"Race"

L'INTRO FRANÇAIS : Je le trouve très intéressant de voir comment nous choisissons nos mots en général, et en bonnes sociologue, specifiquement autour de l'inégalite. Pour ce petit "post" j'aborderai le langage français autour de la question de "race" sur les êtres. Encore un petit mot sur l'animalité et l'inégalité entre êtres humains et animaux, mais bon, c'est un grand problème dans le monde aujourd'hui qui doit absolument pris en compte !

And now for ENGLISH:

There is Only One Human Race

In my sociological studies here in France, I have come to realize very interesting subtleties surrounding the word "race." In fact, in France, using the word race to denote an ethnicity of a human is not only rude but quite simply not said. In sociological work and study, however, if you want to specifically use the word race as it is meant in English, it is necessary to put the word in quotation marks. (A feminist author Colette Guillaumin made something of a scandal when she chose to simply capitalize 'race' rather than put it in quotes). The French explain the word choice by saying, "Il n'y a qu'une race chez nous: l'être humain !" meaning approximately "There is only race amongst us : the human being!" In spite of continual struggles of identity and somewhat worrisome discussions on the 'immigration problem' thanks to Sarkozy, I personally find this word choice to be a major success. We still have denigrating words put towards people of different ethnicities and cultures, but quite frankly, the fact that there is no "human race" is beautiful.

Animal Races

However, even amongst animals, we see the objectification and inequality launched upon animals in that in the French language, people often use the word "race" to denote "species." "A good race of cow, that makes for a delicious meat.." etc. Though I am not suggesting that there isn't a variation of species in the order Animalia outside of human beings, I'm highlighting the curiousness in using the word race is used rather than species in the French language for animals yet there is a conscious abstinence from the use of 'race' respecting human beings. Moreover, the word racisme (le racisme) exists in French to denote injustice towards individuals of other ethnicities. The weight and the violence of the word race is very evident in the French language, yet finds its way into discussions of animality. Interesting how four letters can mean so much.

Seeing

Marilyn Frye, a famous feminist author, once said the following about realizing one's oppression:

Consider a birdcage. If you look very closely at just one wire in the cage, you cannot see the other wires…It is only when you step back, stop looking at the wires one by one, microscopically, and take a macroscopic view of the whole cage, that you can see why the bird does not go anywhere.[1]

While vegan activism is definitely the most important to me (because there appears to be such a dearth of vegan activists) taking my africana studies class and this women's studies class reminds me just how important all these systems of oppression are to tackle. As a sociology major, I'm quite literally a student of inequality. At this moment in time I feel so stretched across the vast abyss of inequality, pulled in all directions, constantly shifting between these different political campaigns and it's often so hard to tie them all together. I am passionate but unable to mobilize.

I am critical of the radical vegan activists who tie all social oppression together, who recognize the ways in which all of the following themes can create inequality: gender, sex, sexuality, poverty, race, class, age, ability. The problem is that although this is true, to use all of these rather strong radical political stances all at once dissuades the average listener from hearing. In reality, we are forced to normalize ourselves in an effort to gain coverage from the media and the average passerby. Given the massive budgets behind meat advertising, we have to make our voices be heard as much as possible.

So I am finding myself in this strange crevice, this strange space of social inequality overwhelm, where my radical feminist politics can never cross with my radical animal rights efforts, except perhaps amongst already radical folks. Where my critiques of current economic structures cannot find its way into these campaigns, for fear of overwhelming the average listener with more than one non-conventional notion at a time. Too much new and we shut down, after all.

But there's definitely something about all this that hurts. Something that hurts about only being able attack one inequality at a time, an impatience, a hunger for change, a need for change that drives me mad. I want to be able to fight against gender norms, against horrendous foreign aid programs, against AR-abusers, but I simply can't get past the fact that it's not efficient to overlap my efforts.

I see the wires of the cage,

but I can't see how they all work together.

How can I break the cage ?

There are way too many birds in here,

and time is running out.

We've gotta get out.

source

---

[1] Marilyn Frye, The Politics of Reality: essays in feminist theory. Crossing Press: Freedom, California, 1983; pps 2-7

Cercle de Silence à Paris (Place des Innocents) par OneVoice

Circle of Silence

for Animals Exploited by the Fur Industry

for info on the action, check out OneVoice's website

For information on the egregious methods of the fur industry, please check out this brief factsheet.

Humor + AR

Ummm so I've been thinking a lot about using Humor and AR, and how to tie the two together...

So in my procrastination on my french sociology work, I was bopping around looking how humor can be used for AR. The following cartoon only somewhat touches on the whole human-animality question but definitely brings to light this question of superiority which we hold to be unique to the human race.

Shamlessly snatched from the following site. I hold no rights : http://www.vegetus.org/vegtoon/ar.htm

The site in general can be found here: http://www.vegetus.org/vegtoon/vegtoon.html

Some duds but some that are pretty interesting.

The End.

Embracing Animality vs. Vegetarianism : Opposing Arguments?

A theoretical veganism question came to me today. Here it is in the roughest of forms. Tell me what you think:

Animality :

I consider myself a vegan in practice and in theory. So I'm constantly reevaluating my relationship and the larger human relationship with non-human animals. (Sorry if that seemed to be creating an immediate divide between the two.) Animality, quite simply put, is the essence of being an animal, something which we necessarily tie to being non-human. However, as I have put in other posts, humans are necessarily animals and I think there is something quite radical about embracing one's animality, that is to say, questioning cultural norms that go against "animality" and hiding one's "animalness." We also see how animality ties in with feminism quite frequently (check out Carol Adams or Pattrice Jones for more on that) and how The Woman is often connected with The Animal, that is to say that She possesses more animal-like qualities that Man (male) does not possess (see: emotions, involuntary menstruation, focus on the body rather than the mind, and all the rest of that garbage.) So. I think more and more amongst vegan advocates we see a shift towards embracing our own animality, that is to say that since humans are necessarily animals we must recognize our own needs and desires as necessarily human, rather than dismissing them when they arrive. Our animal needs are just as legitimate as our "rational" needs.

Vegetarianism and Embracing Our Animality... Does it Clash ?

FYI, this is a space of thought, not of thesis. I attended a lecture on vegetarianism and the speaker coined vegetarians and vegans alike as "Abstinents" as if it were some necessary withdrawal from society, an abstaining from part of the cultural story-telling, etc. However, the argument can be made that meat and killing is a desire. Fortunately in our society most of us have come to terms with the fact that killing one another is unacceptable (exceptions: government-approved activities such as war, grassroots independence movements, etc.), so my argument for vegetarianism doesn't crumble by me saying this :)

However, to what point can one remedy the notion that we embrace our own animality and desires and all the while "abstain" from an industry so horrible?

I think the answer lies somewhere in the fact that questions and categories are not quite as discrete as I've made them out to be. Animality does not mean savageness, after all, it simply means recognizing that we are animals and as such are not simply brains detached from the rest of our physical beings. One can be animal and ethical at the same time. But all the while the argument is continually made that meat is a desire, a need to consume the flesh of another being. I think this question merits some more evaluation... So please don't hesitate to give me feedback!

VG-Zone: Veg Guide to Paris

Best website ever for FRENCH VEGANS/VEGANS IN PARIS/

végans/végétaliens/végétariens à Paris!

VG-Zone.net

Spread that shit around!

Furthering Oneself from the Culture of Meat: Good or Bad?

I keep asking myself if it's a bad thing that I'm losing my connection more and more to the culture of meat-eating. On the one hand, that's a good thing. It's a great thing! But by losing my tie with this huge part of our culture (current culture, I should add) am I separating myself too much from omnivores? That is to say, from a campaigning standpoint, am I losing my ability to connect to meat-eaters ? Am I losing my ability to effectively rework the culture of meat, but removing myself from it? Culture is moldable, after all, and just requires a good bit of time and energy to change. Here's the equation for you right-brained people (also I'm bored, and procrastinating on homework)

TIME + starting a VeganDialogue + vegan cupcakes + SUSTAINED PATIENCE

= Vegan Revolution !

So I ask myself, am I still able to effectively relate to the people I'm talking to?

It's true there are always the lines like ---

• "I used to love meat!"
• "This tastes just like meat, try it."
• "I know that veganism sounds kind of extreme but... "

all of which help the non-vegan in question from feeling judged. Also to keep her/him from completely tuning me out, and everything that I have to say, for fear that I've just lost it.

Making Non-Veg Alliances? This has consequently led me to consider developing slightly odd ties/alliances with my friends who are vegetarian or omnivore and get their insight as to how best campaign. For instance, I could show them a series of pamphlets, videos, presentation methods and they could respond with their feedback. Especially when it comes to vegan food, I sometimes question how people really find Isa's cupcakes of heaven (As for me, I don't remember what milk tastes like.. though I was mildly lactose intolerant for most of my childhood anyway. As are many people.) AND! If you ask someone about this business, they may *MAY* actually listen to what you have to say for once.

---%---

But as I was thinking about how far I'm separating myself from the culture of meat, I have to pat myself on the back. Once you've seen all the pain, suffering, and madness that goes on in the meat industry, you just kind of want to run out into the street and scream at the top of your lungs "DIE YOU MOTHERFUCKING AGRI-INDUSTRY OF HELL!" And sometime it really hurts. It really fucking hurts at first to see so much and feel so disempowered. To see a mother bellowing for her calf in just 8 oz. of milk. A putrid, ammonium-wreaking, file-cabinet-sized hen facility in every little egg. And a serving of meat? Tail-burning, beak-clipping, ineffective stun-guns, "kosher" lies, scalding tanks.

Sometimes it hurts, but when you realize how much of an impact you can have, everything kind of looks up. I've been a vegan activist for not too long, and I can already see the impact I've made on my friends and family. And as W.E.B. DuBois once said,

One thing alone I charge you. As you live, believe in life! Always human beings will live and progress to greater, broader and fuller life. The only possible death is to lose belief in this truth simply because the great end comes slowly, because time is long.

Time sure as hell is long. But it's important to keep that in mind. Because change is a-happening.

Noam Chomsky on Vegetarianism

http://platosbeard.org/archives/416

The Animal Activist's Handbook.

Bruce Friedrich's 20-minute interview on his book "The Animal Activist's Handbook" can be found

here.

sidenote: I had no idea that Bruce Friedrich had such good diction! Quite unique in this day and age if I may say so myself. It's also incredible that a Lefty like Bruce would be allowed to use his personal politics while still speaking on behalf of Peta, eh? I would think that for vegan activist orgs who want to steer away from other political stances, one might be turned off by religiousness and his delicious poverty and peace work ?

Veg Your Cafeteria!

I just found a great how-to guide on Veganizing your School Cafeteria from Viva! USA check that shit out.

Vegan Table in HAMBURG, GERMANY

I literally stumbled upon this vegan tabling event when I was wandering the streets of Hamburg. It definitely made my day.

Sign on the left is a play on the word "Buttermilk (Buttermilch)"and says "Mothermilk (Muttermilch) ? Naturally!"

(Same kind of poster as from the Anti-Fur March on the 24th..

ie "My flesh belongs to ME. If you want to eat meat anyway, bite into your own ass.")

The movement is spreading and it's exciting!

Luxembourg: Marche contre la FOURRURE

(see official website here)

This weekend I trekked out to Luxembourg (4h drive from Paris) for a march & tabling event against the fur industry with the organization I've been working with : Fourrure Torture. Because the AR movement and activism in general is not as developed in Luxembourg as it is in a super-urban setting like Paris (according to the people I spoke with there), I think it made quite an impact even if it was smaller than most of the events I've attended before.

There were about 8 organizations tabling, and there was vegan food up for sale, thanks to an organization from Luxembourg called SAVE ANIMALS:

Deets for the Eats:

1euro for a bowl of vegan pasta and 2 euros for a large plate. Basic white-flour noodles with carrot and cucumber bits and a creamy vegan sauce. Preserved in monster tupper-ware-ish boxes. I can't imagine that costing too terribly much, and think I'm going to look into doing that for another event.

Another thing to remember! Activists need to eat, no matter what, so why not bring your vegan catering to non-vegan events? That's a form of activism in itself and shows people that vegan food is not only edible but damn tasty!

However what was super about these guys were that they were environmentally friendly and they bought actually dishes and silverware so as to avoid buying disposable plates and dishes. Really smart idea, and they just added a deposit fee so that people don't forget to bring back the dishes. They went to their home in Luxembourg and washed them allll around 6pm and then served us dinner at the bar/café at 8pm (where I did not take photos, sorry). Dinner was a pumpkin soup of heaven with super-oily, therefore delicious home-made croutons and parsley garnish.

Requirements: Crockpot + silverware + dishes and they were ready to get the vegan party started.

Signs from a German Org:

Above: "Fur Trade is Death Trade / Boycott the Murder of Furbearers"

Right: "Don't say you didn't know about it!"

There was one German AR org who REALLY had their shit together : TierFreunde (which means Friends of the Animals). I was quite impressed. Check it out:

They were playing Earthlings from the TV screen in the back of their car!

(English is one of the languages they speak, in addition to French, German, & Luxembourgeois.)

TierFreunde had

• an official-looking banner
• traps with [fake] stuffed animals
• orange umbrellas and tables to match their theme
• professional looking signs (see 2nd photo)
• an old van that they converted to an AR-Mobile!
• Lots of Pictures

**super idea for stands, if you have a tent: clothes line/string + clothespins + pictures = more visuals for your table!

Here were the rest of the orgs:

Fourrure Torture (FR) (DE)

Animal Justice (LUX) Bite Back (Dutch)

------------------------ Bite Back -------------------------

Regarding the image of the halloween mask + fur coat: not a bad display, I must say . I think the best part was when these giggly 13-yo/14yo girls walked by and wanted to take a picture with it. They walked up to it to take a picture and then were like "Oh! This is AGAINST fur?" I'm pretty sure that made my day. I couldn't believe that a halloween mask had the ability to be ambiguous.

Some Snapshots of The Protest

I don't think there were any welfarist groups present (which was kind of nice... as much fun as it is to hear people hypocritically chatting about how horrendous it is that cat and dog fur is secretly used in fur coats.) There was a slight tension, as always, between the more radical and non-radical groups. For instance, when there was chanting "One Struggle, One Fight! Animal Liberation, Human Rights!" or "ALF! ALF!" my friend and I looked at each other and kind of scratched our heads.

Unfortunately, the Animal Rights Movement is not one struggle and I don't think it ever can be. There are and will continue to be moments when we can work together for the most part, but of we all had the same ideas, we would only be one organization with multiple subgroups. Also, we see these kinds of divides in pretty much every social justice movement ever (ex: women's rights, civil rights, etc.) If you ask me, it's somewhat problematic to go through the streets chanting things about the ALF because the ALF is technically an illegal organization. I'm making no comments whatsoever about my own support or non-support for the ALF, but there is something to be said for allowing moments for non-radical AR groups to do their thing.

Albino

This German hiphop artist was kind of amazing -- really eloquent lyrics that tie speciesm to other methods of oppression such as sexism, capitalism... all with some ass-kicking beats. I would definitely go see this guy perform. If you can understand German, *please* check out some of his lyrics here or the music here.

SOCIAL ACTIVISM GUIDE

I stumbled upon this and I HIGHLY recommend you take like 30 seconds and look at this. Because it's a good summary of info if you didn't already know this.

<<Find the guide here>>

EDIT: Another sweet guide is HERE.

- Highlights

• gives specific demo events
• how to be involved with the media
• publicity tips
• lots of other random stuff.

Granted, it also covers a number of campaigning efforts that I'm not AS fond of, but it's worth your time. I'm pasting the bits I found particularly useful, but i'm saying right now it's not my work. it is coming from the site linked above.

"Use the Media: Basic Tips for Working with the Media

• Develop and maintain a "press list" (which consists of the reporter's name, title, address, phone number, email, fax number, deadlines). Be sure to include: wire service (Independent Media, United Press International, Reuters), local and regional newspapers/magazines, local "zines," local TV news and talk shows, local cable stations, special interest publications (ethnic, college, high-school, religious, punk, trade, professional).
• Meet with reporters, DJs, talk show hosts, and editors personally--develop the relationship and establish rapport. See where their interests lie. Follow-up with phone calls to give them story ideas or to give them an update on your program.
• Read reporters' stories. Give them feedback--make them aware you are reading, watching, and listening to them. By reading their stories you will know whom to contact for your media outreach.
• Be prepared to give reporters facts, accurate information, quotes, historical background information, and if possible an "exclusive," meaning they are the reporter breaking the news.
• Return reporters' calls as soon as possible.
• Use all the "free" resources the media offers, such as the calendar column, letters to the editor, Op-Ed articles, and Public Service Announcements

Creative Action

In today's busy world, how do you get people to stop and take notice? Creative action can be a great way to get attention and help to educate others about an issue.

Tips:

• Focus your creative action on a specific target and message.
• Creative actions do not have to be theatrical; you can make a banner, billboard, or anything visual.
• Research history--the civil rights movement (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.), non-violent actions (Gandhi), apartheid (South Africa)--to learn more about direct action techniques already taken, including challenges and successes.

Here are some examples:

100 Chairs

To demonstrate the growing wealth divide in the U.S., line up 100 chairs in a high-traffic place on campus. Ten people spread out over 70 chairs (lying down, stretching out) while 90 people have to fit on the remaining 30 chairs. This shows that 10 percent have 70 percent of the wealth, while all the rest (90 percent) have only 30 percent of the wealth. You can modify this using 10 chairs and 10 people or use this concept to demonstrate other statistics.

Source: United for a Fair Economy

Human Bar Graph

One hundred students line up to represent the president's salary, while one person represents a janitor's salary. A sign or spokesperson explains what is represented. Source: United for a Fair Economy: The Campus Living Wage Campaign

Interactive Theatre

Create a short (5 minute) skit on some issue (for example, hunger, homelessness, racism, sexism). Make the skit controversial. Go through the whole skit once for your audience. Then repeat the skit, allowing the people in the audience to say "stop" at any point. The person stopping the skit then replaces a character they choose and changes the play. Hold a discussion at the end.

Guerrilla Theatre

Create a dramatization that highlights your issue. For example, when Georgetown University students were protesting sweatshop labor in the production of campus wear, they staged a fashion show in a high-traffic area of campus. Students donned clothes with the university logo, and as they strutted down the walkway, the emcee talked about the sub-standard wages paid to workers who assembled the clothes. Guerrilla Theatre was used in the 1980s to dramatize death squad abductions in Central America. Students would stage an "abduction" in the cafeteria; this creative action engaged many students to join in Central American solidarity work.

Invisible Theatre

Create a situation that will draw on-lookers into a discussion about an important issue. Example: Two people go into a clothing store where sweatshop labor is being used to manufacture the clothes. The cell phone of one person rings. "Hello. Yeah, I'm here shopping at the (Name of Store). What? You're kidding! They use sweatshop labor to produce their clothes? Hey (to other person, in a loud voice so that others can hear), did you know that (Name of Store) uses sweatshop labor to make their clothes?" Draw the other shoppers and staff people into a discussion on living wages as a human right (see Global Exchange, globalexchange.org, for current campaigns on living wages and other issues).

Demonstrating Inadequate Shelter

Build shantytown housing on campus to demonstrate how people not earning a decent wage are forced to live in many countries. Sleep out in your quad to demonstrate homelessness in the U.S.

Cyber Activism

Rallying a Large Group of People for an Event (Virtual Organizing)

As the November 1999 Seattle WTO and the April 2000 IMF/World Bank protests showed, the Internet can be an extremely powerful organizing tool.

Tips:

• Create a web page to go with your event. Make your emails short and direct people to a hyperlink to the web for more details. Make sure your page is always up to date.
• Find a service provider that will allow people to easily subscribe to your listserv (try groups.yahoo.com orgroups.msn.com)

Op-Ed Pieces

Op-Ed Pieces are a highly effective way of expressing your opinion in the newspaper. Op-Eds are opinion pieces that appear opposite editorial pages. They are persuasive, well thought-out, well-written, short in length (usually about 800 words) but longer than a letter to the editor, and authored by a high-profile person or someone who has experience with the issue. The published op-ed should be timely, and present a strong, well-informed position, supported by facts.

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor represent your perspective in the local newspaper and can be a counter argument for articles that you do not agree with. They also:

• reach a large audience;
• are monitored by elected officials and other decision-makers; and
• create an impression of widespread support for or against an issue.

Press Releases

A press release is a full and succinct account of your story/event, usually one or two pages, and should be written as a news article. Press releases help editors write an article. In fact, some small community newspapers will actually print your press release "as is."

• The first paragraph is the lead. It is one to three sentences long and answers "who, what, when, where, why, and how?" The lead must grab the editor's attention.
• The second paragraph is the bridge. It provides the source and a transition for the more detailed information.
• The third paragraph is the body. The information given in the lead is explained in detail in the body. Add quotations, facts not included in the lead, and general information on the organization.
• Add a photograph to grab attention.
• Follow-up with a phone call and/or personal visit-it may increase their interest in the story.

Bruges/Brussels

So I went to Bruges / Brussels last weekend...

saw crazy awesome wall art

... saw some all-around beautiful stuff

saw some outrageous propaganda (Chocolate Museum of Bruges)

... and some bizarre images...

such as this one...

and a dead rabbit.

(Purpose? To demonstrate what 20 cocoa beans was worth hundreds of years ago.

Why? Because people don't know what a dead fucking rabbit looks like.

I'm going to write these people a series of letters until this body is removed from the Musée de Chocolat in Bruges )

... and a taste of oppression.

I did, however, see a lot of beautiful things in spite of all the exploitation/oppression... more photos of which are soon to come, after i repose myself a bit.

FLORIDA VEG VEST: October 24 2009 - Orlando

VegFest! For info click here.

PVs and Veganism as a Religion?

LESSON OF THE DAY:

Everyone is a potential vegan. I mean EVERYONE.

Everyone is a possible vegan. OK, yes, I think it was somewhere in a how-to activism guide or something that in terms of efficiency, you shouldn't cater to really old people or guys who seem to really love preparing their meat. But I honestly think veganism spreads in all and any directions, even if there are venues that are more likely to latch on to vegetarianism/veganism. Alright, don't try to convert folks on their deathbeds, because that's just not nice (come on, are we that desperate?), nor is it efficient for the movement. But otherwise, have at it. (EX: Health food stores, fitness centers, nutrition centers, pet stores(eesh), pet-related things, other social justice movements, universities, children-centers, etc. are great places to start)

Veganism isn't necessarily like a religion (although it can become religion-esque for a lot of people). I think that defining Veganism as a religion is very problematic because it takes the objectivity and the ultimate reality out of the matter. (this is not a critique of traditional religion. Though I am not religious, I am not about to defame any of them). However, it is largely agreed that religion is a perspective. Although each group views their god or gods as the proper god, we have had to come to terms with the fact that we all live on the same planet and that therefore this must be something about interpretation. On the contrary, it is not as if veganism and vegetarianism is opposed by a number of strong unified groups of meat-eaters that ritualistically worship their meat. No, no, what we see with the veg/AR movement is a spectrum

Omni-->Flexitarian-->Pescetarian-->Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian-->VEGAN

To say that veganism and vegetarianism is a religion is to shut your eyes to reality. While on the one hand i am not hesitant to hide my own animality -- to show that I have urges and instincts and other things which we try to conceal from ourselves as a 'supreme' species, I think that we have no need to gnaw on other animals to sustain ourselves. Our societies and civilizations have become so developed (in the traditional sense of the word) that killing other animals is completely superfluous and frankly inefficient for society, environment, etc. Because it is unnecessary to sustain ourselves via animal products, it is cruel to use them. (I personally don't believe in using animals for any means, so...)

Point of the story: Veganism is not a religion.

(I wish i had the motivation for mindless schoolwork that i do for vegan activism.)

The politics of animal rights.

It seems that the animal rights movement is like a human body suffering from a flu.

Every organization is like an organ, theoretically and ultimately working together for the same cause but in the mean time doing all kinds of crazy shit to spite one another. In this flu-ish haze that is animal rights, organizations have a hard time working together on immediate things, and often keep each other from moving forward.

There needs to be some kind of Tylenol for the animal rights movement (non-animal-tested Tylenol, then)

- organizations have to be able to coexist. Public displays of hatred are unacceptable. Don't have to be buddy-buddy, or anything. In fact, it is much better to have several different organizations and groups because they all cater to different people and accomplish different things. But some basic manners need to be observed.

- organizations need better online social networking

- veg*n organizations need to recognize that their methods may vary from audience to audience

- everyone in the AR Movement has a different place on the grand spectrum of other social movements : if an individual refuses to normalize themselves for the cause, who are we to normalize them/force them to blend?

- Other things which will come up when I am less sleepy

en fait (in reality), what we need to realize is that no single activist is more successful than a group of activists. That said, we MUST educate ourselves adequately (and beyond) if we want an effective movement. We need people from all over -- politics studies, lit, sociology, photo, graphic design, media/journalism, etc. As much as we need people who are going to go hand-in-hand in the movement, we need people who know their shit.

And we NEED more people to study the veg*n movement as a whole. Absolutely. In the U.S. and abroad, to see how things are going, what methods and approaches are effective, and how we can recognize the optimism which the movement surely merits.

Look at civil rights and women's rights movements, for instance, and the similarities are undeniable. Seemingly radical at the time, women have the right to vote in many countries in the world... and soon that will be ANIMAL RIGHTS! Woo! I can't wait.

Things to Think About TODAY:

• How can I make the most impact on the movement RIGHT NOW?
• Do I have the right personal attitude for this (Am I sustaining myself)?
• Do I know enough about the things I believe in? (Can I learn more to help the cause?)
• Have I honed in and developed on any natural skills that I have[that can be useful for the movement]?
• Do i have an adequate vegan support network? (If not, how can I go about expanding my vegan friend network and resource network?
• Have I figured out what my own personal most effective medium of convincing people is?
• Most importantly: ... when is the last time I baked vegan cupcakes?

Translating for Animal Rights Orgs

I've discovered a new way to be helpful in the Animal Rights Movement -- translating! Since English is kind of a hegemony, it's helpful to be able to translate things back and forth. However, it is dawning on me just how hard it is to capture all the subtleties of the language, and how easy it can be to just transform a piece that was once moderate French into slightly liberal English. Which changes a lot ! Moral of the story - i have a lot of respect for people who do this professionally.

ADA Paper 2009

In case you missed this ADA document published this year, please check it out here.

"Position of the American Dietetic Association: Vegetarian Diets"

It is the position of the American Di-

etetic Association that appropriately

planned vegetarian diets, including

total vegetarian or vegan diets, are

healthful, nutritionally adequate, and

may provide health benefits in the

prevention and treatment of certain

diseases. Well-planned vegetarian di-

ets are appropriate for individuals

during all stages of the life cycle, in-

cluding pregnancy, lactation, infancy,

childhood, and adolescence, and for

athletes. A vegetarian diet is defined

as one that does not include meat (in-

cluding fowl) or seafood, or products

containing those foods

Please note that vegetarianism and veganism has been officially approved for ALL STAGES OF LIFE, including infancy, pregnancy, and lactation. Vegan babies, here we come!

Camera Broken

So, my camera broke, meaning my blog will probably once again return to a rambly mess of random tidbits about the day.

Yesterday: Tabled at the Place de la Sorbonne for World Farm Animal Day with an organization called Fourrure Torture, who I guess will be my organization while I'm in France, since I've already tabled with them twice, and they do events almost every week. Which is good for me. Also, I've already had the opportunity to speak English and German with people - some of which successfully donated money!

(TBC)

How To Table : Activism 101

THE BARE BASICS:

- Table (didn't see that coming, did you?)

* lightweight, folding-tables are the best

- Literature

* Know your stuff! If someone asks you a question about your literature, you shouldn't have to reread it. This doesn't mean that there won't be questions you don't know, but you should at least know what you're handing out...

* Have a variety of documents available and remember that your audience is varied!

* A lot of organizations make it really easy for activists to get literature, so just contact an organization pertinent to your cause and see if they can't help you out.

- Donation Can

- Paper & Pen

* to write down the names of other activists who want to get involved

- Permission

I know, I know getting permission to express yourself?? But to maintain a peaceful and effective stand, I recommend asking permission first. It is not difficult to do, all you need is at least 2 weeks before your event. Contact your local government or police office for more information. Make sure to ask what the conditions of your permit are, and what kind of equipment is prohibited.

THE REST:

• Posters preferably at least one with your group's name on it in huge letters :) Doesn't need to be perfect, but a poster is almost a must.
• Petitions
• Email List of folks who want to get involved. (See Paper & Pen above)
• Paperweights (which could be as easy as having more pens)
• Tablecloth
• TV: crappy is fine. TV's are large enough that they capture the attention of the masses quite easily, especially for veg activism. (A laptop can be substituted easily, since they are ubiquitous. However, the mere size of a TV makes it appealing. Save up for one of these bad boys if you can.
• Tent: Makes your tabling experience a lot more bearable, for you, in heat, rain, or shine. Trust me.
• Chairs: This goes along with the whole idea of making your tabling experience comfortable, but it may as well be in the necessary category if you're planning on tabling for several hours on end. Folding chairs, naturally.
• Items to Sell (proceeds can go to whatever cause you're tabling for, or for equipment for better tabling.) Ideas include: Pins, Stickers, Posters, Wristbands, Apparel with your Logo (can be made at a DIY/Printing store). I am personally a fan of the pins, because it allows your org to make $ as well as your movement to grow!
• Food! (Please consider making vegan food because (a) its harder to spoil, since there are no eggs, milk, meaty, whatever, in it (b) it's better for the environment (c) it tastes just as good, if not better. Naturally I'm speaking to people who *aren't* already vegan and/or tabling for veganism, haha.)
• Books Pertinent to Your Cause, to decorate the table & because then you just look smarter...

THINGS TO HAVE HANDY

1. tape
2. rope/cord
3. scissors
4. fat marker and/or sharpie
5. BandAids? Activists mean business ;)

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND

• Deciding where to Table: Find a central location with a lot of foot traffic.
• If you have not already formed a group, search around for individuals with the same activist interests as you, and see if you can help out. Otherwise start your own group and work on gaining interested activists!
• Do not clutter your table too much
• Smiling is good
• Tabling with 2-3 people is more effective than tabling with one person.
• Take breaks if you get tired out.
• Hand people literature. Do not wait for them to ask for it. People can be hesitant and shy... put yourself out there!
• Tabling around specific events is VERY helpful. Petitions can also be effective.
• Get ready for assholes. They are everywhere, but they make everyone else look better. Also it allows you to become a much more hardy activist.