By Raffaella Ciavatta



How wonderful would it be if all we needed to do to abolish the wrongs in our world was to not commit these same wrongs ourselves in the first place? Want to end sexism? Don’t be sexist! Want to eradicate racism? Don’t be racist! Want to stop animal suffering? Eat kale! That would be quite fantastic, and we would all live in peace and harmony. Unfortunately, the abolition of systemic inequality, discrimination and exploitation is only achievable through our engagement in actions that work towards eradicating them, not actions that focus on non-participation.

Let’s focus on Animal Rights and veganism. Many vegans believe that they are doing a great good to all animals by simply choosing not to consume them or anything that comes from them. As learned above, we cannot excuse ourselves from the wrongs simply by not committing those wrongs ourselves. If we want Animal Liberation, we have to work for it. It can only be achieved when our communities join forces and promote creative and non-violent actions that focus on abolishing all types of exploitation towards animals, and going further, to all beings.”So, veganism is not enough?” That’s right, veganism is not enough. We have to think beyond veganism and start thinking activism. Many people feel a little intimidated by the “title” of activism and tend to associate the terms with extremists or radicals. Vegan non-activists do defy the norms with their rejection of violence, but vegan activists defy these norms on a public level, engaging society and changing its culture. And we desperately need a change in culture. How wonderful would it be if all we needed to do to abolish the wrongs in our world was to not commit these same wrongs ourselves in the first place? Want to end sexism? Don’t be sexist! Want to eradicate racism? Don’t be racist! Want to stop animal suffering? Eat kale! That would be quite fantastic, and we would all live in peace and harmony. Unfortunately, the abolition of systemic inequality, discrimination and exploitation is only achievable through our engagement in actions that work towards eradicating them, not actions that focus on non-participation. Let’s focus on Animal Rights and veganism. Many vegans believe that they are doing a great good to all animals by simply choosing not to consume them or anything that comes from them. As learned above, we cannot excuse ourselves from the wrongs simply by not committing those wrongs ourselves. If we want Animal Liberation, we have to work for it. It can only be achieved when our communities join forces and promote creative and non-violent actions that focus on abolishing all types of exploitation towards animals, and going further, to all beings.”So, veganism is not enough?” That’s right, veganism is not enough. We have to think beyond veganism and start thinking activism. Many people feel a little intimidated by the “title” of activism and tend to associate the terms with extremists or radicals. Vegan non-activists do defy the norms with their rejection of violence, but vegan activists defy these norms on a public level, engaging society and changing its culture. And we desperately need a change in culture.

Want to end sexism? Don’t be sexist! Want to eradicate racism? Don’t be racist! Want to stop animal suffering? Eat kale! That would be quite fantastic, and we would all live in peace and harmony. Unfortunately, the abolition of systemic inequality, discrimination and exploitation is only achievable through our engagement in actions that work towards eradicating them, not actions that focus on non-participation.

“Posting on Facebook isn’t good enough? Not even talking to my co-workers about it?” Every effort counts, and we are not trying to discredit your methods, but when you post on Facebook or when you have a talk with a co-worker, you’re only unveiling speciesism in that isolated event. When you bring speciesism to the collective by being part of an action, you engage more people and challenge the culture rather than the individual.

[Updated link to new talk from 2015] Still not convinced? Take a look at our video entitledwhich cites examples in History and beyond.

Let us state that there are many methods in which you can do Animal Rights activism that can range from leafletting to breaking the law and liberating animals from farms and labs. Are you the type that is shy and think you can’t talk to people? Perhaps holding a sign could be a start for you. Usually people who are shy quickly get out of their shells and start talking and educating people. Once you start doing activism, you will only get better and better at it and more confident each time.Are you ready to act? Join our team today! Take a look at some basic guidelines for our interventions, read our campaigns, download our materials, unite, act & transform! Also, like us on Facebook to stay up-to-date, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and check more videos on our YouTube channel.