An Article Series from All-Creatures.org

Animal Rights/Vegan Activists' Strategies

The Vegan Challenge: How to Champion an Invisible Issue

From Victoria Moran, MainStreetVegan.com
November 2024

Whenever people on the left talk about enivronmental issues, animal agriculture could be front and center. Instead, it’s absent. The right’s MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) initiative calls out Big Pharma but not Big Meat. So, who is talking about this? You and I. We are modern-day voices crying in the wilderness. Social media offers us a platform, but even there we’re often in an algorithm-driven echo chamber, preaching to the proverbial choir.

Rupert, adopted from hoarding

This piece will post on Election Day in the U.S. Leading up to this day, and for the past several years, we’ve heard a lot about how divided we are as a country. Even so, there is an issue on which almost everyone across the political spectrum agrees: “At least I don’t have to be vegan.”

For all the time and energy activists give to the cause of farmed animals and other animals, all the research time and money that has gone into providing solid evidence for the health benefits of plant-based eating, and all the science and statistics linking animal agriculture to climate change and other environmental plagues, veganism is the great silent issue of our time. Whatever news outlets have provided your information throughout the campaign season, how many interviews and how many articles on animal agriculture have you seen? Probably zero, despite the fact that there has been plenty of opportunity.

Whenever people on the left talk about enivronmental issues, animal agriculture could be front and center. Instead, it’s absent. The right’s MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) initiative calls out Big Pharma but not Big Meat. So, who is talking about this? You and I. We are modern-day voices crying in the wilderness. Social media offers us a platform, but even there we’re often in an algorithm-driven echo chamber, preaching to the proverbial choir.

We live in confusing times and we care about a host of matters, many of which relate directly or tangentially to veganism, others that do not. To stay the course going forward, we can:

• Stay Mission-Driven: Remind yourself of the reasons you went vegan, whether for the animals, the environment, human health, world hunger, spiritual growth, or some combination. Let these guiding principles keep you grounded, even if they’re not politically prioritized.
• Foster Personal Connection: Many people are open to new ideas from people they know and trust. Share your journey and knowledge in a relatable way, letting curiosity grow naturally without pushing an agenda.
• Find Places of Agreement: Even with people who see things very differently, there are points of connection. One of these is often companion animals. Of course we want everyone to see the sentience and individuality of cows and pigs and chickens, but if our point of agreement with another person today is only that we have the two best dogs on earth, that’s a start.
• Support Vegan Organizations: Get involved with or donate to vegan and animal rights organizations. These groups are often more effective in raising awareness and advocating for policies than waiting on politicians.
• Live Aspirationally: Make veganism appealing by embodying the benefits—health, energy, compassion, and culinary creativity. This personal example can inspire more change than you might realize.
• Engage in Local Advocacy: Influence is often most effective at the community level. Support local businesses offering vegan options, connect with local groups, and encourage plant-based initiatives in schools and communities.
• Practice Self-Care: Staying active in vegan advocacy can feel draining, especially if you’re often swimming against the current. Make time for yoga, meditation, nature walks, or other nurturing activities that help you stay energized and centered.
• Celebrate Small Wins: Change often happens incrementally. Acknowledge and celebrate any progress—Starbuck’s recent rescinding of the upcharge on nondairy milk, for instance—as a step forward.
• Visualize a Sane and Compassionate Future: Imagine a more compassionate, sustainable future where plant-based living is widely embraced. Visualization can strengthen your resolve and maintain your focus, regardless of challenges.

Every morning, we are given the invaluable gift of another day. Much of it is taken up with the basics of maintaining our lives, our families, our careers. But we can carve out some of it for making a difference. There isn’t much more satisfying than that. 

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Posted on All-Creatures.org: November 18, 2024
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