Veganism as Holistic Nonviolence — booklet now available

Hi everyone, I am pleased to share that a booklet that I wrote, Veganism as Holistic Nonviolence, is now available to read and print. In this booklet, veganism and animal rights are explained from an abolitionist and holistic perspective. The booklet provides information about vegan ethics, the history of our movement, and how to live vegan; quotes by vegan writers; and a list of recommended websites.

An online viewable version of the booklet with clickable links can be found at tinyurl.com/veganbooklet (this shorter URL is easy to share with others) or https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mnsUJMzKp3E1uFauXDYJtsVmtAyL1EsI/view (this is the link that the first one redirects to).

If you'd like to print and distribute the booklets in your local community (thank you!), you can find a printable template here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iO0-vKThIypMZ1kHpPsI0As6YqTWPo0K/view. Please be sure to flip the pages on the short edge when printing double-sided. Ideally the booklets would be stapled using a long stapler, although they do hold together fairly well even without staples.

If you have any feedback or questions about the booklets, feel free to email me at alwaysforanimalrights [at] protonmail [dot] com.

Episode 106: Discussing vegan animal rights history, ethics, and activism with vegan sociologist Roger Yates

This week, I am pleased to present my eighth interview with the sociologist and long-time animal rights advocate Roger Yates, PhD, who has been a vegan for four and a half decades. Roger’s 2005 PhD dissertation focused on the social construction of speciesism. In the 1980's, he was a Press Officer for the Animal Liberation Front. He is currently the organizing volunteer for the Vegan Information Project, a group that he co-founded in Ireland in 2013. He also has a blog, social media, and YouTube channel, where he advocates for veganism and animal rights from an abolitionist perspective.

In this discussion, Roger and I explore the history and values of the vegan, animal rights, and anti-vivisection movements. Roger explains what he means when he says that veganism is the Great Refusal, and we discuss tactical and theoretical issues and debates within modern-day animal advocacy. Roger also shares his idea about how vegans could collectively purchase land that could be used to advance the goals of the vegan social movement.

This interview was recorded during November, World Vegan Month.

Many thanks to Roger for being a guest on the show again!

During this interview, we discussed the essay, "Autobiography of a Vegan" (1964), by the early vegan advocate and conscientious objector Rubin Abramowitz. The essay can be found on Archive.org here.

 

You can listen to the episode above or on CKCU 93.1 FM's website. You can also download the MP3 file from Archive.org.

You can find Always for Animal Rights on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to advocate for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

Poster by Vegan Information Project (VIP)

Episode 104: Interview with Ronnie Lee, co-founder of the Animal Liberation Front, about consistency and vegan ethics

This week, I am pleased to present my third interview with the long-time animal liberation activist Ronnie Lee. Ronnie has been a vegan for more than five decades and is best known for co-founding the Animal Liberation Front in the 1970’s. Currently he works to educate the public about the importance of becoming vegan. He also encourages vegans to become more involved in vegan education initiatives, in order to work towards the abolition of the exploitation and oppression of our fellow animals.

In this interview, Ronnie describes what it was like trying to obtain vegan-friendly food in the 1970’s. Then we discuss why war, environmental destruction, and human rights violations are not in alignment with the vegan ethic; why it’s important to challenge speciesism and human supremacism, rather than focusing primarily on cruelty; and how we can more effectively interact with the mainstream media. Ronnie also speaks about the role of anti-vivisection campaigning within the animal rights movement over the years, and he shares his views on celebrity culture within the vegan community.

After listening to this episode, you may be interested in tuning in to the two latest episodes of Still Alive!, the online talk show that Ronnie co-hosts with Roger Yates: The Media and the Message and Vegans and War.

You can listen to the episode above or on CKCU 93.1 FM's website. You can also download the MP3 file from Archive.org.

You can find Always for Animal Rights on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to advocate for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

Episode 102: Interview with Wendy McGovern about vegan ethics and language, anti-consumerism, ecofeminism, and anti-vivisection

This week, I am pleased to present my second interview with the long-time animal rights advocate Wendy McGovern. Wendy has been a vegan since about 1997. She has been involved in a variety of vegan and animal advocacy initiatives over the years, including hosting the London Animal Rights March in 2021. She is the host of the Thrive Vegan World podcast and a co-panelist on the Animal Rights Show on YouTube.

In this interview, Wendy and I discuss the importance of viewing veganism as a holistic paradigm shift rather than only a diet, and we explore the issue of consumerism in relation to vegan ethics. Then Wendy speaks about how we can challenge speciesism through our language use, and how ecofeminist perspectives can help us to think critically and holistically about intersecting oppressions. We also discuss why the animal advocacy movement has shifted away from its previous focus on anti-vivisection activism. Finally, Wendy shares her thoughts on advocating for veganism and animal rights in our everyday lives.

Links:

Thrive Vegan World podcast: https://thriveveganworld.libsyn.com/

The Animal Rights Show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwKCH_ItjqELgL3NE35hj70YazgZBHfZB

 "Mexico's female matadors return to the world's largest bullring", Archived from NPR.org: https://web.archive.org/web/20240324134816/https://www.npr.org/2024/03/09/1236728490/mexico-bullfighting-women-bullfighters 

Wendy McGovern in discussion with Roger Yates and Ronnie Lee about why the movement's focus shifted away from anti-vivisection activism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTniWsitwSo

Unlearning Speciesist Language Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/553752208470902

Roger Yates and Ronnie Lee's Still Alive! show discussing vegan activism ideas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z__CQhXkoUM

You can listen to the episode above or on CKCU 93.1 FM's website. You can also download the MP3 file from Archive.org.

You can find Always for Animal Rights on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to advocate for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

Episode 101: Interview with Roger Yates about the Vegan Information Project, veganism as holistic social justice, and the importance of grassroots activism

Poster from the Vegan Information Project

This week, I am pleased to present my seventh interview with the vegan sociologist and animal rights advocate Roger Yates, who has been a vegan since 1979.

Roger’s 2005 PhD dissertation focused on the social construction of speciesism. In the 1980's, he was a Press Officer for the Animal Liberation Front, and in 2013 he co-founded the Vegan Information Project (also known as VIP) in Ireland. He has a blog, social media accounts, and a YouTube channel, where he advocates for veganism and animal rights from an abolitionist perspective.

In this interview, Roger outlines the history and philosophy of the Vegan Information Project, and he emphasizes the importance of understanding and challenging cultural speciesism as vegan advocates. He also speaks about the ethical and practical issues surrounding money in the animal advocacy movement, and why vegan advocates are sometimes accused of "forcing" our views on non-vegans. We discuss the importance of viewing veganism as a movement for holistic social justice, and we share our views about some of the things we'd like to see the vegan movement do differently in 2024 and beyond.

You can listen to the episode above or on CKCU 93.1 FM's website. You can also download the MP3 file from Archive.org.

You can find Always for Animal Rights on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to advocate for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

Posters from the Vegan Information Project

Episode 99: Interview with Lee Hall about vegan ethics, the history of the American vegan movement, self-rewilding, and being vegan in a non-vegan world

This week, I am pleased to present my second interview with the author and public speaker Lee Hall, who has been a vegan advocate since 1983. Lee is the author of On Their Own Terms: Animal Liberation for the 21st Century, the creator of the blog Vegan Place, and a writer for CounterPunch. Lee previously taught immigration and animal law at Rutgers University in New Jersey and now holds a Master of Laws in environmental law with a focus on climate change.

In this interview, Lee speaks about the history of the vegan movement in England and the United States. In particular, Lee highlights the significance of the annual Vegan Summerfest to the American vegan movement, as well as the abandonment of integrity by corporate animal advocacy groups such as PETA. We discuss the importance of viewing veganism as an ethic rather than just a diet, why Lee has decided to stop driving a car this year, and what it means to re-wild ourselves. Then Lee outlines how vegan menus are inclusive for everyone, gives advice for vegans who struggle during non-vegan holiday celebrations, and discusses how we can find hope even during difficult times.

This was an excellent discussion!

At the end of the episode, we'll hear the new version of the song "Vegan World" by Katie Veg.

You can listen to the episode above or download the MP3 file from Archive.org. This episode will be broadcast on CKCU 93.1 FM in two parts over the coming weeks, starting on Wednesday 25 October at 4:30 pm Eastern. The entire episode is also now available on CKCU's website.

Additional links:

• Lee Hall's article, "Self-Rewilding: Becoming a Committed Pedestrian"
• "Those Cute Lambs? Here's Who They Are, Without Us" by Lee Hall
  
• "Veganism Defined", written by Leslie Cross in 1951
• "Chapter 3: The Singer Model · Is It Really Animal Liberation?" (audio) by Lee Hall (also includes an image of Peter Singer's 2005 letter to Whole Foods)
• "Chapter 11: From Food to Friends? Troubles With Cuteness and Meme-Sharing" (audio) by Lee Hall

***

You can find Always for Animal Rights on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to advocate for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

Episode 98: Let's bring about a peaceful vegan revolution (featuring Sherry Colb, Roger Yates, and Bob Linden)

Drawing by the vegan artist, Maria Tiqwah.

It's important to remember that veganism is not a diet. Rather, veganism is a philosophy, way of living, and social justice movement based on non-violence, non-exploitation, respect, and empathy. Living vegan and respecting animal rights means that we refuse to participate in animal use and that we oppose violations of the rights of any sentient being, nonhuman or human.

On today's show, we will be listening to a short speech that was recently presented online by the vegan sociologist Roger Yates. Roger has been a vegan animal rights activist for more than four decades and is the lead organizer of the Vegan Information Project in Ireland. In this talk, Roger speaks about the values of the vegan social movement, past and present.

We'll also hear an excerpt from an interview with the legal scholar and vegan advocate Sherry Colb. In the interview, which was originally aired in 2014 on Go Vegan Radio with Bob Linden, Sherry spoke about her then-new book, titled, Mind if I Order the Cheeseburger? And Other Questions People Ask Vegans. Last year, I had asked Sherry if she would like to be a guest on my show, and I was pleased when she agreed. Tragically, however, Sherry passed away shortly thereafter. Since we were unable to conduct the interview, I've decided to share Bob Linden's interview with Sherry from 2014 in the hope that it will inspire listeners to read and think about her work.

At the end of the show, we'll hear the song "Revolucion Vegana" by the vegan musician, Chucho Merchan.

“Veganism is about nonviolence: nonviolence to other sentient beings; nonviolence to yourself; nonviolence to the earth.”
Gary Francione, animal rights philosopher

How to listen to this episode

There are two ways you can listen to this episode.

1. Listen to the episode on CKCU FM's website at https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/553/61990.html.
   
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-september-13-2023.
   

You can also find Always for Animal Rights on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you'd like to receive an e-mail every time there is a new post on the AFAR blog, feel free to enter your e-mail address into the appropriate box in the right-hand sidebar of this site.

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to stand up and speak up for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

Episode 97: Interview with animal rights author Joan Dunayer about speciesism and language

This week, I am pleased to present my interview with the writer and animal rights advocate Joan Dunayer, who has been a vegan since 1989. Joan is the author of two books: Animal Equality: Language and Liberation, published in 2001, and Speciesism, published in 2004. Additionally, a number of her essays about speciesism and language have appeared in anthologies and other publications, including the books Critical Animal and Media Studies (edited by Núria Almiron, Matthew Cole, Carrie P. Freeman) and Animals and Women: Feminist Theoretical Explorations (edited by Carol J. Adams and Josephine Donovan), among others.

In this interview, Joan tells me about what led her to become a vegan and write her first book. She describes what speciesism is, how it manifests in everyday language use, how we can challenge speciesism through language, and how speciesism and sexism are connected through derogatory language. She also speaks about the moral status of insects; speciesist attitudes within the animal advocacy movement; and the legal rights that she advocates nonhuman animals ought to have.

How to listen to this episode

There are two ways you can listen to this episode.

1. Listen to the episode on CKCU FM's website at https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/553/61427.html.
   
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-july-26-2023.
   

You can also find Always for Animal Rights on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you'd like to receive an e-mail every time there is a new post on the AFAR blog, feel free to enter your e-mail address into the appropriate box in the right-hand sidebar of this site.

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to stand up and speak up for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

Bonus episode: Vegan sociologist David Nibert's 2016 speech, "From Genghis Khan to Wall Street: Oppression of Other Animals, War, and Capitalism"

Recently on the FM airwaves, we listened to a talk by the long-time activist, sociologist, university professor, and author David Nibert. David presented this talk, which is titled, “From Genghis Khan to Wall Street: Oppression of Other Animals, War, and Capitalism”, at the World Vegan Summit & Expo in 2016. The topics that he spoke about in this speech are covered in greater detail in his third book, Animal Oppression and Human Violence: Domesecration, Capitalism, and Global Conflict.

At the end of the episode is the song "What if..." by the abolitionist vegan advocate Gülce Özen Gürkan.

How to listen to this episode

There are two ways you can listen to this episode.

1. Listen to the episode on CKCU FM's website at https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/553/61315.html.
   
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-july-18-2023.
   

You can also find Always for Animal Rights on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you'd like to receive an e-mail every time there is a new post on the AFAR blog, feel free to enter your e-mail address into the appropriate box in the right-hand sidebar of this site.

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to stand up and speak up for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

Episode 95: Interview with Roger Yates about the need to reclaim the radical vision of veganism and end cultural speciesism

This week, I am pleased to present my sixth interview with the vegan sociologist Roger Yates, PhD, who has been a vegan for more than four decades. Roger’s 2005 PhD dissertation focused on the social construction of speciesism. In the 1980's, he was a Press Officer for the Animal Liberation Front, and he is currently the organizing volunteer for the Vegan Information Project, a group which he co-founded in Ireland in 2013. He also has a blog, social media, and YouTube channel, where he advocates for veganism and animal rights from an abolitionist perspective. I previously interviewed Roger for Episode 19, Episode 21, Episode 29, Episode 50, Episode 79, and Episode 88 of my show.

In this interview, Roger and I discuss how we can use anti-speciesist language in our advocacy and everyday lives. Roger also speaks about the challenges confronting the modern-day vegan movement, including welfarism, reducetarianism, the cooptation of the movement by right-wing activists, and the de-radicalization of advocacy groups, and he provides a sociological perspective on why some people become “ex-vegans”. He speaks about the revolutionary potential of the vegan ethic, the incompatibility of capitalism and veganism, and the insights we might glean from the McLibel trial of the 1990’s. Finally, Roger gives his advice for people who are interested in getting involved in vegan animal rights activism, emphasizing the need to challenge cultural speciesism as we work towards a vegan world.

Thanks very much to Roger for being a guest on the show again!

Here are some additional links, based on what we discussed in this episode:

• Roger's Vegan Time Tunnel series
• Steve Best's "Total Liberation" speech
  
• Article by Joan Dunayer about anti-speciesist language
  
• Unlearning Speciesist Language Facebook Group
• Roger Yates's and Ronnie Lee's top ten activism ideas (video)
• David Nibert's books (Animal Rights/Human Rights, Animal Oppression and Human Violence, and Animal Oppression and Capitalism)
• The Vegan Society's blog post about the "vegan coronation quiche", which we critiqued in this episode

How to listen to this episode

There are two ways you can listen to this episode.

1. Listen to the episode on CKCU FM's website at https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/553/60723.html.
   
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-may-28-2023.
   

You can also find Always for Animal Rights on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you'd like to receive an e-mail every time there is a new post on the AFAR blog, feel free to enter your e-mail address into the appropriate box in the right-hand sidebar of this site.

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to stand up and speak up for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

Episode 92: Interview with Richard White about vegan anarchist geographies, veganism as prefigurative praxis, and Critical Animal Studies

This week, I am pleased to present my interview with the vegan anarchist geographer Richard White, PhD, Reader in Human Geography at Sheffield Hallam University in the UK. Richard has co-edited several books, including Vegan Geographies: Spaces Beyond Violence, Ethics Beyond Speciesism (published in 2022) and Anarchism and Animal Liberation: Essays on Complementary Elements of Total Liberation (published in 2015). He was the editor of the Journal for Critical Animal Studies from 2009 to 2012, and he has written many book chapters and academic journal articles on topics related to geography, anarchism, and veganism. Richard is also a veganic gardener and has been a vegan for about two decades.

In this interview, Richard shares his story of becoming vegan and getting involved in Critical Animal Studies, and he speaks about the significance of understanding the connections between spatial and social justice. We discuss the concept of prefigurative praxis as it applies to veganism, anti-capitalist and anarchist approaches to veganism, and the limitations of approaching veganism as a diet or consumer lifestyle. Richard also tells me about his experiences with veganic gardening and teaching about veganism and animal rights issues.

Thanks to Richard for being a guest on the show!

How to listen to this episode

There are two ways you can listen to this episode.

1. Listen to the episode on CKCU FM's website at https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/553/59815.html.
   
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-march-15-2023.
   

You can also find Always for Animal Rights on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you'd like to receive an e-mail every time there is a new post on the AFAR blog, feel free to enter your e-mail address into the appropriate box in the right-hand sidebar of this site.

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to stand up and speak up for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

Episode 88: Interview with sociologist Roger Yates about vegan values and history, problematic advocacy campaigns, and the joy of animal liberation

This week, I am pleased to present my fifth interview with the sociologist and animal rights advocate Roger Yates, who has been a vegan since 1979. I previously interviewed Roger for Episode 19, Episode 21, Episode 29, Episode 50, and Episode 79 of my show.

In this interview, Roger speaks about the values held by the founders of the vegan social movement. Additionally, he describes how people obtained information about veganism and animal rights prior to the widespread use of the Internet, how the language that vegan advocates use has changed over the years, and what he imagines a vegan world would be like. We also discuss our views on the Million Dollar Vegan campaign and Veganuary, and Roger tells the story of the time when he witnessed rescued rabbits touching the grass for the first time in their lives.

This was a great discussion!

How to listen to this episode

There are two ways you can listen to this episode.

1. Listen to the episode on CKCU FM's website at https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/553/59042.html.
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-january-11-2023.
   

You can also find Always for Animal Rights on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you'd like to receive an e-mail every time there is a new post on the AFAR blog, feel free to enter your e-mail address into the appropriate box in the right-hand sidebar of this site.

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to stand up and speak up for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

Gary Francione's Abolitionist Approach Commentary podcast #9, discussing what's wrong with using sexist tactics to promote animal rights

Here is an excellent podcast episode by Professor Gary Francione of the Abolitionist Approach to Animal Rights. Gary Francione recorded this podcast episode in 2009, but it is still entirely relevant today.

"Commentary #9: Using Sexism to Promote Animal Rights": https://www.abolitionistapproach.com/commentary-using-sexism-to-promote-animal-rights/

Painting by the vegan artist, Lynda Bell.

Episode 86: Interview with John Sanbonmatsu about his forthcoming book, the connections between speciesism and other forms of oppression, and the myth of "humane" and "sustainable" animal agriculture

This week, I am pleased to present my third interview with John Sanbonmatsu, Associate Professor of philosophy at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. John is the editor of the book Critical Theory and Animal Liberation and the author of The Postmodern Prince: Critical Theory, Left Strategy, And The Making Of A New Political Subject. His forthcoming book will be titled The Omnivore’s Deception: What We Get Wrong About Meat, Animals, and the Nature of Moral Life. He is the founder and main designer of CleanMeat-Hoax.com.

In this interview, John tells me about what inspired him to write his new book. We discuss a number of the themes he explores in the book, including the myth of “humane” animal exploitation and slaughter, the impact that the locavore movement has had on the “meat” economy, the relationship between capitalism and speciesism, why violence against other animals has been falsely viewed as a form of women’s empowerment, how the oppression of humans is connected to the oppression of other animals, and what we can do to work towards a just and peaceful world.

John's work on these topics is insightful, well-informed, and thought-provoking. You won't want to miss out on this discussion!

At the end of the episode, we'll hear the song "Hold On" from Vegan Queen V's music album Freedom Warrior.

How to listen to this episode

There are two ways you can listen to this episode.

1. Listen to the episode on CKCU FM's website at https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/553/58311.html.
   
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-november-10-2022.
   

You can also find Always for Animal Rights on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you'd like to receive an e-mail every time there is a new post on the AFAR blog, feel free to enter your e-mail address into the appropriate box in the right-hand sidebar of this site.

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to stand up and speak up for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

Episode 85: Interview with Wendy McGovern about respecting other animals' rights and creating a vegan world

This week, I am pleased to present my interview with the animal rights activist Wendy McGovern. Wendy has been a vegan since about 1997. She has been involved in a variety of vegan and animal advocacy initiatives over the years, including hosting the London Animal Rights March in 2021. She is the host of the Thrive Vegan World podcast and a co-panelist on the Animal Rights Show on YouTube.

In this interview, Wendy shares her story of becoming vegan, and she tells me about her motivation and experiences as a vegan podcast host. We also discuss the “Why Love One But Eat The Other?” argument for going vegan; why vivisection (like all other forms of animal exploitation) is fundamentally unethical; how the animal rights movement has changed over the years; and how we can work towards a vegan world. Wendy also shares her reading recommendations and describes the best thing about being vegan.

The song, "Vegan World", by the vegan musician Katie Veg, can be heard after the interview.

How to listen to this episode

There are two ways you can listen to this episode.

1. Listen to the episode on CKCU FM's website at https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/553/57777.html.
   
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-september-28-2022.
   

You can also find Always for Animal Rights on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you'd like to receive an e-mail every time there is a new post on the AFAR blog, feel free to enter your e-mail address into the appropriate box in the right-hand sidebar of this site.

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to stand up and speak up for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

Episode 84: Interview with Bob Linden about why veganism needs to be the moral baseline of the animal rights movement

Image by Vegan Sidekick

This week, I am pleased to present my second interview with Bob Linden, the host of Go Vegan Radio. Bob became a vegan in 1984. Since he started Go Vegan Radio in 2001, the show has been broadcast on a variety of radio networks and stations in the United States. Bob is also an event organizer who has put together a number of highly successful vegan festivals and summits. I previously interviewed Bob on Episode 73 of my show.

In this interview, Bob speaks about his experiences as a long-time vegan activist. We discuss how animal exploitation is the foundational injustice in our society; why we, as vegans, should focus our efforts on vegan advocacy instead of welfare reforms or other single-issue campaigns; and why veganism should be the moral baseline of the animal rights movement. Bob also highlights the best thing about being vegan.

At the end of the show, we'll listen to the piano song, "Benediction of Light", by the vegan author and musician Will Tuttle.

How to listen to this episode

There are two ways you can listen to this episode.

1. Listen to the episode on CKCU FM's website at https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/553/57711.html.
   
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-september-21-2022.
   

You can also find Always for Animal Rights on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you'd like to receive an e-mail every time there is a new post on the AFAR blog, feel free to enter your e-mail address into the appropriate box in the right-hand sidebar of this site.

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to stand up and speak up for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

Episode 82: Discussing the necessity and power of veganism with Marlene Narrow

Painting by the vegan artist Lynda Bell

This week, I am pleased to present my second interview with Marlene Narrow. Marlene is the host of a radio show called Vegan Nation, which is broadcast weekly on WCUW 91.3 FM in Worcester, Massachusetts. She is a long-time vegan activist and a World Peace Diet Facilitator.

In this interview, Marlene outlines her approach to vegan philosophy, and we discuss why it’s important for vegans to be opposed to all forms of animal exploitation, including vivisection and pet ownership. We explore what’s wrong with promoting lab-grown “meat”, and Marlene explains why veganism and animal liberation are necessary in order to achieve freedom and peace for human beings as well as nonhuman beings. Finally, Marlene debunks some common anti-vegan arguments, and she describes the best thing about being vegan.

By the way, during the interview I said that promoting lab meat is a waste of vegan advocates' time. This is true, but I actually think that promoting lab meat is worse than a waste of time, as lab meat involves animal exploitation and perpetuates speciesist attitudes in society.

It was an interesting discussion!

How to listen to this episode

There are two ways you can listen to this episode.

1. Listen to the episode on CKCU FM's website at https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/553/57344.html.
   
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-august-17-2022.
   

You can also find Always for Animal Rights on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you'd like to receive an e-mail every time there is a new post on the AFAR blog, feel free to enter your e-mail address into the appropriate box in the right-hand sidebar of this site.

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to stand up and speak up for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

Episode 81: Interview with Camila Perussello about veganism, her new book, and the real reason why "animal welfare" regulations exist

This week, I am pleased to present my interview with the food engineer and researcher Dr. Camila Perussello. Camila is the author of Food For Thought: Planetary Healing Begins on Our Plate, which was published by Lantern Publishing & Media earlier this year. In 2020, she left her job as a food scientist at an Irish university in order to focus her efforts on independent research and vegan activism.

In this interview, Camila tells her story of becoming vegan and outlines what we can expect to find in her book. She explains how “animal welfare” measures are designed to maximize financial gain for animal-exploiting industries. (Veganism, of course, is about animal rights and animal liberation rather than animal welfare.) Camila also describes how being vegan makes a positive difference for nonhuman animals and the environment, and she speaks about how we can work towards the abolition of animal exploitation.

At the end of the show, we'll listen to the song "Barbecue Protest", by the all-vegan punk band Scarlet Rescue.

How to listen to this episode

There are two ways you can listen to this episode.

1. Listen to the episode on CKCU FM's website at https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/553/57024.html.
   
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-july-19-2022.
   

You can also find Always for Animal Rights on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you'd like to receive an e-mail every time there is a new post on the AFAR blog, feel free to enter your e-mail address into the appropriate box in the right-hand sidebar of this site.

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to stand up and speak up for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

Artwork by the vegan artist, Jo Frederiks.

Episode 79: Interview with the vegan sociologist Roger Yates about vegan advocacy, the impact of banning fur farms, and the future of the vegan movement

Vegan Information Project in Dublin, Ireland

This week, I am pleased to present my fourth interview with the sociologist and long-time vegan activist Dr. Roger Yates. I previously interviewed Roger on Episodes 19 and 21, Episode 29, and Episode 50 of my show.

In this interview, Roger tells me about the approach that he takes to vegan advocacy, focusing on animal rights instead of animal welfare. He speaks about the implications of the recent fur farm ban in Ireland, gives his review of Earthling Ed’s new book about veganism (This is Vegan Propaganda (And Other Lies the Meat Industry Tells You)), and tells me about his experiences advocating for veganism on TikTok and on the Irish television program Eating with the Enemy. Finally, we discuss where the vegan movement is headed and how it might evolve in the future.

It was a very interesting discussion!

How to listen to this episode

There are two ways you can listen to this episode.

1. Listen to the episode on CKCU FM's website at https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/553/56869.html.
   
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-july-6-2022.
   

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Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to stand up and speak up for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!