Monday, December 21, 2009

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 46 - Interview with William Paul about nonviolence, the NZ Vegan Society, The World is Vegan if you want it and other things...

Listen HERE

This week I am very pleased to have back as my guest William Paul.  We talk about his experience as a peaceful activist and how about an occurrence where he was challenged on his nonviolence stance while speaking out against violence.  We also talk about the NZ Vegan Society's Big Book of Vegan Products which is a fantastic new resource by this great new NZ Vegan Society.  We discuss the up-and-coming (we hope) SAFE vegan campaign and whether it will actually happen, how it will happen and whether it will it actually be a vegan campaign that we can get behind, among other things.

Also as both William and I have unfortunately been without internet access for a week, coincidentally, we came back online to discover the recent development of a wonderful new resource for vegan advocacy by Gary Francione and the team at The Abolitionist Approach which is based on John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "War is Over if you want it" Times Square Billboard:
The World is Vegan! If you want it.

Links:
theworldisvegan.com

William Paul on Facebook
William Paul on Twitter
The NZ Vegan Society on Facebook (please join and show your support!)


Please look at all the resources for The World is Vegan! if you want it resources from:
Vincent Guihan at We Other Animals
Adam Kochanowicz at The Vegan News
John Colvin

Please also read this NOTE from Professor Francione about the billboard:


Thanks everyone for all this great work and thanks to William for coming back on the show!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

NZ Vegan Podcast Episode 45 - the responsibility for the individual lies with the individual

Listen HERE

Just articulating some things that I have been trying to come to terms with lately, specifically this desire to see "results" and to claim responsibility for things we really have no right to claim responsibility for.

When someone takes animal rights seriously and goes vegan, it's their "victory" and no one else's.  The benefit is for all, but the credit for that is given to the individual who takes that action.  And alternatively if people resist and turn away, that also lies with them.  Let us pay closer attention to our own actions as individuals and if more of us do that, advocates especially, then I think there will be some wonderful "results".