{"id":8142,"date":"2010-08-05T07:57:17","date_gmt":"2010-08-05T12:57:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.sustainablog.org\/?p=8142"},"modified":"2010-08-05T07:57:17","modified_gmt":"2010-08-05T12:57:17","slug":"animal-rights-activism-vegan-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/animal-rights-activism-vegan-food\/","title":{"rendered":"Animal Advocacy \u00e0 la Carte: Sponsor a Vegan Community Meal"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are many different approaches to advocacy, spreading the word about a cause you care for and changing the wa\"800px-N2_fruit_salad\"y people live, think, and act in the world. When it comes to animal rights (and the environment, too), these tactics can often be of the more \u201cextreme\u201d variety–you know, throwing red paint on fur wearers, raiding labs, freeing caged animals from zoos or other facilities, or displaying gruesome images in full public view.<\/p>\n

Admittedly, these extreme methods can be quite effective by getting in peoples\u2019 faces and opening their eyes to the shocking (okay, horrifying) truths of animal farming, slaughtering, and heartless ownership. For better or worse, organizations like PETA that commonly employ aggressive campaigns have brought about very real, very important reforms in how animals are treated and viewed by citizens, corporations, and governments. And, for these victories, we (animal lovers at least) should thank them.<\/p>\n

At the same time, though, extreme measures can also turn off<\/strong> a great number of people, both friend and foe, to the whole idea of animal welfare and animal rights. While it is never justifiable to seek self-enforced ignorance simply to escape painful facts, it is also important that we try our best to maintain an open dialogue<\/em> on such important social topics while seeking to bring about change. If our screams and curses fall upon deaf ears, and maybe even lead to mutiny of our own forces, have we really achieved victory\u2026and are we perhaps costing more lives over time?<\/p>\n

As the Buddha, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and a host of other wise folks have taught us through time, violence only begets violence, and hatred only brings hatred\u2026<\/p>\n

Whatever your personal opinion about \u201cjustifiable\u201d violence (in word or action), there are also many ways you can adopt a “kinder, gentler” form of advocacy to help spread information about a vegan lifestyle. And since just about everybody loves food, and a great many non-veg*ns are convinced of how inedible non-animal foods are, one great way to open peoples\u2019 eyes, minds, and tummies to vegan living is through sponsoring a community vegan meal.<\/p>\n

Vegan Food: Kinder, Gentler Animal Rights Activism<\/h2>\n

You can get as creative as you like, going all out and whipping up various vegan delicacies that will fool nearly any animal eater (even kids!) or keeping it simple and shopping wisely. For example:<\/p>\n