Why Leaflet?
As a movement, we don�t have advertising budgets
comparable to those of the industries that abuse animals. So, we have to
find cheap ways to get the animals� message to the public. Most of us
became vegan after personal interactions with someone who was already
vegan, and we can create similar circumstances that will help bring
others along as well. Likewise, handing out literature and talking with
people one-on-one is an inexpensive and highly effective way to increase
people�s interest in veganism, and having information for them makes
your job that much easier.
While we may not have funds at our disposal like the
meat, egg, and dairy industries do, we have a significant asset: people
whose motive is compassion, rather than profit. Indeed, there are
hundreds of thousands of compassionate people in the country dedicated
to bringing about animal liberation. Many of us are willing to spend at
least a few hours each week on animal advocacy in the streets, because
we know there is no more effective way of reaching people than by
showing them a friendly, vegan face.
Where To Leaflet
The best places to leaflet are public spaces where you
find lots of people. Some great locations are outside of subway, train,
or bus stations (especially during rush hour); on college campuses
(though if you�re not a student, you may be asked to leave); near high
schools around lunchtime or just before or after school; and outside of
major events like concerts, exhibitions, and sports games (preferably as
people are leaving).
When leafleting, it�s very helpful to recognize that not
everyone is equally likely to become vegetarian or vegan. Because of
this, it makes sense to focus greater effort on those you feel may be
more receptive. Typically, college and high school students�particularly
females�seem to be the most open-minded to the message of compassion. As
well, younger people tend to be much less set in their ways and more
willing to question societal norms, such as the idea that animals exist
to serve humans. It�s also important to recognize that younger people
have an entire lifetime of eating meat, eggs, and dairy products ahead
of them, making it even more critical to expose them to the cruelty
suffered by farmed animals. Does this mean that we should only leaflet
young people? Of course not. Usually, when you�re leafleting, you�ll be
able to give leaflets to hundreds of people, and you�re obviously not
going to withhold a leaflet from anyone. What it does mean, though, is
that we may want to pick leafleting areas that are often frequented by
younger people to maximize the effectiveness of our time and effort.
What To Leaflet
There are many wonderful vegan advocacy tools available
for you to distribute. It�s generally a good idea to have one brochure
you will pass out to everyone, and another more extensive publication to
give to those who seem especially interested in learning more about
becoming vegan.
Some great materials designed for general leafleting
purposes:
COK�s Vegetarian Eating
www.cok.net/literature/veganism.php
Vegan Outreach�s Why Vegan? http://veganoutreach.com/whyvegan/
and Vegetarian Living http://veganoutreach.com/vegliving/
PETA�s Think Before You Eat
www.peta.org/pdfs/LthinkB4Ueat.pdf
Some effective, more extensive materials for those
particularly receptive to exploring animal-friendly living:
COK�s Vegan Starter Guide
www.tryvegan.com/
Vegan Outreach�s Vegan Starter Pack
www.veganoutreach.org/starterpack/
PETA�s Vegetarian Starter Kit www.goveg.com/vegkit/
What To Say
Since we want to make sure people won�t just throw away
the literature, it�s best to let passersby know what the brochure is
about before they take it. Simply saying, Can I offer you a brochure
about being vegetarian? seems to work well.
When talking with people about being vegan, make sure
not to complicate the issue, if you can avoid it. Most everyone already
opposes animal abuse, so it follows that we should focus on how factory
farms and slaughterhouses abuse animals, rather than construct an
abstract argument about violations of animals� rights.
While you engage people in conversation about the
intense suffering of the animals we eat, be certain to tell each one how
we can take a stand against that cruelty by becoming vegan, effectively
helping to make the world a better place for all of us.
COK�s Vegan FAQ www.cok.net/literature/veganfaq.htp
Simple and Effective Leafleting Tips
1. Always look professional and clean-cut. Even if this
means dressing in a way you wouldn�t ordinarily dream of, it�s important
not to give passersby a reason to quickly dismiss you and the vegan
message. Advocating veganism sometimes requires sacrifice from each of
us, and changing our appearance for public outreach is a minor�but
important�one to make. Keep in mind that we�re trying to legitimize
veganism and need to appeal to the �average� person. So, activists have
found that the general public is much more receptive if we look as
mainstream as our message of compassion should be.
2. While leafleting, try to be outgoing and friendly.
Many people may just walk past unless you approach them in a positive
and pleasant manner. A simple smile can have a dramatic effect on how
people perceive you and serve as an encouraging invitation to take a
brochure. If someone is wearing a team shirt, commenting positively
about their team is a quick ice breaker that makes it hard for them to
refuse your leaflet, and leaves them with the impression, for example,
�That animal rights person is an Orioles fan, too.�
3. If you have a conversation with someone make sure to
stay focused. It�s fine to have a quick conversation about the weather,
the football season, or some neutral topic to bond with the person with
whom you�re speaking. But avoid a spirited discussion of abortion, the
death penalty, or any topic other than animal abuse. Never lose sight of
why you�re there: to expose the misery endured by farmed animals and to
promote veganism as a solution.
4. Don�t engage with hostile people. Be careful to pick
your battles. A good conversation with a person clearly interested in
the issues is worth having. A lengthy discussion with a person only
interested in hurling hypotheticals at you is not worth having. If
someone yells at you, speaks with you in a belittling manner, or tries
to provoke you into a heated debate, it is best to either ignore the
person, if possible, or just to say, �Thanks very much for your
comments. I have to get back to my leafleting now.� We know it�s tough
to just turn away and ignore someone, but trust us: If you talk with
them, they will only become more belligerent, and you will not change
their minds. Additionally, no matter how nice you are, the impression
people passing by will get is one of you being the instigator, since
you�re the one asking people to change their habits. The focus will be
placed negatively on you, rather than on animal suffering.
5. Be overly polite and make it easy for them to take
the literature. When we refer to people as �ma�am� or �sir� and say
�thank you� or �have a great day� to those who take literature, we are
seen as polite, well-meaning individuals concerned about the issue,
rather than �radical militants� who the public is all-too-eager to
dismiss. Also, try to place the leaflet directly in front of the passing
person�s stomach so it�s less effort for them to take the brochure from
you if they so choose.
You Are Making A Difference
More than 99 percent of the animals killed in the United
States die to be eaten. As others have commented <http://veganoutreach.org/advocacy/path.html>,
even if we were to completely abolish every other form of animal
exploitation, we would not have changed the lives of 1 percent of the
animals in the country. Needless to say, the interests of each
individual animal�whether abused by circuses, the fur industry,
vivisection, factory farming, or any other exploitative industry�are
important, and we know that some people become vegan after learning
about rodeos, animal testing, or other non-farmed animal issues.
However, the numbers do speak loudly: By encouraging people to become
vegan, we help to alleviate far more suffering than by spending our time
in any other way.
Perhaps more importantly, unlike other forms of animal
abuse�mainly the hunting, fur, vivisection, and animals in entertainment
industries�virtually everyone in the country is responsible for the
suffering of farmed animals. Advocating for farmed animals is not a case
of stopping a small minority of people (like hunters, vivisectors, or
fur-wearers) from treating animals cruelly. Rather, it is about
transforming the views and habits of nearly everyone.
Conclusion
As you consider the ways you can best help animals, make
sure to keep vegan leafleting high on your list. Even if you convince
people to eat less meat, dairy products, and eggs each week, that alone
can have a dramatic impact on the industry, if done by enough people.
Never underestimate the effect you can have.
If you find a busy enough area, you should be able to
easily pass out 400 brochures in an hour. Imagine if you leafleted for
only one hour per week (a small sacrifice to make): You will have
exposed nearly 21,000 people to the message of veganism in just one
year. Even if only 1 out of 300 people you leaflet actually becomes
vegan, that�s still more than 70 new vegans each year, thanks to your
one-hour�s effort each week! And this statistic isn't even counting the
number of people who will either become vegetarian or reduce their
consumption of animal products. It�s hard to imagine a better use of our
time.
How many hours do you spend each week watching
television, going to the movies, or shopping? Why not take a couple of
those hours and commit to a weekly leafleting endeavor? You should be
able to find friends to help you, and, before you know it, you�ll have a
small group of people out every week, helping your community transition
to becoming vegan.
Please don�t wait to get started � the animals need your
help now more than ever!
Go on to ACT Radio -
Animal Concerns of Texas
Return to 23 March 2003 Issue
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