions all over the world. All of a sudden, I found myself in interna-

...when we work together, people have the power to re-imagine the world around us and create meaningful change.”

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tional meetings organising large-scale direct actions, facilitating democratic decision-making processes and speaking to large crowds. It was an extremely transformative and empowering experience which taught me that when we work together, people have the power to re-imagine the world around us and create meaningful change. I’ve been dedicated to social change ever since.

How did the Animal Think Tank come about? Animal Think Tank is taking a long-term strategic approach to build a broadbased nonviolent movement for Animal Freedom in the UK. The organisation is focused on developing expertise and best practice in social movement building with the goal of seeding lots of highly effective organisations and activities to transform the way society views animals, with a particular focus on building mass movements of nonviolent civil disobedience. My journey began in 2015, when I co-founded Radical Think Tank, with Roger Hallam who later went on to start Extinction Rebellion. Radical Think Tank was primarily led by Roger, who used it as a vehicle to develop best practice in social movement building – and I was able to benefit from Roger’s mentoring and witness many successful direct action campaigns from Rent Strikes to

University Divestment Campaigns. I also watched as this experimentation evolved into Extinction Rebellion. By 2017, I wanted to create something similar to Radical Think Tank in the Animal Freedom space utilising the same theories of change. I was introduced to Mark Westcombe, a brilliant organisational mind who independently developed a very similar vision to mine after being inspired the UK Anti-Slavery Movement. On the day we met, we immediately recognised our alignment and decided to work together. A few months later, I met Laila Kassam, a very deep an insightful movement thinker who was exploring how to bring about structural change. After many hours

of conversation and exploring ideas of social change, she was inspired to join us too, and together we formed Animal Think Tank.

Did Animal Think Tank lay the foundations for Animal Rebellion? Within Animal Think Tank, we had the aim of building a social movement organisation similar to Extinction Rebellion, with an explicit focus on Animal Freedom and anti-speciesism. We spent years building expertise to do this, learning about powFORCA VEGAN

erful movement building strategies, transformative narratives to shift public opinion, open and inclusive cultures, participatory organisational structures, and more. When Extinction Rebellion (XR) emerged, I saw a strategic opportunity to form an alliance with what was increasingly becoming the most inspiring and effective social movement in my lifetime, pressuring action on the climate and ecological crisis. I saw that there was scope to both support this movement as well as bring in a sorely lacking discussion of animal farming and fishing. I was personally in a unique position to do so, with strong relationships to the founders of XR and a deep understanding of their movement building 90

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strategies. Roger Hallam introduced me to an XR campaigner, Dora Hargitai, who also believed in the necessity of building a bridge between the animal and climate movements, and we agreed to work together. I took this idea to Animal Think Tank (who at the time was just myself, Mark and Laila), but the team didn’t believe we were ready for such a large undertaking. I knew it had to happen, so we agreed that I would step away from Animal Think Tank to build Animal Rebellion. Following some initial conversations with Dora, I went away and, with a wave of inspiration, spent the day writing a 30 page document which outlined the strategies, messaging, culture and organisational structure to

guide in the building of a Rebellion in October 2019. Animal Rebellion was born.

What was the driving force behind setting up Animal Rebellion? It is hard to imagine the scale of the climate and ecological crises. We are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction, ecosystems are collapsing all around us, and the climate is breaking down causing more and more extreme weather events. The nature of the crisis is that it is exponential, meaning it gets worse and worse at a faster and faster rate. It also has a sense of randomness

about it, like the pandemic; one day everything seems normal, and the next day everything changes. All it takes is a major extreme weather event which wipes out thousands of food crops, and then sooner or later people are fighting over tins of beans. Extinction Rebellion had the audacious ambition to challenge the system which is driving us to destruction head on, by declaring a Rebellion, engaging in mass civil disobedience, and seeking to transform everything. This essential movement for all life was so significant, but it had a crucial blind spot: animal farming and fishing. In its attempts to reach a mainstream audience, XR did not talk about the destructive impact of these industries.

In fact, it sometimes legitimised and promoted these industries by promoting the myths of regenerative animal farming. Many people across the animal freedom movement chose to avoid Extinction Rebellion and be critical from the sidelines, but Dora and I saw another way. We could ally with Extinction Rebellion, join a growing movement of movements, and ensure our message of a sustainable and just plant-based food system was present and supported within the climate space. We sought to show XR and the broader environmental movement that we can talk about animal farming and fishing whilst also building a mass movement for transformative change.

There was an original ‘get together’ of quite a few Animal groups and individuals in the summer of 2019 – tell us about that As I said before, Animal Rebellion began with a 30page document that I wrote in one day of inspiration. I laid out the plant-based food system narrative, the plan to build a Rebellion in October and the mobilisation strategy, the Occupation of Smithfields and Billingsgate, the organisational structure FORCA VEGAN

of Animal Rebellion, the culture, all the teams that were required and more. Dora, Mark, and I (who brought together the initial team) sent this document round to both recruit full-time campaigners and to gain support from other organisations and leaders in the Animal Freedom Movement. The ideas in this document had their own gravitational pull, and as soon as people heard about the plan they wanted to hear more. Ten amazing people even quit their jobs to work full time building it.

Due to the excitement and interest in this project, we were easily able to bring together 18 Animal Freedom organisations to meet with Extinction Rebellion. The organisations included The Vegan Society, Surge, Save, Veganuary, Animal Equality and more. We discussed the prospect of a wave of civil disobedience for a plantbased food system, the strategies to build an alliance between different communities who don’t agree on everything, and how different organisations could get

involved in and support the alliance. This meeting was a wild success and led to many amazing contributions from many different organisations. This meant that some of the most daring acts of disruption in the animal movement were started with a broad support from the broader movement.

What are Your abiding memories of that first rebellion back in Autumn 2019?

focus on civil disobedience, very few participants were willing to risk arrest. I realised just how counter-cultural law-breaking and sacrifice was in the UK Animal Freedom movement at that time. Five days into the Rebellion, during our blockade of Billingsgate Market, that all changed. Hundreds of us were standing outside the entrance of Billingsgate blocking the entrance at 3am. The cars were piling up and causing traffic disruption miles up the road.

The police were surrounding us all, preparing to move us on. I could see the police making their formations, and I realised something needed to happen. I picked up a megaphone and began making a speech about the tremendous injustices we were standing against and the duty to take action. Then I took a gamble and said to the crowd something like: “This is it. I am going to sit down. If the police want to move me, they will have to arrest me. If you are so

Personally, I remember the blockade of Billingsgate Fish Market. When the Rebellion began, we had attracted thousands of people, but despite our central 92

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moved, join me in Rebellion!” 20 people sat down with me and we all began singing as we were carried off into police vans. It was such a powerful moment and I was overcome with emotion. I spent the evening in a police cell, but I felt so powerful and strong to have stood my ground with so many beautiful people… Also, I can’t not mention the Rebellion without mentioning Mr Broccoli! I’m proud to say I had the privilege of sharing a police van with him after being ar-

rested whilst dressed as a pea – or Mr Pea as I came to be known!

You learnt ‘on your feet’ it’s safe to say? One of the key lessons I learned early on as a campaigner was that we don’t need to reinvent the wheel. People have been campaigning for decades and the codes for social change

already exist. We need to learn these methods and begin applying them. I studied intensively to learn the science of social change from the revolutionary movements of the past, reading hundreds of books particularly focusing on the tradition of nonviolent civil resistance in the tradition of Gandhi and King. But revolution is both a science and an art, and this is where learning by doing becomes so important. We can know the strategic underpinning of what has worked well in

People have been campaigning for decades and the codes for social change already exist. We need to learn these methods and begin applying them.” FORCA VEGAN

different movements and different times, but we need to engage creatively and experiment with different approaches in our own context. I treat every campaign as an experiment and take lessons from success and failure. I don’t believe you can only learn this stuff from books. You have to practice it on the ground as well and get that real-world experience. In that sense, yes, I learned on my feet.

Would you say that Animal Rebellion has succeeded in influencing Extinction Rebellion? I think Animal Rebellion have had a phenomenal influence on XR and the broader environmental movement. At the time of forming, XR would never talk about animal farming and fishing, or a plant-based food system. Now they are regularly

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Animal Rebellion very intentionally built a culture focusing on structural change, with a structural demand for a plant-based food system. We recognised that it was more important to work together and actually effect change, than to be morally right and isolated. ”

speaking out against these industries and calling for transformative change to our food system. XR regularly invite Animal Rebellion to speak at all major protests, and they have even sent out newsletters to hundreds of thousands of followers dedicated to anti-speciesism. XR organisers and supporters regularly join Animal Rebellion actions, and many have been arrested for the cause. In XR’s 2021 strategy assembly, two campaigners named Marina and Kerri represented Animal Rebellion and through their presence were able to ensure that speciesism was named and included in XR’s strategy. There is still work to be done to shift the climate movement, but things have progressed so much since the time Animal Rebellion emerged in 2019. This change is not only down to Animal Rebellion, but to the whole range of passionate

organisations and advocates ensuring that these issues are elevated.

What are the big challenges in combining climate justice activism with animal justice activism? The biggest challenge in building a bridge between the climate and animal movements is the fact that we don’t all agree about whether animals should be used and exploited in the food system and other areas of society. This was made harder by the fact that animal campaigning at the time was strongly focused on promoting veganism, which meant that interactions be-

tween animal and environmental campaigners quickly became about whether or not the environmentalist was a vegan or not, breaking down relationships. We knew that in order to succeed in building a strong alliance, when so many people were involved, we needed to avoid this conflict and focus on building a strong culture of solidarity. This meant focusing on what unites us (a desire for system change), rather than what divides us (veganism). Animal Rebellion very intentionally built a culture focusing on structural change, with a structural demand for a plant-based food system. We recognised that it was more important to work together and actually effect change, than to be morally right and isolated. We also were taking the long-term perspective that if we build positive relationships, this will lead to a more organic FORCA VEGAN

exchange of ideas and philosophies. Then, practices of veganism and anti-speciesism will spread throughout XR, and we too will learn from the environmental movement. I believe that the alliance-building approach we took has been a great success and it is a model which could and should be replicated with other movements.

Some would say that the core anti-speciesist message and position of Animal Rebellion gets a bit lost in the post in favour of a focus on plant based food systems – is that fair do you think? Anti-speciesism lies at the heart of Animal Rebellion, it motivated me and all of the founding members. But we made the strategic decision not to foreground it in our messaging. Animal Rebellion’s unique contribution is to shift the environmental discourse, and to do that, we need to focus our public-facing messaging on the climate and ecological impacts of animal farming and fishing. We do bring in anti-speciesism, but it is done 96

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in more subtle ways, with individuals and organisations once we have already built relationships with them. One way I want to do this within Animal Rebellion is to organise anti-speciesist workshops for all XR local groups, something which would be welcomed now the relationship has been built. Animal Rebellion supports other movements and organisations which focus on explicitly anti-speciesist messaging, because we need that too! I hope that, by bringing the message of a plant-based food system in the more palatable form of a solution to the climate and ecological crisis, Animal Rebellion will also help prepare the public for a future social movement which foregrounds anti-speciesism.

Looking at The current rebellion – success? For Animal Rebellion, it has been a great success. Every time there is major climate action, Animal Rebellion are there reminding the public, the politicians and the environmental organisations that we can’t ignore animal farming and fishing and a plant-based food system must be part of the future. But, for the broader movement towards system change, I don’t think the recent August Rebellion was very successful. Over the last couple of years, the movement has fallen into a

pattern of trying to do what worked last time – trying to recreate the magic again by organising yet another Rebellion. But our activism needs to evolve with the rapidly changing strategic landscape and we need something new. The greatest hope I see for climate activism at this moment is Insulate Britain, which is escalating disruption to force the government to act on a specific demand. Its success will present a model for success to all those who see the urgent need for change.

And there are A lot of Animal Rebellion ‘Chapters’ springing up around the globe… Animal Rebellion has had a global resonance and people all over the world on all continents (almost) have taken action for a plant-based food system. It is amazing to see and is absolutely essential to have disruptive protest occurring all over the world! Fun fact, despite Animal Rebellion being born in the UK, the first ever Animal Rebellion action actually occurred in Israel. Animal Rebellion UK were beaten to it! It’s amazing how quickly people can pull things together. It’s a testament to what we can achieve.

Image credit: Animal Rebellion

Anti-speciesism lies at the heart of Animal Rebellion, it motivated me and all of the founding members. But we made the strategic decision not to foreground it in our messaging. Animal Rebellion’s unique contribution is to shift the environmental discouse, and to do that, we need to focus our public-facing messaging on the climate and ecological impacts of animal farming and fishing.” FORCA VEGAN

I’m always coming up with seemingly overly ambitious ideas and strategies and I’m discussing large projects with people to embark on...”

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Image credit: Animal Rebellion

It’s fair to say you endured some significant burnout from your activism? I led the core team to build Animal Rebellion, and that came with a lot of pressure and responsibility. I was working 70 hour weeks and was very committed to make the Rebellion a massive success. The hard work and pressure of leadership led me to a significant burnout, which took many months to recover from, and I eventually decided to take a step back from Animal Rebellion in May 2020. I learned that in order to be long-term sustainable I need a better work-life balance and must maintain effective self-care practices to ensure I am taking care of myself fully in this work. For me that is meditation and yoga.

How’s the extended lockdown been? Tough. I was one of the unlucky ones to get ‘long covid’, which basically means that for the last year I’ve suffered post-viral fatigue and had intense fatigue and brain fog. I have had to take a step back from movement building until I am healthy

enough to keep going. As challenging as it has been to step away during such a critical moment in history, I have had the opportunity to rest, reflect and grow. So when I return to the movement, I hope to be more grounded and effective.

What’s next for Dan? I’m always coming up with seemingly overly ambitious ideas and strategies and I’m discussing large projects with people to embark on when I’m feeling healthy. In the long term I want to strategize campaigns of civil disobedience to shift public opinion and pressure change as big as or bigger than Animal Rebellion. But the first step for me is to fully recover!

Talking of plant based options – what do you eat? I try and take a mindful approach to food and as much as possible eat wholefoods. I eat porridge every morning with fruits and nuts to start the day, and lunch and dinner ranges from salads to curries, to pasta and more. But as much as I try to be healthy, I do eat a lot of the old classic – Ready Salted Crisps. Oh and I’m slightly addicted to sweets!

Advice for up and coming vegans and activists? Transformative change is possible, but only if there are people who are willing to stand up and demand it, with the courage to take proportionate and strategic action to challenge systems of violence and oppression. Don’t believe people when they say we have no choice but to accept the system as it is, work in the realm of what is ‘politically possible’ and only seek to achieve minor incremental changes. We can achieve so much more than that. Throughout history, we have seen time and time again ordinary people coming together, demanding the impossible, and making change. Given the unique and urgent time we are in with multiple interlocking crises which threaten the collapse of civilisation, and with trillions of animals being killed, more than ever we need campaigners to have faith and courage that we can change the world – and to go out and do it!

Any other news? Don’t watch the news, be the news.

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VEGANS OF INDIA: ATUL SARIN Atul Sarin is the founder of WAG (Welfare for Animals in Goa). While on holiday in Goa in 2000 he witnessed the suffering endured by the stray animals which affected him deeply.

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I was born in Kenya, and then moved to the UK when I was 13 years old. I lived there for 30 years & then decided to move to Goa. I was always a Vegetarian, but became Vegan, when I started rescuing abused Dairy Cows & Calves.” FORCA VEGAN

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VEGANS OF INDIA: ATUL SARIN I was born in Kenya, and then moved to the UK when I was 13 years old. I lived there for 30 years & then decided to move to Goa. I was always a Vegetarian, but became Vegan, when I started rescuing abused Dairy Cows & Calves. Also rescuing battery chickens very soon put me off eggs! The situation in Goa for the animals is quite depressing, there is a huge Fish-eating culture, and a demand for pork & beef from some communities. Surprisingly there is a good Vegan scene in Goa with many restaurants opening. But still a lot of work needs to be done.

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I don’t think the Party Goers or hippies have much influence on Veganism in Goa, if anything the huge vegetarian culture in India, influenced many of them to go Vegetarian. I have hosted many “vegan awareness workshops” with the Vegan Society of Goa. We also hold Vegan Potluck Lunches with the Vegans in Goa, where non-Vegans are invited too. These have been a huge success. At my Charity Welfare for Animals in Goa: WAG, we rescue over 500 Cows, and some Goats, Pigs & Chickens too. At our Cow Sanctuary, we never milk the Cows, and let the orphaned calves drink from mums who have lost their babies. It’s quite beautiful to see.

we never milk the Cows, and let the orphaned calves drink from mums who have lost their babies. It’s quite beautiful to see.” FORCA VEGAN

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Sadly we receive no funds from the Government, so rely on the donations of kind people.”

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I think education is the driving force for Veganism in India currently. India has the highest population of vegetarians in the world, but there is a huge ‘milk culture’. I believe many Indians would turn Vegan if they knew about the horrors of Dairy. There is a good Animal Justice System in India, but as with other issues, many are never implemented due to corruption from local bodies. I eat a lot of Dal, Rice Chapatti & Sabzi (dry vegetable curry). This is a staple-diet in India, and is Vegan too! I also like ‘mock meats’ & love cooking too.

The biggest barriers I see for the growth of Veganism in Goa/India, is the Milk Culture. Also, many Indians are influenced by Western Culture, which has a huge meat-eating tradition. I would advise upcoming Vegans /activists, to try & influence people in a diplomatic manner. In my experience, very few people turn Vegan if you simply tell them to. Surprisingly, not many Animal Rescue Charities promote Veganism. At WAG we do. We have also made many informative videos. Sadly we receive no funds from the Government, so rely on the donations of kind people.

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VEG’FEST MOROCCO SIMOHAMED BOUHAKKAOUI The international festival of Moroccan vegans “Vegfest Morocco”: In celebration of Africa and African vegans and in honour of Dr. Jane Goodall. The National Association of Moroccan Vegans is organizing the second digital session of the international festival “VegFest” Morocco. After organizing Its first edition of VegFest Morocco last year, they had been awarded the grand prize presented by the United Kingdom for the best global initiative. The association’s plans to organize the second digital version on November 6th and 7th on its official Facebook page, taking into consideration a free registration to the event IFMAG is highly encouraging for the universal adoption of a healthy, responsible diet that respects animals and contributes to the preservation of the environment. The virtual festival of VegFest Morocco is tantamount to the values the Association has set itself, with a goal to be known as a vegan system, and one that is considered a lifestyle that combines a purely vegan system refraining from the consumption or

use of all animal products (dairy, meat, skin, clothing, shoes, cosmetics, entertainment...). The International Festival of Moroccan Vegans is also covering Africa as a theme and African vegan activists to honor Dr. Jane Goodall, who has given her life in service of animals and activism in Africa. IFMAG opens the space for a group of international vegan lecturers and experts to address a wide range of questions related to health, climate change & animal ethics all with the aim of spreading awareness on all these matters. This year’s course will include the participation of a wide array of knowledgable lecturers, such as doctors, nutritionists, ecologists, industry activists, representatives of associations working on environmental conservation and animal welfare, philosophers, and writers from different na-

tionalities, the participating countries are as follows: the United Kingdom, the United States, India, France, and Mexico. African speakers: Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Tunisia, Egypt, Zimbabwe... Conferences and seminars will include yoga and meditation sessions, as well as cooking workshops to be conducted by chefs and industry experts. In order to promote plant projects and promote ecological initiatives, the National Association of Moroccan Vegetarians will publish videos of these projects during the Fest to help them bring their work to the fore, and the festival will also be an opportunity to encourage Moroccan plant projects. This official poster is a collaboration between two artists @cothesanchez_illustration (Spain) @dukkhaflix (Morocco) Graphic

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ALAOUI ©

Designer

:Khalil

ISMAILI

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VEG’FEST MOROCCO // SPEAKERS

LIVE PANELS

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VEGAN COOKING

6-7 NOVEMBER 2021

YOGA & MEDITATION

LIVE MUSIC

VEGFEST.MA

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VEGAN FOR

HALF A CENTURY JORDI CASAMITJANA Jordi Casamitjana, author of ‘Ethical Vegan’, talks with 4 vegans who have been vegan for over 50 years.

People often ask me how long I have been vegan. Considering the increase in popularity of veganism in the last few years — which means many people have only become vegan relatively recently — I often encounter expressions of surprise when I tell people I went vegan 20 years ago. For many, this is an impressively long time. But I tell them that it is nothing, really. Many vegans have been vegan for much longer.

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The concept of ahimsa, which means in Sanskrit “do no harm”, can be found in many ancient religions, and also in centuries-old secular movements such as pacifism or vegetarianism. The vegan movement is just its latest incarnation.”

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Veganism is not a new fad, as many carnists believe. The Vegan Society was created in 1944, and even then, they just formalised an established lifestyle derived from a philosophy that had existed for millennia in many parts of the world. The concept of ahimsa, which means in Sanskrit “do no harm”, can be found in many ancient religions, and also in centuries-old secular movements such as pacifism or vegetarianism. The vegan movement is just it’s latest incarnation. Therefore, there always have been people who had followed a ‘vegan lifestyle’ for many decades. For instance, Abul ‘ala Al-Ma’arri

Angie Wright Vegan from 1966 (55 years) No vegetarian pre-vegan phase Became vegan in the UK The main reason for becoming vegan: animal rights Identified as an ethical vegan Other vegans in the family: three sons and four grandchildren are life vegans Born in Brighton but now lives in Seaford. Worked mainly as a secondary school teacher (chemistry and biology). 112

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in 11th Century Syria, Roger Crab in 17th century Buckinghamshire, or Louis Rimbault in 19th century France.

Four half-a-century British vegans

Today, of course, you can meet many vegans who have been vegan for much longer than I. In fact, more than twice as long as I. There are vegans today who have been vegan for more than half a century! I thought that it would be interesting to find a few in the UK, and have a chat over Zoom with

them to find out how was their experience of being a vegan during the last five decades. I found several, but for brevity, I settled with four: Angie Wright, a 73-year-old teacher from Brighton who has been an ethical vegan since 1966, John Strettle, a 70-year-old teacher from Newcastle who has been vegan since 1969, Ruth Hawe, a 66-year-old podiatrist and reflexologist from the Midlands who has been a liberationist vegantopian since 1970, and Russel Howard, a 56-year-old carpenter from Herefordshire who has been a dietary and ethical vegan from his birth in 1965. Here is a bit more about them:

John Strettle Vegan from 1969 (52 years) Vegetarian from 1968. Became vegan in the UK. The main reason for becoming vegan: health, anti-vivisection, and respect for animals. Identified as 100% vegan. Other vegans in the family: daughter, two of his three sons, and partner. Born in North Shields but now lives in Wallsend. Worked mainly as schoolmaster, taxi driver and vegan shop owner.

Ruth Hawe Vegan from 1970 (51 years) Vegetarian from 1969. Became vegan in England. The main reason for becoming vegan: Compassion. Identified as Liberationist Vegantopian. Other vegans in the family: daughter, partner, and two brothers. Born in the Midlands, and still lives there. Worked mainly as a Podiatrist and Reflexologist. FORCA VEGAN

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Russell Howard Vegan since 1965 (life vegan, 56 years) No vegetarian pre-vegan phase. Became vegan in England. The main reason for becoming vegan: health, environmental, spiritual reasons. Identified as a dietary and ethical vegan. Other vegans in the family: grandmother, father, mother, three sisters and partner. Born in Hitchin, and now lives in South Wales. Worked mainly as a carpenter, handyman, builder, and inventor. I asked the same questions to all of them:

What do you remember of the day you became a vegan? Angie: “I remember when I was 18 and I was going to sleep, and I suddenly recalled what had happened to me when I was seven. I was standing at the back of the house on a hot summer’s day and I saw a lot of ants crawling around on the flat stones in the street. I was stamping on them. Just because I could. I thought it was fun — like a lot of little children do. Then, suddenly, I heard this voice in my head saying: ‘what on earth are you doing?’. 114

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And I thought it was a voice because I turned round to see who was shouting at me. And there was nobody there. So, I thought it must have been my own mind talking to me. I thought about it and decided I shouldn’t be killing them because it was cruel and not necessary. And then I thought of sheep in the hills near Brighton. I shouldn’t be killing them either. So, that’s when I decided I should stop eating animals. I ran indoors to tell my mother and tell her I didn’t want to eat animals anymore. She said: ‘but you’ll die if you don’t eat meat’. I remember feeling a thud in my stomach. I thought: ‘oh well, I have to leave this thing until I’m a big girl’.

One night, when I was 18, when I was going to sleep, I suddenly remembered that I promised myself I’d stop eating animals. Because now I had money, the next day I got up and went to a health store and bought some lentils. First time I’ve ever heard of lentils, but I bought them.” John: “I was living in Newcastle. It was a Thursday and I was at school. I was 16 and the teacher said: ‘who’s giving the talk next week?’ I said: ‘I will. How about anti-vivisection?’ I asked dad about these meetings he went to, and he said they were about ex-

perimenting on animals. He gave me some leaflets. With them, I prepared the talk, went in the next week in the classroom, gave a talk, and halfway through a lad called John put his hand up and said: ‘If you don’t believe in experimenting on animals, why do you eat them?’ So, I went home that night, and I must have thought about it all night because when I woke up at breakfast on Friday morning I announced to my family that I wasn’t going to eat animals. My understanding of not eating animals was a vegan, but I didn’t even know the word. That wasn’t in my vocabulary. For some reason — I don’t know why to this day — I became veggie overnight. But I

always was going to be vegan because, for the next year or two, every two or three months I cut out something that might have animal products in it. Meat, fish, fowl and honey went immediately, and everything else went soon after. If I found out the cakes had dairy, I stopped using them. If I found out the sweets weren’t vegan or chocolate wasn’t vegan, I cut it out. When I found out about milk, I cut it out. When I found out that cheese wasn’t vegan, I cut it out. I was vegan in mind from day one, and I was vegan in actuality about a year or two later.” Ruth: “On Sunday afternoons, at that time in the early 70s / late 60s, there was a pro-

gramme called ‘the world at war’ which was very harrowing, as it had actual footage of the Second World War. I remember watching it out on my own. I was 14, and I remember seeing these bodies carried out from the liberation of Belsen. It just struck me that that I’ve seen that before, but of animal bodies being carried out into the butchers’ shops. I remember that very distinctly. Thinking there’s no difference. Making that connection in my head was very dramatic. I was coming up to 16. I was living in the Midlands at home, still with my parents. I just finished my GCSEs and was going to go on and do my A levels. I thought: ‘I can’t just live like this anymore’. I had to stand for what I knew is right.

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Mum said: ‘I can’t have you in my kitchen. You can’t be doing your own food. You just have to have what we have without the bits you don’t want’. I had realised already, from my knowledge of biology at school, that we need protein, for example. So, I’d looked up plant sources of protein. I found out about wheat germ, which is very cheap to buy, and it was 25% protein. So, I bought this wheat germ and I kept it in my bedroom, in my wardrobe. I would eat this after we had our dinner, which was the vegetables I could have. I subsisted on wheat germ, really. Russell: “I don’t remember, of course, as I was brought up vegan by a vegan family. My grandmother, Ruth Howard, turned vegan before vegans existed, before the Second World War. I think Reverend John Todd Ferrier influenced her. My mother turned vegan about 1965. She tried being vegetarian for a while, but she still had acne. Then decided to go vegan and all her acne disappeared, helped by an orange juice fast. I think she was inspired to take more of an ethical point of view from some inspiring people who came to our school. My parents were quite involved with the Vegan Society.”

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What obstacles or difficulties do you remember having to overcome the first years you were vegan? Angie: “The most difficult was I couldn’t eat cereal anymore. And everybody that I knew had shredded wheat for breakfast, or Weetabix, or cornflakes, one of those. I still love shredded wheat. And I couldn’t have it. It’s horrible with water. I tried it once, never again. There was no soya milk. After about 4-5 years or so I discovered a group called BVY, the British Vegetarian Youth movement. There wasn’t much for vegans but

it was a vegetarian youth group. I got involved with going on holidays with some of them. I remember one person being very excited saying to me: ‘I discovered this powder made from soya and it makes milk’. It was called Granogen. I loved that stuff. I don’t know why it doesn’t exist now. And there was a baby version called Granolac. It was lovely. Because of it, I could go back to having cereals.”

The Supernatural. My memory of that one is that I went quite often. And one Wednesday I was in, and they said that the meal they gave me the previous week wasn’t vegan as it had egg in it. I thanked them for telling me. There was nothing you could do about it. Vegans and vegetarians were not really looked after unless you went to a specialist place. And even then, mistakes could happen.”

John:

Ruth:

“Soya milk didn’t exist. If you wanted soya milk in the 1970s you had to buy soya flour and mix it with water to make a sort of powdered soya milk.

“The total lack of any support and being mocked by my family. My brother, particularly. And of course, I knew nobody in those days. And in actual fact, it was 15 years before I met another vegan. 15 years of just going it by myself. So, it was pret-

There was a vegetarian restaurant in Newcastle called

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ty tough. Pretty harrowing. I used to get teased when I was at university, and I put posters up. People would write nasty things on them. And yeah, I felt very alone. Very isolated. Very alienated, really. It had been very hard because my family was totally unsupported when I even went vegetarian. And I didn’t even like being vegetarian as soon as I realised what was involved in the dairy and egg industry.” Russell: “The Vegan Society was quite worried that vegan

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children wouldn’t have enough nourishment. So, I was sent to see Dr Frey Ellis in Kingston, London, where I was weighed, prodded and poked to see how healthy I was. They concluded I had normal growth. My B12 vitamin levels were good. There was a lot of B12 fortified food in those days. I was small for my age, but I sort of caught up in my late teens.”

What do you remember of your experience of being vegan in the 1960s? Angie: “It was 1966 when I went vegan. The difficulty, as well as having no cereal, was going out with people. Because I was 18, I would go out occasionally with someone, and that was the difficulty. So, I had to say to people that I really liked Indian food. I didn’t particularly because it wasn’t something I had experienced growing up. But I started to learn to like Indian curries. Because they were the only cafes that I could go

into and find something to eat in the evening.

ing the free school milk, of course.

In the daytime, I couldn’t go anywhere. There were some potato cafes opened. They cooked potatoes with baked beans on them, but they came later, I think. Probably in the 70s. In the 60s, any place to eat out was an Indian restaurant.”

“My mother was interested in nutrition. She had studied it when she was younger. She gave us fruit and nuts for breakfast. A few apples and oranges, and some almonds.”

Russell: “We did not have a lot of other vegan friends. Just ourselves. I think I was the only vegan in my school. At primary school, we just went home for lunch. So, that was alright. We avoided hav-

What do you remember of your experience of being vegan in the 1970s? Angie: “I was living in London and the Vegan Society was based in Hastings at the time, so I still didn’t have

much to do with them. But the Vegetarian Society did do events. I went in for the Miss Vegetarian competition. Now, I’m normally a bit of a feminist, so I would be against that. But I thought it might be a way to promote veganism, even though it was for the Vegetarian Society. I remember parading up and down. We weren’t in swimming costumes —we just walked up and down in clothes. I came third after about 20 or so. I was pleased with that. And I was also able to say at the time when they asked me why I was vegetarian. I was able to say: ‘actually, I’m a

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vegan’. And I gave the reasons: ‘it’s against all animal abuse, including dairy and eggs abuse’. At that time there was an organisation called CAW, Coordinating Animal Welfare. Somebody wanted to get together with all the different groups that existed. They all worked as one and they produced a little cheap newsletter. We got that sent to us and it would tell us when any activities were going on. I think that around that time we’d demo against Harrods, because of the fur trade. We also went to the RSPCA’s AGM. A lot of us joined at the same time, probably because CAW told us to. We got them to ban hunting. Until then, the RSPCA allowed hunting to continue. We had it changed. We added animal people to the committee — rather than hunting people because they have had a lot of hunting people on the committee at the time. I joined the Hunt Saboteurs, and that was the best place to meet vegans. Because a lot of them were vegan.” John: “At the age of 16-17 I immediately got in touch with the Vegetarian Society and I became a member of their youth section. I went away on weekends and holidays with other vegans and vegetarians in that group. I then became a holiday organiser for them. I did make friends within veganism but back on Tyneside, at school and college, I don’t remember meet120

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ing another vegan. I was the odd one out at mealtimes in college. Sitting there eating mashed potatoes, cabbage, and peas. That was about all that the cafe could give me that was vegan. Meals provided by the college were very difficult because I had to open a tin of Nutaline, nutmeat, and push it out. Cut it into slices and take them with me for my lunch. Luckily in Newcastle, we had the first Newcastle vegetarian restaurant and I remember the meal that I was first given when I went there. It was rice with peas, sweet corn, and bits of carrot. A very easy meal to make. That was a very basic meal, but that was my first one. If you wanted margarine in the 70s, you had to go to a Jewish shop because the Jewish believe in only eating animals at certain times of the year. And it had to be kosher, which meant that they could eat it at that time of the year when they weren’t going to eat animals. So, if you bought kosher margarine, it was vegan. And it is still available these days, so it’s been going for 50 years. It’s a good margarine. That was the only way you can get it in those days.” Ruth: “In the 70s I was a student. I first started in my three years at podiatry school, and that’s where I used to put the posters up. I did make two vegetarian friends whilst I

I was the odd one out at meal times in college. Sitting there eating mashed potatoes, cabbage, and peas. That was about all that the cafe could give me that was vegan.”

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was there, which was nice — but of course, they were only vegetarian, and they couldn’t really relate. I didn’t want to lose them by alienating them. They were nice people, and I am still in touch with one of them, actually. She was a Jewish girl, and she introduced me to falafel and houmous. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven when I found this. I did not drink soya milk. In those days it was Plamil, which tasted disgusting. I just got so used to having black tea or black coffee, that I never even thought about it. It wasn’t part of my reality.” Russell: “In general, in the 70s, before this gormet food came out, we ate very plain food. Boiled cabbage, potato, swede, Brussels sprouts and things like that. Very ordinary kinds of oils. Sunflower or maize oil. At secondary school, I brought a packed lunch every day. With sandwiches and biscuits, and an apple or two. I remember having some soya milk from Plamil. It was the only organisation producing soya milk. We did have some margarine. The stuff from the Jewish people called Tamil. And also, we used to make our own soya butter by preparing soya flour. Boiling it in water until it gets a bit thicker, then adding some oil and sugar, and all mixed together to make a kind of butter. We met H. Jay Dinshah, the founder of the American 122

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Vegan Society. He visited us in our place in Hitchin.”

What do you remember of your experience of being vegan in the 1980s? Angie: “In the 80s I started to have my children. In 1980 my first one was born, so I wasn’t so active. Obviously, because I

was busy bringing them up. But there were problems then, because I went to the hospital to have my first child, and I was supposed to be kept in for two days. Of course, my husband had to bring me food, as they couldn’t give me any food. On the day I should have left the doctor came to see me. I remember this vividly. She said: ‘I think we’re going to keep you in, to see

if your milk comes through and to sort out your vegan diet’. Well, I didn’t need to sort out my vegan diet. I had been vegan by then for ten years. So, I knew what I was doing. They were the ones that didn’t know what they were doing. The other thing this doctor said when I asked her if we could leave was: ‘well, we could make the baby a ward of court’. I remember thinking: ‘what a mean thing to say to a woman who’s just

had a baby, with hormones probably up and down’. For what reason? None other than I was a vegan, they didn’t know how to feed me, and she thought I might not get any milk. I remember when my husband came, and I said to him ‘we’ve got to escape’. I’d already dressed the baby, so we tried to run for it. They called us back and said: ‘you can’t just leave’. And I said ‘well, we are leaving’. So, we left.

My milk was fine. I have breastfed four of my kids, and they were fine.” John: “I did move to London in the 70s for five years and had more joy with eating out, but in the 80s I went back to Newcastle. I was always working. I was a schoolteacher. I remember getting told off by the headmaster in one school because I gave a very thought-provoking assembly, which encourage people to think about how life used to be before we messed up the world. I was told not to impose my thoughts on my students. When I started to take soya milk, I always was sure it was fortified with B12. I’ve always been aware of the B12 problem. I started to take Plamil fortified soya milk. I went on a mountain leadership course to learn about looking after children on the hills, and I remember being told that I was taking too long to eat my lunch. It was peanut butter and banana sandwiches with wholemeal bread. And, of course, wholemeal bread takes twice as long to digest as white bread. So, these people on the course — which had egg and cheese, or egg and cucumber sandwiches — were over their lunch very quickly, and I was still eating mine when they were on their second course. I also remember having a bicycle and I wanted a non-leather seat. There were no real substitutes for FORCA VEGAN

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leather seats in those days because synthetic seats hadn’t been invented. So, the only thing you can do is cover it up. I needed toe straps to fasten my feet, but the toe straps you could get made of cardboard snapped. They were useless. So, the solution was to go to a bike shop and buy second-hand toe straps, which meant that you weren’t increasing the demand for animal skins, but you were making use of a product that had previously been made.” Ruth: “I worked for the NHS to start with. I was working in the hospital for part of the week. The only thing I could have at mealtime — if I didn’t take my own, which I usually did — was just the vegeta-

bles, which had been kept hot for ages. So, they were almost grey and lifeless, and I felt quite toxic after eating them. I joined the Vegan Society and started getting involved in anything that I saw that was happening where I might be. But then in about 1983, I went to America. I lived in America for two years, so that really changed. I was in Florida, and again, I was back to not knowing any vegans. But I found it easier in America than in England. There wasn’t the hostility that there was here. A huge amount of hostility against. As if you want to be ‘holier than thou’. As if you’re trying to prove something. I didn’t get that in America. When I returned to the UK

it was starting to get easier because health food shops would sell all sorts of Sizzles and sauce mix, which became stable. You just mix them in water and then you fry them up. It had a bacon flavour, with beetroot colouring, and it had a smoky flavour. It was really nice. Unfortunately, they stopped making it which I still feel sad about. My daughter was born in 1987. So, there was a bit of pressure — which I knew to expect — from the doctor and the midwife. I am sorry to say I lied to them, and I told them I was vegetarian because I didn’t want them to give me a hard time and try and persuade me. It was bad enough getting a home birth. I said: ‘look, I’m not going into hospital. I want to have my baby naturally at home. If you won’t help me, I’ll do it by myself’. Thankfully, it all went well.” Russell: “When I was young you had to explain what vegan was. You had to say you were a strict vegetarian. But when those TV programmes happened — there were a couple of TV programmes in the 60s and 70s where they came to my house — more people knew about it. I never felt the need to break away from veganism. It just did not appeal to me the idea of eating meat at all. I like the ethics of veganism. I loved eating Fru-grains. It was a great product. It came in tins and packets. Very distinctive product. It was

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were changing a little, and you weren’t so much of an outcast. But I still got lots of funny looks when I ate raw mushrooms with my lunch.

made of dates, almonds, and a few other things, all blended together. It was a kind of breakfast cereal. In the 80s we had the old vegan shopper, which was a book that had things you could buy marked as vegan. That was before the vegan trademark was set up.”

What do you remember of your experience of being vegan in the 1990s? Angie: “We were living in Nottingham then. I probably didn’t do anything much in the first few years, but things were getting a lot better. I met Patrick of Veggies, and I started doing stalls. This is when my kids were about 12. I started doing stalls and there were a couple of vegan cafes or vegetarian cafes that did vegan food. It was becoming a lot easier to eat out. I became very involved with Veggies. They were a very

active group in Nottingham. They went to various demos and marches and served food. I was working then as a teacher, but every Saturday we did a stall in Nottingham with Animal Aid literature. I think Viva! might have started too, so we were giving out their leaflets as well. We used to go to lots of demos. We had the Hillgrove Cats demo. It was great to meet other vegans because anyone on the animal rights marches was probably vegan. Or if they weren’t, they soon became vegan because of talking to other people. Suddenly, you felt you were part of a movement. It wasn’t something strange to be vegan. I met lots of vegan friends.” John: “I was still a schoolteacher. But now I remember being encouraged to bring seaweed into the classroom and to have a day using alternative foods. Attitudes

I remember one child going home and telling her mum that had made her go off meat. And I’d only been in the school for six weeks. And the child said: ‘my mother is gonna murder you, I’ve gone off meat’. And I’ve never even mentioned the word vegetarian or vegan. But what they’ve done was watch me eating my packed lunch and then asked me questions. What are you eating and why. These kids put two and two together and worked out that meat equals animals.” Ruth: “I was in Surrey at the time. I remember battles at school, unfortunately. Sadly, my daughter got mocked by the children at school a lot for being vegan. More than I knew at the time. I didn’t try to get them to provide vegan food. This was the early 90s, not like today. I just needed to send her in with her lunch box. And if children came round, I would make sauce mix rolls, etc. None of the kids ever had a problem with that. I no longer felt the alienation, because I was in contact with other vegans from going to events, such as protests, or awareness-raising events. Or vegan festivals, for example. We had a local Vegan Society group, and we used to meet for shared meals.” FORCA VEGAN

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still in contact with. I brought a packed lunch to college every day. There were no vegan restaurants in Saint Albans. I know there is one now because a friend of mine is running it. I went to a few of the vegan society’s AGMs at that time. In 1983 or 84 were rather turbulent AGMs, as I remember. There was a new intake of people very interested in the Vegan Society who had an alternative view about how things should be done. They wanted the magazine to be shocking pink! There were a lot of animal rights people who got involved at that time too. They all had to get along with each other. I haven’t done much animal rights activism myself. I am just content with being vegan and try to persuade other people to become vegan. And I think I have persuaded a few people.”

What do you remember of your experience of being vegan in the 2000s? Angie:

Russell: “In the 90s I was mostly at home. I found a job doing woodwork. Making boomerangs. I was quite good at it. I ended up making 120,000. These boomerangs 126

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were sold at the Covent Garden’s craft market, mostly. I went to art college at Saint Albans, at Herefordshire College of Art and Design. And there I met some people who I learned later were vegans. Some of whom I am

“People started having food meetups to promote veganism. If we met someone in the streets, we would encourage them to come to the meetups. And, of course, by now we’ve got Facebook. That made a difference when it came on the scene. Because it was another means with which people could contact others and join meeting groups.”

John: “The first time I ever got a lesson planned on veganism was round about 2008 when it was on the curriculum and schools were much more open. So, the attitudes were changing in the 2000s. People were finally acknowledging the fact that you can grow more food to feed humans on a field than you can to feed animals, and subsequently kill those animals to feed them to humans.” Ruth:

bike 13 years ago, which stopped me from working. But the fruit of that was that I had a lot more time on my hands to do online activism and talks, wherever I was asked to go. The easiest part is Facebook because you just repost what someone else has done and put a comment. I joined dozens of groups to raise vegan awareness. Not just vegan groups, but spiritual groups as well. Especially religious groups.” Russell:

“With each year that goes by it becomes easier. I had an accident falling off my

“I first went on to the Internet the day before 9/11. We were making boomerangs

that day. By that time, I was making them as a part-time job. Many more people knew what being vegan was. I didn’t have to explain it anymore. We began to have products labelled as vegan.”

What do you remember of your experience of being vegan in the last 10 years? Angie: “The last 10 years, things have been good because people have been doing demos. We haven’t had so many marches, though. The

People started having food meetups to promote veganism. If we met someone in the streets, we would encourage them to come to the meetups.”

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marches have gone down. That’s when VegFest started in Bristol. I remember going with Patrick of Veggies. We used to go there to serve food. That was great because there might have been 100 stalls there doing all sorts of vegan stuff. And then, of course, Brighton got the next VegFest.” John: “My last teaching was round about 2010 because there wasn’t enough work. I started taxi driving.

In 2016, one day I was in a vegan shop, and I overheard that they wanted somebody to buy them in, or to buy them out. I went back the next day and I bought it. The shop specialised in vegan footwear. I still have that shop near Newcastle called ‘Alternative Stores’. And we have a large following of people that like our vegan footwear. The only one of the designs I have actually designed myself was a pair of steel toe capped work boots to British and Europe-

an standards. That’s the first specifically branded vegan piece of footwear that probably existed in this country. Gradually, attitudes have changed. And in the 2010s this is taking off to a massive extent, where people realise that what they’re doing does have an effect on the environment. Those of us who have been vegan for 50 years know well that if you can grow your own food you make such a difference. But if every family that’s got a bit of land grew some more vegetables, they would see a difference not only in their health, but in the cost of their shopping, and in the goodness that does to the planet.” Ruth: “At the moment I’m doing Kundalini yoga training. I am doing art now too. I use whatever opportunity or means I think I can to reach people. Ever since my early life I’ve had these visions of an idealistic place. What people would describe as heavenly, where there isn’t any fighting, or bullying, or war, or abuse. Where we live in harmony. Vegantopia, this wonderful ideal, it’s like the core of my being. I am a vegantopian. I used to think it was a past life somewhere, but in the last maybe 10 years, I’ve realised it’s not the past. It’s the future that I am driving forward, getting closer to us.”

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Russell: “It’s just amazing the number of products that are out there now. I can’t keep up with it all, you know? New vegan products are appearing on the shelves every day. The vegan trademark theme has taken off. I do try some of the new things. Meat alternatives are getting ever more realistic, which I don’t particularly like.”

Which advice would you give to a new vegan who just started? Angie: “I think they need to have other vegan friends. It’s hard to do it on your own. Even if you know what you’re doing, and you get support

from the Vegan Society or from Facebook. I think they should try and get vegan contacts. Because very many young vegans — young in age as well as young in being a vegan — may find they are the only ones in the family and maybe their family doesn’t support them. Maybe they are laughed at. They need to know that they’ve got at least five vegan friends they can go to if they want to have a cry or they just want to vent. That makes it so much easier. My advice would be to always wear a vegan T-shirt when you’re out and about. Because I do this all the time. Every day I’m wearing a different vegan T-shirt. I’ve got loads now.”

John: “My advice to any vegan who is just starting out would be to ensure that they have a well-balanced meal with as little processed food as possible. Bearing in mind that processed food can be very helpful and quick and useful at certain times of day, or in certain jobs. We need to eat food as raw as possible. Whether salads or grains. We need to have a good balance of cooked food and raw food, but as natural as possible. The less processing the better. Making sure you get your vitamin D, your vitamin B12, and follow the guidance that’s out there because it makes sense to do so.”

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What do you normally eat these days? Angie: “I have muesli for breakfast nearly every day. Or just oats nearly every day. Because that’s supposed to be a good healthy thing. Cereal for breakfast with fruit. Bananas, for example. At lunchtime — I’m not a very good cook — I hate cooking. I like things to be easy and I don’t like washing up. So, I used to eat a lot of bread. I’m trying to cut down on bread now. If I’m having a hot meal in the winter, I’ve gone back to basics. Because it’s so easy to eat sauce mix and to have all these fake sausages and all these burger things that are not necessarily good for you — because they are full of fats. Now I tend to have stew. That’s because you can have anything in it. A mixture of three or four different vegetables, with lentils, and chopped up potato and onion.

Ruth: “First, I would say thank you. Thank you for listening to your heart and your intuition. And then shine that light. Basically, hold that vibration of harmlessness with compassion and share it with everybody. Saint Francis of Assisi said: ‘preach the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words’. What he was saying 130

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is be it. We influence people by our behaviour, by the way we are. People notice. We may not think they do, but they do notice.”

Sometimes I make these smoothies with green stuff in them. It could be a fruit smoothie with grapes. I put a handful of spinach in, a handful of lettuce, cabbage, etc.”

Russell:

John:

“I don’t give advice very often. Veganism is better for your health, is better for the animals, of course, and it changes your outlook on life. You become a whole lot more civilised.”

“Muesli is a staple diet for me every morning. As much fresh fruit as possible, and ideally homemade hemp, almond, or walnut milk. The main part of my life is that healthy good start to the day.

At lunchtime, I try to have something raw, or something fresh. For evening meals, the advice is to eat as early as possible. Before my evening meal, I’ll have a juice. I started juicing in the last two years and I’m now incorporating one or two juices into my diet every day. Vegetable juices and raw juices are my top priority.”

pour water on that. It makes a sort of sauce. It’s a bit nuttier and it doesn’t taste like milk so much. For lunch hour, we’ll have some sandwiches made up of wholemeal bread, margarine, peanut butter and tomatoes. One of my favourite sandwiches for lunch.

For an evening meal, I make a pot of food with loads of vegetables in it. My favourite is swede. I also like rice, beans and lentils.”

Ruth: “I don’t eat breakfast but I would sometimes have porridge with chia seeds. Hummus is still a large part of my daily diet. And vegetables. I always have to have a big bowl of vegetables. Just steamed. I don’t need them with anything special. Just lovely, steamed broccoli, and carrots, and whatever. Nice big bowl. I usually put hemp seeds on it. And I will have something like a vegan bake, or a vegan burger or sausage, or something like that, at some point during the day.

I always have to have a big bowl of vegetables. Just steamed. I don’t need them with anything special.”

I don’t eat that much fruit. I have a pineapple every week. A few oranges. I like to make my own vegan cheese. Just usually soft cheese made from soaked cashews, sunflower seeds, and a bit of lemon juice. Left to ferment for a day or so. And I make bread with almond flour.” Russell: “I normally have cereal for breakfast, but I do something very unusual with it. I add soya flour to my cereal with some sugar and then FORCA VEGAN

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Five decades of vegan progress I found the conversations I had with Ruth, Angie, Russell and John fascinating. They all revealed a similar pattern. It starts with the strong determination to be vegan against all odds. But what I found more interesting is that in many of them the ‘revelation’ came from within. Not many chances to watch a documentary or encounter a vegan outreach event in those days. It’s almost like veganism can spring up on its own, in anyone at any time. And I imagine it has been happening all over the world for ages. The next stage they seemed to have gone through was a relatively austere vegan regime with simple foods and a palpable feeling of isolation. But then they met other vegans. They joined vegan or vegetarian societies and started feeling they belonged to something bigger. They became very excited by the very few vegan products that were available to them. Brands like Plamil, Tamil, Fru-grains, Granogen or Nutaline became engraved in their minds. Such treats brilliantly shining, in contrast with the simple monotonous limited bland diet choices they were surviving with. And the difficulties of raising kids as vegans in the past is also something I had never

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considered. In particular, for the mothers, when dealing with other people during labour. Wrongly put under so much unwelcomed peer pressure to abandon veganism when they are more vulnerable. And finally, experiencing the increasing recognition of veganism, and the explosion of the vegan product offer. Something that did not start happening in the last few years, but gradually over the last couple of decades. For recent vegans, having many vegan options everywhere is the minimum they expect. For half-century vegans, though, sometimes it may feel a bit overwhelming. I noticed how their voices or faces lit up when remembering the one or two favourite products they used to treat themselves with. And I could not help feeling close to them when some make comments suggesting they are not particularly keen on realistic meat substitutes — as I’m not either. And that they like simple healthy natural foods — as I also do. Perhaps the secret of a long life as a vegan is to let go of the shapes, tastes, and smells of animal exploitation. I suspect I will feel even more strongly about this in thirty years. I am looking forward to interviewing them again then.

Jordi Casamitjana Originally from Catalonia, but resident in the UK for several decades, Jordi Casamitjana is a vegan zoologist specialising in animal behaviour, who has been involved in different aspects of animal protection for many years (working for organisations such as The Born Free Foundation, Wild Futures, The League Against Cruel Sports, CAS International, the International Fund for Animal Welfare and PETA UK). In addition to scientific research he has worked as an undercover investigator and animal welfare consultant, often on wild animal issues. Some of his professional achievements include the closure of several zoos, securing the first successful prosecutions of illegal hunters under the Hunting Act 2004, and his participation in the banning of bullfighting in Catalonia. Jordi, who has been vegan since 2002, recently become well-known for securing the legal protection of all ethical vegans from discrimination in Great Britain in a landmark legal case that was discussed all over the world. Jordi is also an author “Ethical Vegan, a personal and political journey to change the world” as well as a novel titled “The Demon’s Trial”.

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VEGAN F.T.A JACKIE NORMAN I was told recently by an animal rights advocate of rather mature years that ‘You can’t call yourself an activist unless you’ve been arrested’. Once upon a time I would have agreed with that. The first encounter with animal rights activism I remember was as a youngster growing up in the UK. My dad was out for his usual Sunday afternoon walk in the forest when he was knocked to the ground and beaten by a woman with a stick. It turned out she mistakenly thought my dad was part of the hunt she and a group had turned up to protest against. Luckily the only part of Dad which was injured was his pride, but it made the papers and from then on, I thought all activists were like that – angry, violent and ‘extreme’, and to a kid like me, a bit scary. It never occurred to me that those people had shown up because they cared, because they didn’t want innocent animals to be pursued, hurt and killed by a bunch of entitled humans purely for ‘sport’, and they were willing to do anything to stop it. 134

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Four decades on however, I know just how it feels to care that much. I also have a very different view of what – and who - an activist is. We often hear people refer to their transition to veganism as a journey, and mine has most definitely been that. I went vegetarian at the age of 13 in the eighties, after being given a brochure at school. I can still picture it now, it said ‘SCREAM’ in big letters. My mum just about had heart failure; for one thing I was a fussy eater who didn’t like vegetables and I’d been intolerant to dairy since birth! But somehow I survived and went through my school years doing projects and presentations on various forms of animal exploitation, from seal clubbing to the Draize test. It was important to me, I couldn’t believe the cruelty and I really wanted people to know

what went on behind closed doors so they could boycott it too. I had no idea what I was doing back then was a form of activism. I just wanted people to stop hurting animals. In 1992 I hadn’t long finished my A-levels when my life took a very different turn. After a whirlwind fling with a Kiwi barman, I ran off to the other side of the world to start a new life in New Zealand. He came from a family of dairy farmers and milking cows was all he’d really known so we got a live-in job on one of the local farms. The first few months were idyllic. I thought it was the most wholesome thing to be doing with my life, out there in the fresh air all day. The farm was huge, with two herds of dairy cows. Ironically I’d always been terrified of cows growing up, but now being among them so

I can’t take back the past, but I can help change the future.”

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closely each day, I could see what gentle giants they were. They all had such different personalities, they had best friends. They were the most peaceful animals I had ever come across. I enjoyed milking the cows, was proud of it in fact. ‘If my friends back home could see me now!’ I used to think. I gave the cows names and would sing to them merrily as we went through the laborious hours of milking twice a day. I did feel sorry for them, trudging miles to the cow shed every day in all weathers. I thought their lives were really boring too, same routine, day in, day out. But I was still vegetarian and at least milking cows wasn’t hurting them, so I thought. It wasn’t the same as the beef animals up in the hills who got rounded up from time to time and sent to slaughter. There was no death involved in milking cows. So I thought. Then I experienced my first calving season. The things I witnessed, the things I was a part of during my farming years still keep me awake at night. I became tied to the industry by marriage and it took me two decades to finally be free of both. I would love to say it was my farming experience which led me to become vegan but the blinkers stayed on for a few more years. The catalyst was actually a social media post from a vegan friend. She had been vegan for 25 years and was always posting animal rights content on her Facebook. Usually I would scroll hastily past. I didn’t want to see or hear about awful things be136

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‘New to New Zealand and to farm life; 1992’

“I used to milk 220 cows by myself”

‘Newly vegan in farming country; 2017’

ing done to animals, I didn’t want to think about that stuff or feel sad! Lovely as she was, I seriously thought about unfollowing her so I didn’t have to engage with it. On August 7th 2017 however, she shared a post, asking for people to sign a petition to ban pig farrowing crates. I figured I could at least do that and clicked into the petition to sign it. I couldn’t believe what was happening to pigs in my own country, in ‘clean, green’ New Zealand! How did I not know about this? It was horrific, cruel and unnecessary. I vowed I would never contribute to animal exploitation again and went vegan right there on the spot.

I expected to be vilified but instead I was told my knowledge was hugely valuable.”

Like many new vegans I threw myself into watching documentaries and joining Facebook groups so I could interact with other likeminded people. It was in one of these groups I confessed to my previous life as a dairy farmer. I expected to be villified but instead I was told my knowledge was a hugely valuable. I was put in touch with an activist called Jessica Strathdee, who had also recently ‘come out’ in national media as a former farm worker who went vegan. ‘You have to use your voice’, she urged me, and connected me with the animal rights organisation, SAFE. They convinced me to record a video, talking about the part I used to play in separating newborn calves from their mothers. Knowing the farming community, I was terrified of the potential backlash – not least because I was living in a small rural town at FORCA VEGAN

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In 2020 I joined Katrina Fox’s new network for women leaders in the vegan movement – VIVAS. Becoming part of this amazing community was literally life-changing for me. When Katrina heard about my dairying background, she encouraged me to be a speaker at the VegFestUK Summerfest Online event.”

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the time - so I asked for my face to be blanked out and my voice to be distorted. As I feared, there were death threats and threats of graphic violence made against me. That was enough to make me shrink away from the spotlight, but around the same time I also developed a chronic illness, and the effects of that were really starting to take hold. I’d been bedridden for seven months and was recovering from major surgery the day I saw a small advertisement pop up on Facebook from Vegan FTA, asking for volunteer writers. To say I’d been feeling depressed and useless up until then was an understatement. Recording the video for SAFE months earlier had also stirred up enormous grief and unrest in me. Thinking back, recalling those days and the procedures – the kidnapping and killing of innocent babies, the grief of their moth-

ers, exploiting their bodies and reproductive systems and robbing them of nourishment I now realised was meant solely for their babies... the horrific reality of what I had truly been a part of hit me like a hammer and was very hard to live with. I asked Jessica how on earth she managed to cope with the guilt and she told me, ‘I truly believe we were put on this earth for a purpose. We have experienced this for a reason and we are the ones who can share our truth, for the animals’. I realised I had a lot of truth to share, and in Vegan FTA I had found a global platform with a big voice. I didn’t know it at the time but Vegan FTA actually came about as a result of chronic illness. Our founder, Sarah Johnson suffers from a rare and debilitating condition which leaves her largely housebound. A passionate activist, she was heartbro-

‘With husband and Vegan FTA co-host, Gareth’

Below: ‘Effective Strategies for Vegan Activism’ - Jackie’s talk at Summerfest Online 2020

ken when she became ill and felt she still needed to do something to help the animals. So she asked her programmer partner Mike Hansen to build her a website and she started a Facebook page. Sarah figured that if she couldn’t get out and do activism herself, she would share the work of others who were out there making a difference. Funnily enough, with today’s virtual world and working remotely from home, we had been working together almost two years before we confided in one another that we both had chronic illnesses! In 2019, my husband Gareth also came on board as a filmmaker and editor and we became a busy team of three. Through writing I had found a comfortable form of activism, but my biggest challenge was yet to come. In 2020 I joined Katrina Fox’s

new network for women leaders in the vegan movement – VIVAS. Becoming part of this amazing community was literally life changing for me. When Katrina heard about my dairying background, she encouraged me to be a speaker at the VegFestUK Summerfest Online event. She told me I could provide some valuable tips on how vegans can communicate more effectively with farmers, having been on both sides of the fence. She definitely had a point there – lack of insight and understanding of the industry was a huge problem. My years as a farm worker, and more recently living as a vegan in the Southland farming community had stood me in good stead and here was an opportunity to put what I had learned to good use. This time however there was no face blurring or voice distortion.

Once again I was terrified – but this was too important an issue to be fearful. All those months I was stuck in bed I had watched Earthling Ed and other activists like him out on the streets, talking with strangers and opening their eyes. If they could put themselves out there and talk about the plight of dairy cows and calves without spending years in the industry, what was my excuse for not doing so? I did the talk, which was both traumatic and cathartic. I held my breath and prepared for the backlash, but there was none. What I got instead, were emails and messages from people who said they were so horrified at what they heard, they had ditched dairy products completely, or made the switch from vegetarian to vegan. I can’t tell you how good that felt. I may not have been able to change my past, but at least I could play a part in helping to change the future. FORCA VEGAN

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That same year, many people and organisations were forced to pivot and diversify and it was through this challenging period that Vegan FTA really found its focus as a nonprofit organisation. We saw people struggling all over the world as vegans for the animals. Lockdowns had caused them to lose their support networks, their social circles, their tribe. Unable to participate in protests, vigils and other forms of their usual activism was leaving them feeling helpless and distraught at not feeling they were doing enough to help the animals. At Vegan FTA however, we were unfazed. With both Sarah and I frequently

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housebound or bedbound, we were totally accustomed to not being able to do any of these things! We knew there were countless other ways people could be active in the movement, and so our merry trio began working to demonstrate and inspire with as many forms of activism as we knew. At the time of writing, Vegan FTA has over 730,000 followers around the world. We provide a positive hub for activism with two main focuses - one, to create more vegans and two, to encourage those who are already vegan to be more active in the movement. The Oxford English Dictionary definition

of an activist is ‘a person who works to achieve political or social change, especially as a member of an organisation with particular aims’. It doesn’t stipulate getting arrested as a requirement, or hitting people with sticks for that matter. Each and every one of us can be an activist, we can all make a difference in some way. There is a form of activism to suit everyone, no matter how limited, cautious or time poor they may be. We are living proof you can be an effective voice for the animals without even leaving your house. If we can do it, anyone can!

‘We rescued this little guy from being slaughtered at just a few months old’

SOLUTION O I EB

LO RG B RO WTH&

INSIDE

SHAC STOP HUNTINGDON

ANIMAL CRUELTY Tom Harris became involved with SHAC in 2000, and spent the next decade as a SHAC activist in the UK. Tom is currently writing a book about the history of SHAC and shares here some of his experiences inside the organisation.

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I had enough of seeing the history of SHAC misreported – based on the lies which sent us to prison – or forgotten altogether. I don’t think anybody knows the extent of the government conspiracy against us, nor the full history of the campaign from 1999 to 2014.” FORCA VEGAN

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The SHAC story seems a long time ago, but it must be fresh in your mind? Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) formed in November 1999 following investigations by Channel 4 and PETA into Europe’s largest animal testing laboratory, Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS). They revealed law-breaking and extreme violence by staff at the facility, including horrifying scenes of beagle puppies being punched in the face and live monkeys being cut open without anaesthesia. These things happen every day inside laboratories, but this time it was caught on film. 144

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There were two elements to SHAC which made it so effective. First, we made it personal. We didn’t stand outside screaming at a faceless corporation, but headed directly for the doorsteps of decision makers who allow these terrible things to happen. Second, we pitted capitalism against itself. HLS would never close because we asked them to, so we focused our energy on the businesses they needed to survive. With relentless office incursions, home demonstrations, roof top protests, publicity stunts, lock-ons and large mobilisations, SHAC spread to every inhabited continent on earth. HLS lost hundreds of suppliers and were forced to build their own laundry, gas pipelines, crematorium, and catering company. HLS

were brought to the brink of bankruptcy on multiple occasions. Unfortunately, there was a perfect storm brewing behind the scenes. When Tony Blair’s ‘New Labour’ came to power in 1997, a biotech billionaire named David Sainsbury gave them a £2 million donation. Blair rewarded him with a seat in the House of Lords. Despite not being an elected politician he was handed a senior government role as Minister for Science. According to Lobby Watch, this allowed Lord Sainsbury to increase his companies’ profits by 300%. It also gave him the power to fight the animal liberation movement which threatened his business interests. Around the same time, British pharmaceutical giant

Glaxo SmithKline had a flu drug refused by the NHS. They demanded Blair make the UK more welcoming to big pharma, or they would take their investment elsewhere. This would have wiped between 2-5% off GDP, and Blair feared a recession. He set up several steering groups to bring together politicians and pharmaceutical bosses. These groups made it easier to get animal testing licences, lowered the industry’s taxes, and compelled the NHS to pay more for drugs. Lord Sainsbury and the pharmaceutical industry also used these meetings to spearhead plans to end the British anti-vivisection movement. When SHAC caused HLS to lose their banking facilities, Lord Sainsbury set them up the only private

bank account ever to exist with the Bank of England. When HLS lost their insurance, Lord Sainsbury had them insured by the British government. When their auditors resigned, HLS were the only company in the UK who didn’t need to submit accounts.

You were ‘involved’ as they say... I became involved in SHAC in 2000, when I was 17. I was drawn to the uncompromising determination of the campaign. No one ever said ‘If we win…’ we were going to win, then we were going after the next laboratory, and the next, until the whole industry was gone.

I grew up in a small town, but the movement encouraged a spirit of autonomy. My brother and I put up stickers and posters, and began disrupting local HLS suppliers. We carried out protests, outreach, and actions in support of SHAC off our own backs, and with our local(ish) group. I moved to be closer to the action, and became more and more involved in the campaign; running into offices, chaining myself to concrete barrels and busses, scaling rooftops, and disrupting conferences. I campaigned full time with SHAC for several years. It was an exciting and hopeful time; we had the end of animal testing in our sights and we were not going to blink.

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ficers in the UK and Europe smashed into 30 houses and violently arrested the occupants. These were the people Radford had deemed closest to SHAC’s founders, and my partner and I were two of them. At this point Nicci and I were actually focused on our own organisation SARC. We had closed a puppy farm and two intensive chicken farms. We had driven fur and foie gras out of several towns along the south coast, exposed cosmetic Botox experiments, and were running a campaign against the Royal Navy‘s deep diving tests on goats. We also helped organise SHAC protests locally, and that had drawn Adrian Radford’s attention.

And you paid quite a price – how did that come about? The attack on SHAC was part of a wider strategy by governments in Europe, North America and Asia to end the anti-vivisection movement. In the UK it started with a data analyst named Adrian Radford. Radford was employed by a spy company to monitor SHAC’s online presence, but he decided he would make more money as a police informant. Radford quit his andVEGAN infiltrated SHAC. 146jobFORÇA

We’d had little contact with Radford, so we were not charged. Ten people were, and three of my close friends were remanded directly to prison, accused of founding a peaceful protest campaign. He organised a string of actions, such as invading Heathrow airport and the Japanese Embassy. He embedded himself into the SHAC office and the lives of several campaigners. Failing to find evidence against SHAC, Radford formed an Animal Liberation Front cell, which he claims the police directed. In a single night he damaged 14 cars belonging to people connected to animal testing. Feigning a terminal illness, Adrian left SHAC and a few months later, on May 1st 2007, over 700 police of-

The assault on anti-vivisection activism had a huge impact. Many long-time activists took a backseat or disappeared. Lawyers and activists advised us to do the same, but how could we? HLS were on the brink of closure, and so many people had sacrificed so much. Refusing to let SHAC die, a group of us got together to keep it going. We took precautions, such as organising all of our protests with the police, and our website and newsletters were reviewed by a barrister. We continued

to use a ‘parameters of protest’ document which SHAC had agreed with the police, advising campaigners how to remain within the law. It was not enough. The continued success of SHAC ensured Lord Sainsbury and New Labour were not going to let us continue. As eight of our friends were put on trial, we were arrested again and charged. A new trial, dubbed ‘trial 2’ was set up. As a result of the two trials, thirteen activists were convicted and sentenced to prison for a tenuous, and often unspecified involvement in ‘conspiring to blackmail’ HLS, or ‘interfering with the contractual relations’ of HLS. For publishing a newsletter containing the addresses of company headquarters, and calling for or attending peaceful protests, people received multiple years behind bars. For the next seven years, everyone who attempted to take over running SHAC after us was arrested, with several more sent to prison.

How did you manage looking back with the severity of the punishment? I was on bail for three and a half years before sentencing, including a year on curfew with an electronic tag, so the prison sentence came as something of a relief. Finally I had an end date to focus on.

I often describe prison as ’boring’, but that’s not really true. I’ve never understood the concept of boredom. If you run out of things to do for yourself, then there’s always something you can do for someone else. I suppose a more accurate description would be that I constantly wished I was somewhere else. An inevitability if you have things and people you love in your life. I devoted myself to gardening, pursued my art, began a degree in French, wrote a novel, and set up a bunch of side hustles. I even got to see a peregrine falcon nest fledge.

Our convictions and sentencing were disgusting, and I despise the fact my friends and I were sent to prison based on evidence we believe was planted by Radford. But there is no healthy way to dwell on that. We are continuing to pursue appeals, and many of us are named victims in the miscarriage of justice section of the government’s Undercover Policing Inquiry. Hopefully one day we will be vindicated.

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What’s been your focus these last few years? I was released from prison in October 2012, but was subject to strict licence conditions for two and a half years. I found this period harder than prison itself, as I could be dragged back there at any moment if the police made a false allegation against me, which they had already done to others including my partner. I couldn’t use the internet, I was blocked from getting jobs, I wasn’t allowed contact with the animal liberation movement or my old friends, and for the first seven months I was forced to live in a bail hostel full of sex offenders. They even tried to stop me talking to my partner (now wife) until we threatened legal action. On top of that, I had an

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ASBO which prevented my involvement in activism until 2017. After seven years of forced isolation, I struggled to find my place in the modern liberation movement. Social media existed before my incarceration, but it was in its infancy. It took me a while to realise that the ‘activism’ I saw online after my release wasn’t a true reflection of our movement. It really disturbed me to see ‘activists’ aggressively attacking new vegans for consuming the wrong brands or eating palm oil. The movement I had left nurtured, educated, and supported new activists, but social media is a cess pit of negativity. The keyboard crusaders seem to have unlimited time and energy when it comes to deterring new activists, with very little left to take real-world action for positive change.

To find my place again, I returned to where I started. For anyone drowning in the toxic goop of online activism, I urge you join your local animal rights or hunt sab group. Helping my local group has helped to start piecing myself back together; my people still exist, and they are as passionate, dedicated and determined as ever. Away from the internet, the new animal liberation movement is in many ways a positive evolution. Several new groups draw upon the energy of the Liberation Leagues of the 1980s, weaving direct action into their ethos. Behind them, the grassroots liberation movement continues to beat; hunt sabs are still out in our fields saving wildlife, the badger cull continues to be confronted, and even the liberation of animals from laboratory suppliers has resumed.

The golden days aren’t in the past, they are now if we choose them to be.

There’s a book in the pipeline? I had enough of seeing the history of SHAC misreported – based on the lies which sent us to prison – or forgotten altogether. I don’t think anybody knows the extent of the government conspiracy against us, nor the full history of the campaign from 1999 to 2014. There are so many lessons to be learnt, and stories to be told, so it felt important to record it accurately and completely. Writing this book has turned into a far larger project than I expected, with far more twists, turns, and surprises than even I anticipated. It has entirely consumed the last 18 months of my life. I am still deciding whether to get

a publisher or self-publish, but either way I hope it will be available early in 2022. My wish is that it inspires activists of all generations to take some form of action to end animal testing. On a personal level, it has opened my eyes to the extent of the conspiracy against us, connected me with old friends and many new ones, and has been an incredibly cathartic experience.

Who plays Tom in the movie adaptation? I’m in talks with Brad Pitt.

There has been a resurgence of interest recently in the antivivisection movement with Camp Beagle. How does that tie in with the SHAC story? For the first time in a long time I feel vivisection may end in my lifetime. Camp Beagle is a permanent protest camp outside of MBR Acres, where 2000 dogs a year are bred for vivisection. As I have returned to where I started, Camp Beagle has seen the grass roots liberation movement

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do the same. Before SHAC, our focus was on vivisection breeders, and it was extremely effective. We saw the closure of Hillgrove cat farm, Consort beagles, Newchurch guinea pigs, Shamrock monkeys, Regal rabbits, and many others. I hope we will soon be adding MBR to that list. I have a personal connection with MBR Acres. Nineteen years ago, I was arrested inside that facility (although it went by a different name then). I spent two hours with the dogs. The site was surrounded by police, as a helicopter hovered overhead, and I had no means to liberate the animals. As tears poured down

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my face, I made a promise to one of those dogs that I would never give up until the industry was dust. That promise drove me to never abandon SHAC until I was literally dragged to prison, and finally, thanks to Camp Beagle I feel I may yet be able to keep it.

Do you see progress in the struggle? Between the end of SHAC in 2014, and Camp Beagle in 2021, the grassroots anti-vivisection movement all but died. Nonetheless, there has been some progress, resulting in a marginal de-

crease in the numbers of animals tortured and killed. My goal however is abolition, and millions of non-human animals continue to suffer in ways which exceed the most depraved horror movies. We need a variety of tactics, from protest to politics. SHAC was described by the media as the ‘lunatic fringe’ of society. Without wider support, our only option was to force vivisection out of existence. With the advent of vegan capitalism (love it or loathe it) public opinion on non-human animal issues are changing rapidly. With the right exposé, and a smart strategy, we can build a mass movement and end vivisection.

In the current climate, we are more likely to end vivisection through legislation than force. To achieve this, we need to prove the scientific, ethical, and economic arguments against vivisection. This is where much of my attention now lies, but my way is not the only way. As long as people aren’t causing harm, we need everyone to take whatever action they think is best. The important thing is we all do something.

What lessons can the modern-day movement take from a decade or two ago? It is vital to learn from the past, but we should not dwell there. The world changes: what once worked may fail now, and vice versa. It is worth noting that prominent SHAC campaigners have gone on to have leading roles in an array of organisations, including Stop the Cull, the Save Movement, Essere Animali, SPA Canada, Freedom for

Animals, the Beagle Freedom Project, Djurrättsalliansen, and many more. The lessons those activists learnt continue to shape our movement. A strong example of learning from SHAC was the Green Hill campaign in Italy. Like MBR, Green Hill were owned by Marshall BioResources and bred dogs for vivisection. Instead of replicating SHAC’s relentless pressure, the Green Hill campaign focused on building a mass movement. One of their protests attracted over 50,000 people. With such overwhelming support, hundreds of people stormed the fences and res-

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cued as many dogs as they could carry, with the police watching on. Amid the ensuing legal proceedings, judges visited Green Hill and immediately closed it for animal cruelty. Thousands of dogs were rehomed with activists, and Italy banned breeding dogs for vivisection.

and what didn’t, and what can be translated to their own activism. My intention is for a hundred different activists to take a hundred ideas from the past and pursue them in a hundred different ways. Most of all, I hope everyone who reads it takes action, in whatever way they feel is best.

We need to learn to support each other. Whatever strategies and actions we commit to, none of us knows what will work until it works. We should support people to take the actions that they think are best, regardless of our own opinions. If others don’t want to join you, that’s fine. Find someone else or do it alone.

What’s your main priorities for the future?

I cannot over-stress the power of an individual. Some of the most effective protests I have carried out were just me or a handful of friends. You don’t need to join a huge protest or even find people to be active with; there is so much you can do on your own and the animals need you to do it. The book I have written on SHAC is deliberately a history, rather than a critique. I hope that everyone who reads it will draw their own conclusion on what worked

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I continue to campaign against all animal abuse, but vivisection tends to be my focus. Deliberately torturing sentient beings to death in ways which transcend our worst nightmares is a concept which traumatises me. I have been inside laboratories and their breeders, and I don’t think I can ever look myself in the mirror until animal testing ends. I have a few anti-vivisection projects in the pipeline, which hopefully will be made public at some point.

Regrets? I’ve had a few, but then again, too few to mention. I wouldn’t change a thing.

We need to learn to support each other. Whatever strategies and actions we commit to, none of us knows what will work until it works.” FORCA VEGAN

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THE ART OF COMPASSION EXHIBITION

COMPASSION SHOULD NOT END ON YOUR PLATE Atelier Chantal Kaufmann (Switzerland)

“They took my heart by storm with their loving, sensitive, 154 FORÇA VEGAN and very social nature.”

A VIRTUAL 3D SHOWCASE

The Art of Compassion exhibition series is the first of its kind—a virtual 3D showcase of never-before-seen vegan art by dozens of artists around the globe. It also provides artists with an inspired and communal space to share their creations and continue advocating for animals through art. FORCA VEGAN

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The exhibition series is comprised of four different shows, each with a unique theme that celebrates a different non-profit vegan organization selected to receive all proceeds from the art auction associated with the given show. Additionally, a high-quality exhibition catalogue will be published for purchase at the culmination of the exhibition and will be available both digitally and in print.

MOTHER

Alex Art (Sweden) “She gives us the best, and most colorful foods, she gives without measure; though she is suffering from all the 156 FORÇA VEGAN pain we humans have caused her.”

The first show, Nourishing with Heart, ran from July 1st to August 31st and featured the work of 12 artists from 9 different countries. It was a huge success and explored questions like: What does it mean to nourish with heart? What does the interconnection of food justice look like—for animals, people, and the planet? How do we nourish all things with our food choices? Money raised through the sale of art prints was donated to the Food Empowerment Project.

THE GATHERERS

Lynda Bell (New Zealand) “This painting represents a world where food is grown in abundance and the Earth is as plentiful it should FORCAasVEGAN 157be.”

The second show, At Home in Nature, will open on October 1st and run until November 30th. In this show, we will highlight what it means to be at home in nature—for animals and humans alike. It will explore questions like: What does sanctuary in nature look like to you? What does it mean to return home to nature? How might humans and animals coexist in nature? Come mid-November we will have an art print auction on Facebook to fundraise for The Goode Life, a sanctuary focused on the healing power of nature—for animals and humans alike.

WHISPERINGS OF LOVE Gabriele Elsler (Germany)

“I use a lot of symbols in my artwork... They can be political, heartwarming, disturbing and heartbreaking. They are meant to touch the viewer where I cannot touch him/ 158 FORÇA VEGAN her with words.”

To learn more about the upcoming show and auction please visit our website: aocexhibition.com or Facebook page: Facebook.com/AOCexhibition

GUARDIAN

Rhonda Lulu (United States) “Guardian was inspired by my growing belief that people respond most meaningfully to things they love, and will protect those things.” FORCA VEGAN 159

...AND IF YOU KNOW YOUR HISTORY: THE FOCUS, THE SCOPE, AND THE DREAM OF A VEGAN FUTURE. THE VISION OF LESLIE CROSS In the third of this series, Dr. Roger Yates of the Vegan Information Project, turns his attention to Leslie Cross, who would have a profound effect on the vegan movement and, with Arthur Ling, the development of plant milks.

He was certainly one of the outstanding people who have served the movement and, in retirement, he went up and down the country, giving his lecture, “The Milk of Human Kindness” - all voluntarily of course, paying his own expenses.” - Donald Watson, on Leslie Cross In 2017, author, blogger, and vegan for over 40 years, Butterflies Katz, described Leslie Cross as her “vegan hero.” This blog entry will probably provide the details as to why this should be the case. Leslie Cross became a vegan in 1942 and was a pioneer of the vegan social movement 160

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and treasurer and secretary of the Plantmilk Society (later Plamil Foods - more of which we will learn about in the forthcoming blog entry about Arthur Ling). Vegan historian, and Head of Communications at the Vegan Society, Dr. Samantha Calvert, points out that, “although the vegan diet

was defined early on it was as late as 1949 before Leslie J. Cross pointed out that the society lacked a definition of veganism.” Donald Watson noted that Leslie Cross was a great friend of his and, as noted above, one of the outstanding contributors to the early years of the vegan movement. Significantly, they both saw

said that the aim of human relations with other sentient beings was not to make a master/slave relationship “bearable” but to totally abolish that relationship of exploitation. Cross stated “In this light, veganism is not so much welfare as liberation, for the creatures and for the mind and heart of man.”

veganism as something that would emancipate human and other animals. Watson, who witnessed the “shattering” effect of war, described the social movement that he was instrumental in starting as, “a great movement which could...not only change the course of things for Humanity and the rest of Creation, but alter Man’s expectation of surviving for much longer on this planet.” Such themes were central to how Leslie Cross saw veganism also. For example, Cross declared in 1951: “Veganism is in truth an affirmation that where love is, exploitation vanishes. It possesses historical continuity with the movement that set free the human slaves. Were it put into effect, every basic wrong done to animals by man would automatically disappear. At its heart is the healing power of compassion, the highest expression of love of which man is capable. For it is a giving without hope of a getting. And yet, because he would free him-

self from many of the demands made by his own lower nature, the benefit to man himself would be incalculable.” Cross had a well-developed vision of a vegan future, one in which, “a great and historic wrong, whose effect upon the course of evolution must have been stupendous, would be righted.” Suggesting that veganism was a central part of the moral evolution of humanity, he believed that the members of a future world based on vegan values could not possibly be one in which humans used other animals for their self-interest. He

In 1954, in a passionate essay entitled, “The Surge of Freedom,” described by its author Leslie Cross as, “an attempt to state in simple terms what veganism is and why and how it came into existence, and to suggest what it could mean for mankind,” the vegan movement’s vision of an emancipated humanity that comes about through the liberation of other animals is dramatically spelt out. Cross argued that veganism should not be regarded as, “a mere side-shoot in human evolution, but a central extending growth of considerable significance.” Like Watson, Leslie Cross believed that the ve-

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gan social movement could do a lot of “work” for both human and nonhuman animals, stating that: “Veganism owes its birth to the fact that at the deepest point within us we believe impregnably in freedom.” In the 21st century, we are used to memes suggesting, for example, that veganism is a joy rather than being a burden. In 1951, Cross developed his theme on freedom in the same terms: “Freedom to live our own lives in our way, according to our own inward light, is fundamental to our view of life itself. It is in the light of this concept that we find the true significance of the vegan reform. Only when we see it as a doctrine not of restriction (as those who 162

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oppose it mistakenly believe), but of freedom, do we fully comprehend it.” For Cross, true freedom means seeing the “law of freedom” as “the law of love,” and seeing the notion in a broad context as part of a historical struggle for

freedom down the generations. And, just as Watson described veganism as the “greatest cause on Earth,” Cross stated that veganism is distinguished among movements for extending its concerns beyond the species barrier, whereas other movements stop there. By liberating others, we liberate ourselves. Demonstrating an instinctive knowledge of what sociologist David Nibert calls the “entanglements of oppression and liberation,” Cross states that, “until the advent of veganism, comparatively few men regarded the animals as being either worthy of or entitled to the right to be free, and probably fewer still realised the impressive effect which the granting of such a right would have upon the freedom of man himself.” Adding: “The real, the indelible significance of veganism is its devastatingly logical demonstration that

by denying to the animals the right to be free, man keeps locked against himself the gateway to his own further pursuit of happiness.” For the vegan pioneers, the vegan social movement was seen as an important vehicle to propel humanity out of a dark passage in its history, and to represent what Cross would call, “the upward growth of man.” I have long argued that the best way to understand the “fullness” of veganism as an idea and as a social movement is to think of it in terms of its focus and scope. Leslie Cross talks about veganism in these terms in the Spring 1951 edition of The Vegan magazine in an article entitled “The New Constitution.” This document is the first that fully explores the scope of veganism, although in 1945, Donald Watson had summarised vegan priorities when he said that, “the object of the Vegan Society is to oppose the exploitation of sentient life, whether it is profitable to do so or not.” Cross splits things into two sections, which he calls the “broad aims of veganism,” and starts with clarifying the shorthand definition then used: “The object of the Vegan Movement [is to] end the exploitation of animals by man.” Rule 4a sets out the meaning of “exploitation,” pledging the

Society, “to seek the end of the use of animals by man for food, commodities, work, hunting, vivisection, and all other uses involving exploitation of animal life by man.” Once again, this powerful clarifying statement is employed:

he says is, “the effect on human evolution.” We have seen that the vegan movement pioneers were struggling to understand the violence in humans that they had witnessed. They believed that violence begets violence, including violence against other animals. Cross

“By the adoption of this rule, the Society has clearly come out on the side of the liberators; it is not so much welfare that we seek, as freedom.”

suggests that the enormous burden of cruelty to other animals constantly returns “like a boomerang upon humanity’s own head.” *

Cross said that the vegan movement was dedicated to end the “historic wrong” of the decision by humans to begin exploiting other animals. Note that, thus far, modern-day animal advocates who argue that veganism is only about other animals and nothing else will have little to quibble about. However, then Cross moves on to the, “second broad aspect of the vegan aim” which

Cross concludes by saying “Until the present relationship between man and his fellow creatures is replaced by one of companionship on a relatively equal footing, the pursuit of happiness by man is foredoomed to a painful and tragic frustration (emphasis in original).” Stating that, “the great thing is to be a vegan in

* Leslie Cross stated in the Spring 1951 edition of the Vegetarian World Forum that veganism is not so much about welfare as it is about animal liberation. However, he does use anti-cruelty language here. It has to be remembered that the Constitution of the Vegan Society that Cross is detailing dates from 1951, 14 years before Brigid Brophy wrote her famous letter to the Sunday Times in London in October 1965 entitled, “The Rights of Animals,” and 32 years before Tom Regan’s groundbreaking rights-based book, The Case for Animal Rights, published in 1983. This also explains why Cross would use the language of “granting rights” to other animals, rather than seeing them as already holders of (basic) moral rights.

spirit, and then do one’s best,” Cross lays out the difference between full and associate membership of a fully unified vegan movement made up of the Vegan Society and the London Vegan Group. The new rules, “define a member as one who undertakes to live out vegan principles as far as he or she is able according to circumstances.” Members are asked to do their best and honestly so. An associate member would be, “one who is with us in principle, but who wishes to give no kind of undertaking as to practice.” Leslie Cross ends with:

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“It is perhaps not too much to claim for the new constitution that it marks the true birth of The Vegan Society. It should be read and understood by all who contemplate joining us, for there, enshrined and embedded in words which are necessarily formal, lies all that we stand for and hope, one glorious day, to achieve.” Towards the end of “The Surge of Freedom,” Cross introduces some personal observations. He addresses some of the questions all vegans encounter - what of the other animals?; what of the land?; what will become of

those currently employed in animal use?, and what will the future be like. He states “How glorious, for example, to take part in a discussion to decide whether, for the purposes of the change-over, a nature park or an animal sanctuary should be set up in this or that part of the country and exactly how it should be planned!” He further says that a vegan world will be world of different humans. No longer war mongering, “there will have been an immense change of heart and mind in the majority of men and

The Vegan Society website, 2021

...

women.” The idea of exploiting other animals will have ended and, so, “some of the changes in daily living are obvious.” There will, for example, be no butchers’ shops and the milkman (if he still goes his rounds) will be delivering vegan milk. The countryside will not be heavy with the anguish of cows crying for their calves. There will be no slaughterhouses, no vivisection laboratories, noone will hunt animals for fun... Some of the changes are not so obvious, Cross states, and here he once more moves to the human benefits of a vegan world. Cross believed that human health, both physical and mental, will “be vastly improved” when society was run in accordance with vegan values. “Man” would have to

radically change - but that change would be “glorious”: “Because he will have shed a great deal of the coarser part of his nature, benefits of the spirit will shower upon him — benefits which to-day by his own short-sighted volition he denies himself.” Cross admitted that these ideals are, “the stuff of dreams,” but if we know anything of dreamers, we know that they are not the only ones. He hints at vegan activism in a variety of forms, saying that to make vegan dreams of an evolved future true, “requires that we play our part as it comes to us.” Staying on the evolutionary theme, he believed that, through veganism, “we are in the very elementary states of the new mutation.”

And, in 1954, he said this, which to some extent we can say for ourselves even now: “We are the pioneers.” Leslie Cross’ vision of a peaceful vegan future is very inspiring. As a pioneering member of the birth of the vegan social movement, he warns that the future of humanity is extremely bleak if we do not change our violent instrumental view of the world. What Cross would make of today’s situation in which the planet’s existence is imminently threatened can only be guessed at. I believe that he would hope that we continue to recognise that vegan values - those that will, “effect the swing-over from exploitation and perversion to freedom and naturalness” - those that embrace the scope of veganism, are essential if we are to save our planet and save ourselves. FORCA VEGAN

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GLOBAL

VEGFEST Welcome to the first ever Global Vegfest! Did you watch Global Vegfest 1 live in September of 2021? If not, you can catch up on all the livestreams, including information on who took part in each session, what each session is all about and where you can find out more information about the people and the organisations that took part, all in the handy, interactive event programme. Global Vegfest 1 saw hosts and panellists from all over the world, from Australia, New Zealand, Ghana, Morocco, Egypt, Mexico, Japan, Hong Kong, Pakistan, the US & UK, Ireland, Greece, India & beyond. Global Vegfest 2 is set to take place on the 18th & 19th December 2021, and is sure to include many more excellent, informed vegan activists from around the globe. Follow us on Facebook for more updates! 166

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A warm welcome to our readers from across the globe as we bring you our second issue of Força Vegan Online Magazine, dedicated to animal rights activists and vegan outreach throughout the world. Issue 2 doesn’t disappoint, delivering frontline reports from Gaza from the extraordinary Plant The Land Team, plus in-depth interviews with activist and healthcare professional Leila Dehghan, who also presents ‘Athletes, Food, Diversity’, and long term activist Alison Plaumer, recently making the global media headlines with Animal Rebellion. Simohamed Bouhakkaoui updates from Morocco, Maya Cohen – Ronen reports from Wellington New Zealand, Cina Ebrahimi describes first hand some of the recent protests in Seattle, Jenna Kamal brings us news from Dahar in Egypt, Nella Giatrakou features the upcoming Online AR summit in Kent, Roger Yates delves into the world of TikTok and we take time out to visit Tivai and the Vibrant Vegan Society of Ghana. On a creative note, we were thrilled to catch up with vegan comedian Ishi Khan- Jackson, whilst The Art of Compassion features a brand new online... READ MORE > 170

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Welcome to Issue One (March 2021) of Forca Vegan – the free online vegan magazine that joins up activists and campaigns across the globe into a glorious celebration of all things vegan. Born into a world emerging from Lockdown and the global COVID Crisis, Forca Vegan brings together a feelgood factor, information, education and a myriad of different voices and experiences from a multitude of global vegan activists. Removing barriers and focusing on solutions, Forca Vegan reflects a living, growing, unfolding history of liberation, understanding and evolution at a time like never before, and at a time like we never needed before. If we are to face the problems that lie in front of us and lie ahead, and change them for the better, we’ll all benefit from listening to a broader vegan fanbase and learning from these experiences, and turning these lessons into effective and consistent education & action. Forca Vegan aims to help do that. Our thanks to everyone who has contributed to this iconic first issue. There are some truly outstanding stories and you are invited to share this magazine widely... READ MORE >

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Issue 2 is full up with fantastic interviews and focuses on the best the plant based lifestyle has to offer the discerning 21st century individual, who values animals, environment and people when making lifestyle consumer choices. Our regular contributors Tony Bishop Weston (The Vegetable Plot) and Daniele Maupertuis (Vegans Deserve Better than a Fruit Salad) return with their summer special seasonal sprinklings of plant based gold dust, including asking the question ‘Are you eating too much ultra processed vegan pap?’ and a wonderful raw vegan cheesecake recipe, and we were thrilled to catch up with our star 3 guests for issue 2, BodyBuilder Robert Cheeke, Activist Juliet Gellatley and Actor Danny Hatchard. The Vegan Organic Network make their regular appearance including more seasonal veganic gardening tips from author Piers Warren, Emma Fry once more takes us on a few vegan travel tips, and we take a look at new book ‘Feeding Your Vegan Child’ alongside the launch of new vegan snacks and motivational packs brand GoalPower, before getting to chat with The Vegan Vet about companion animals and plant based... READ MORE > 174

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Strawberry jam packed with the most fantastic vegans on the planet (well aren’t we all my lovelies?)…. We bring you ….. the best independent vegan owned business we must support, expert advice, travel, health and all needless to say with a massive positive vegan angle. Super Toni Vernelli gives us the lowdown and updates on Veganuary and we catch up with the most fabulous new vegan clothing range on the block with an interview with the inspirational Lorri Delahunty from VEGAN Happy Clothing. We find out more about what TV and radio presenter Kirly-Sue has been getting up to – especially with her vegan TV show filmed in the UK and Jamaica now on Amazon Prime. And my wonderful friend plant based chef Keith Squires tells us about the health benefits from working from home. CEO and founder of Planet Arborist gives us fantastic advice for what to look out for Greenwashing wise… And where else do you get to hear from the vegan doctors at Plant Based Health Professionals UK?... READ MORE > 176

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Força Vegan Magazine: Issue 3

Articles inside

The Focus, The Scope, And The Dream of a Vegan Future, The Vision of Leslie Cross

'VEGAN F.T.A' by Jackie Norman

'Vegan Society of Kenya' by Rachel Kabue

Vegans of India: Atul Sarin

'Vegan Life Festival' by Nella Giatrakou

Maya Cohen-Ronen: Activist & Published Author

Kampala, Uganda: Kyobe Ashraf

The Making Of Animal Rebellion

Unapologetic Vegtino

The Ghanaian Vegan: Zulfiquer Gbedemah

Vegan Film Screening: Vibrant Vegan Society of Ghana

'Veg'fest Morocco 2021' by Simohamed Bouhakkaoui

The Art of Compassion Exhibition: A Virtual 3D Showcase

'Vegan For Half A Century' by Jordi Casamitjana

Inside SHAC: Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty

Ruby Moss

'Social Media Activism' by Roger Yates

Camp Beagle Merchandise

Camp Beagle

'Vegan Capitalism' by Tom Harris