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En outre disponible en français: Quelques
conseils pour promouvoir le végétarisme et le véganisme
See also A
Meaningful Life | Starting
a College Group (external link)
Playing to Strength
Living one’s life as a vegan is a clear first
step for many, but then what? There are countless
ways in which motivated individuals can use their
gifts to reduce animal suffering each day. The possibilities
are limited only by our creativity.
There is no one-size-fits-all method of activism.
What are your strengths/weaknesses? What do you enjoy
doing? How can you live a happy, purposeful life and
help the animals to the greatest degree possible?
The answers, of course, are different for each of
us, and sometimes our answers change over time.
While creative thinking and playing to one’s
strengths can open up new avenues for promoting veganism,
rigid adherence to doctrine can obstruct advocacy.
Isn’t one’s time better spent distributing
vegan literature than tracing the origins of obscure
ingredients? In order to be effective advocates, the
decisions we make–both on a daily basis and long-term–must
offer a net benefit to the animals.
Vegans can remain true to their ideals regardless
of whether or not they engage in traditional methods
of activism. Although striving to acquire great wealth
is seen by many as the antithesis of activism, those
who earn large amounts of money through business can
have an enormous impact on animal liberation when
they contribute funds to organizations/activities
aimed at reducing animal suffering.
Diverse and committed people have lent their talents
to all aspects of Vegan Outreach. However, if not
for those who pursue other fields and financially
support the printing of Why
Vegan, Compassionate
Choices, and Even
If You Like Meat, we would be unable to reach
anyone with our information. It is because of our
members’ hard work in fields not directly related
to animal rights that we have the funds needed to
print and distribute literature around the world.
Constructive Outreach
In order to spread vegetarianism and veganism effectively,
our focus should be on educating people with credible,
persuasive, and focused literature; providing well-documented
and thorough answers for specific questions; supplying
educational materials to schools; working to get vegan
options in various settings; working with food manufacturers,
grocery stores, and restaurants for more options;
and supplying people with lists of local restaurants
and shopping opportunities where vegan options exist.
Our experience has shown that the most effective
way to accomplish the above is through understanding
and constructive outreach. Positive outreach takes
patience and can be frustrating, but it is worth the
effort. We don’t have to force people to notice
us; simply being confident, articulate vegans in public
is enough.
Some specific activities that can lead to people
learning about veganism are:
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Putting a reference (URLs or quotes)
in your email address or email signature.
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Wearing clothes
that say "vegan" or "vegetarian." This creates
opportunities to give literature to people who
ask.
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Writing articles for/letters to publications,
including newsletters of local groups (e.g., your
local chapter of the Audubon Society, the Nature
Conservancy, Food not Bombs, etc.). Tell a story
tailored to the audience that gives the readers
a way of identifying with you.
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Displaying information in public areas,
such as hanging copies of Why
Vegan, Compassionate
Choices, and Even
If You Like Meat on your office door.
Many have reported great success in displaying
them at health food stores, restaurants, libraries,
etc. Also, posters and
display prints can be downloaded–perfect
for campus bulletin boards.
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Providing people with good vegan food.
Although this sounds obvious, it is far from easy.
Our general advice now is to serve easily prepared,
relatively simple foods (e.g., pasta, potatoes,
beans, casseroles) with different sauces, perhaps
with a new food as an appetizer (e.g., hummus).
If serving vegetarian meats, we suggest providing
standard condiments (mustard, pickles, etc.).
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Joining/starting a local veg*an society.
Many people will be significantly helped by some
support structure–shopping references, dining
guides, potlucks, etc. Your group can write guest
columns, seek out speaking engagements in schools
and clubs, give cooking classes, work with local
schools and restaurants to increase vegan options,
show documentaries, etc.
There is really no limit to this.
Suggestions for Tabling
The initial impression is crucial in establishing
a dialogue. Displays, needed to attract visitors,
should clearly and simply convey the area of concern
(e.g., big pictures, very little text). Large-screen
TVs are always magnets for attracting people, to whom
you can then offer literature. Consider your audience
and location when you choose which pictures to display
or videos to show. Graphic images of animal torture
upset children, while teenagers and younger adults
are most likely to be moved by these photographs.
Be clean, well-groomed, and conservatively dressed.
Counter-culture attire, except where this is the norm,
sends the message that your world radically differs
from that of your audience. This creates a barrier
between you and prospective visitors who may react
with a feeling of distrust, even hostility. Remember,
you are there as a spokesperson for the animals, and
should not let anything come between your audience
and the animals' plight.
Your credibility will increase if you actively listen:
repeat a visitor’s main points using different
words, showing that you understand. Then, ask thought-provoking
but courteous questions. Seek common ground with your
visitors by emphasizing shared goals or concerns.
Acknowledge your table visitors’ valid points
or observations. Don’t turn the encounter into
a debate or personal attack; keep it a mutual exploration
of the issues.
If the main barrier seems to be the visitors’
desire to continue habits that they find pleasant–such
as sport fishing or wearing fur–mention any of
your own relevant changes in lifestyle. In response
to a declaration such as "I could never give up meat,"
you might relate something of your own eating habits:
e.g., "I used to feel the same way, and at first I
just cut back on meat. Now that I’m vegetarian,
I’ve found that I really don’t miss meat.
In fact, I feel good about my diet, being more at
peace with the world around me." Such an honest admission
of your own feelings can build rapport. When people
say something a little obnoxious, smile and wish them
a good day. If they say something really mean, you
might say, "That was a mean thing to say." If said
as an observation, without a tone of bitterness, it
will possibly get them thinking.
Suggestions for Leafletting
The great thing about leafletting is the lack of
preparation time required. At the right time and place,
just one person can hand out hundreds of brochures
in less than an hour. You will inevitably interest
many new people in making their way toward veganism,
sowing seeds of change where they do not currently
exist.
Students tend to be more interested in veganism than
the rest of society, making college campuses good
places to leaflet; weekdays before 3 p.m. are the
busiest times. At large universities, there is normally
a steady flow of pedestrian traffic somewhere on campus
at all times throughout the day. Smaller colleges
and universities usually have a steady flow of traffic
between classes.
You can find a spot where many pedestrians are passing,
or you can walk around offering the brochure to people
you come across. Many of us now prefer walking around
and offering the pamphlet for a number of reasons.
Some schools have an open policy on allowing leafletting
by outsiders, while others do not. Public universities
are supposed to allow it according to federal court
decisions, but they don't always follow these rules.
However, students are rarely questioned about leafleting.
They commonly go around campus handing out flyers
about upcoming parties to everyone they see. This
has made students accustomed to being approached by
leafleters and so they think nothing of it. If you
dress casually, carry a backpack of pamphlets, and
simply walk around approaching students, you will
appear to fit in. Even if you are older, people will
normally assume you are a graduate student if you
dress like one. We have found that we are rarely questioned
by anyone when we just walk around handing out pamphlets,
versus standing in one place waiting for people to
come to us. And you hand out a lot more, too!
We have often leafleted inside academic buildings
and student unions when the weather is bad!
Even if someone eventually tells you that you are
not permitted to hand out literature on campus, it
will likely be after you've given out a great number
of brochures.
People who take part in walkathons in order to raise
money for causes tend to be willing to accept literature.
(We target these people because we think they are
likely to take a brochure, read it, and thoughtfully
consider moving towards veganism, not because Why
Vegan has anything to do with the cause for which
they are walking.) Animal-related events, such as
humane society benefits or animal rights presentations,
are also a good place to reach interested and committed
individuals who may not have considered the implications
of their own diet, or the idea of promoting veganism.
While leafletting, keep in mind:
-
We have found that "Would you like a pamphlet
about vegetarianism?" or "Have you seen one of
these yet?" are effective ways of offering literature
to people (and minimize the number thrown away).
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Many activists are nervous about leafletting.
In our experience, nervousness often fades once
you’ve offered the brochure to a few people.
-
Besides Why Vegan,
Compassionate
Choices, and Even
If You Like Meat, Vegan Outreach can supply
you with copies of our Guide to Cruelty-Free
Eating for people with questions.
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One person can make an enormous difference. Many
people will pass the information on to others,
causing a chain reaction.
See also the AAC
pages for more info.
Personal Interaction
Few people have any interest in engaging a religious
zealot bent on converting them. Similarly, when animal
rights advocates give the impression that they are
trying to convert people, people resist the message.
One activist reports what has worked for him:
I started at a new university almost a
year ago. I wore my sweatshirt and t-shirts that say
Vegan Outreach on them at least every third day. For
months, only a few people said anything to me. Some
of them joke with me about eating meat. I don’t
act offended, and try to continue the conversation.
Slowly, over time, more and more people ask questions.
I try not to be pushy, but offer them a pamphlet when
the circumstances are right.
Our conversations used to go somewhat like this:
Potential Vegan (PV): Oh, so you’re
a vegan. I know someone else who is vegan. You know,
I really think it’s terrible how they treat the
animals, but I could never do it. Animal products
are in everything, aren’t they?
Vegan: They are in a lot of things. But
you figure out what you can and can’t eat and
then it becomes easier.
PV: It just takes too much discipline for
me.
Vegan: I could give you a list of the names
of all the different possible animal ingredients.
There’s less than 10,000 of them! And I can give
you a list of 500 companies and whether they test
on animals or not. It’s not so bad. Hey, where
are you going?
Now our answer goes:
Vegan: To me, veganism is not about personal
purity, but a way to stop suffering. You don’t
have to avoid every animal product, just the obvious
ones for which an animal was bred, raised, and eventually
killed. Some vegans avoid all they can as a symbolic
gesture, but minuscule amounts of animal products
or by-products will fade away as the meat, dairy,
and egg industries fade.
Sometimes a potential vegan will say, "I could just
never give up ice cream (or cheese, etc.)." Some vegans
now reply, "Then give up everything but ice cream."
These types of reactions will often surprise the potential
vegan and make them realize that veganism is not about
making yourself pure, but about doing what you can
to stop suffering. Veganism is not the bottom line
-- the animals are.
People often try to sidestep the issue by talking
about everything from Eskimos eating fish to being
stranded on a desert island. To be effective, we have
to bring conversations back to the fact that eating
animal products causes suffering, and each of us can
work to avoid creating this suffering.
We should not simply try to feel that we have won
an argument with a meat eater. Rather, we need people
to consider the issues in depth and want to change.
If we are to reach people’s hearts and minds,
and help them utilize the power of their choices,
we must make people aware that we are sincere individuals
who have made informed decisions. We must show everyone
that we have decided to use our choices to make a
positive statement about how the world should–and
can–be. Only then will others be inclined to
join us in creating a new world.
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