For over a decade, the nation branding campaign Brand Israel has sought to “wash” the crimes of occupation, apartheid and ethnic cleansing by carefully crafting the image of Israel as a progressive, forward-thinking oasis of modernism in the Middle East. The campaign has appropriated elements of both the LGBT and environmental movements to advance these goals. Such “pinkwashing” and “greenwashing” are unique in the world of state-sponsored propaganda campaigns.

Over the past several years, veganism has increasingly been weaponized for the same ends. Animal advocates across the West have been influenced by various claims of a vegan/ animal rights “revolution” in Israel and even participated in aspects of veganwashing. By contrast, the emerging animal rights movement in Palestine - like all social movement struggles - has suffered greatly under Israel’s occupation and violent expansionist agenda.

What notion of veganism is being appropriated here and what are the realities of animal rights in Israel? How prevalent is Zionism in the global animal advocacy movement? What are the realities of animal liberation struggle in the Palestinian context? What are the possibilities of Palestinian solidarity work in the global animal liberation movement?

Join us for a panel discussion on the recent history of veganwashing, the need for a comprehensive response from the animal liberation movement and the politics of BDS organizing.

Danielle Williams is a composer and music educator who taught for 2 years in Ramallah. During that time, she was an active volunteer with the Palestinian Animal League (PAL) and helped organize the first international solidarity conference for PAL. She is an organizer with Vegans for BDS.

Ahlam Haroun is Executive Director of the Palestinian Animal League and a long time feminist and animal activist in the West Bank. Ahlam will be participating via Skype.

Stephen Maher is completing his PhD at York University, researching corporate power and the capitalist state. His Master’s thesis focused on the political economy of the Palestinian Authority and the post-Oslo Accords occupation regime. He has lived in the West Bank, where he was active in the International Solidarity Movement. He is an assistant editor for the Socialist Register and a member of Socialist Project.

Michael John Addario is the editor of Animal Liberation Currents magazine. For more than twenty years he has been involved in animal rights activism, socialist organizing, the trade union movement and the NDP. He has been a shop floor and staff organizer with several unions, including IFPTE, United Steelworkers and SEIU. He is an organizer with Vegans for BDS.

Thursday, August 8th, 2019

7 PM

Toronto

$5 - 10 suggested donation/ PWYC

Presented by Animal Liberation Currents and Vegans for BDS

Sponsored by Canadian BDS Coalition, Socialist Project, Toronto BDS Action, and the Centre for Social Justice

This is a ticketed event. Please register to ensure you have a seat! Those without tickets will not be admitted.