Since most of the people who read my blog are already vegan, I thought I’d write a post about ways we can be plant-based animal activists in the meat-dominated world we live in. If you have any additional suggestions, please comment with your ideas. We’re all always learning how to be as effective as possible, so any tips help.
Enjoy!
Shower them in logic.
The great thing about veganism is that it’s backed by logic and science. You’ve got those two things in your corner, so use them in conversation! Let the numbers speak for themselves and anyone who tries to deny science is hurting themselves.
Grasp at every opportunity when it comes up.
This past weekend I was having drinks with friends and their friends I didn’t know. Somehow me being vegan came up (I did not bring it up myself–promise!) and one of the people I didn’t know asked me about it with the typical, “So, what do you eat?” It would be easy for me to sarcastically respond, “Nothing but lettuce”, but instead I used it as an opportunity to educate someone on the variety of foods vegans enjoy. Whether she learned from it or not is another thing, but at least I was able to share and show one person that vegans are normal human beings and not like the stereotypes out there. Also, my husband is a vegetarian and works with people who have no clue about vegetarianism and pretty much think my husband is an alien for not eating meat, but I told him, “Use their annoying remarks as an opportunity to educate them about a plant-based diet!” It never hurts, but remember if the conversation gets going to always…
Be kind and respectful.
Trust me, I know it can drive you up a wall when people refuse to see the violence behind their dietary choices. But, you never reach anyone by yelling at them. Being respectful, kind, and logical are the best ways to approach activism.
Try to identify what the person is passionate about.
We all know that a plant-based diet is good for many, many reasons, and it’s likely that the person you’re talking with cares about one of those reasons. Are they health-conscious? Tell the about the health benefits of being vegan. Do they recycle? Tell them how eating one less meal with meat contributes more to the environment than recycle a water bottle does (although we should all still recycle!). Do they love animals? Most people care about dogs and cats, so appeal to that sense of compassion. Are they religious? Most religions have a foundation in following the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Also, most major religions are rooted in showing kindness to others. Connect this back to animals and how they are a part of the deity’s creation, therefore, we should love and respect them, not hurt them. Are they concerned about the logic behind veganism? Tell them the best rhetoricians and philosophers like Aristotle and Plutarch were vegetarians.
Talk to people without talking to them.
Know of a good sidewalk that a lot of people use daily? Why not write a message that will get people thinking? Check out the Vegan Chalk League on Facebook. This is an awesome opportunity to spread the message without having to physically speak with people. It lets people read the message on their own without feeling like their beliefs are being challenged, and it hopefully gets them thinking. My favorite powerful quote to chalk with is:
Show and encourage them to follow activists on social media.
I wrote a post not long ago featuring some of my favorite activists and vegans on social media. Encourage others to check out one of their pages. The way I turned vegan was bit by bit, piece by piece. An article here, a picture there. For most people, it doesn’t happen overnight, but with enough information filtering through people’s heads, eventually, it gets hard to deny the truth. Social media helps with that, since people see post by post, picture by picture. After a while it builds up.
Try not to overshare on social media.
It’s so tempting to share every picture and article we see detailing how awesome veganism is, but to others, they have yet to see the awesomeness of veganism. Like any other “belief” people share on social media, others will tire of hearing about it when a person overshares articles and pictures. Be careful not to overshare so people who aren’t yet vegan will block or unfriend you.
But keep sharing, and never give up!
Whenever I post a picture of myself, dog, or something average in my life, on average I get about twenty “likes” on Facebook from friends and family (this isn’t meant to brag). But when I post anything actually relevant pertaining to climate change or animal rights (you know, things that actually matter in the world), I get a max of four likes. Most often, it’s just one, from my vegan sister who I can always count on to like my posts. 🙂 Still, my sister told me a story of a woman who had the same experience as me, feeling no one ever cared to watch her posted videos or read her posted articles until one day she received a Facebook message from a Facebook friend. This person was someone she really never talked to, but that person said her activist posts had made a difference after a while and the Facebook friend had given up meat! So even if it is discouraging when no one “likes” your posts, keep them up (without oversharing)–you never know who actually is reading and watching.
And finally, always remember who you’re doing this for.
Those faces should be enough to encourage us to continue to speak up and be their voices.
May all beings be free from suffering.
❤ Heather
mygardenofvegan.wordpress.com 