Ways to Be an Effective Vegan Activist

In my last blogpost, I mentioned how the vegan community tends to only preach to the converted in discussing veganism. I mentioned a couple ways in how to be a real active vegan in educating people who are non-vegans.

Today, I want to talk about other very effective ways to educate non-vegans, including ways I said yesterday, in no particular order:


Schools

Be it grade schools or colleges, go to the teacher of the class and ask nicely if you can give a vegan presentation. Many places of education would allow you to come in and educate their students about a healthy life. You'll be reaching people (students) mostly under 30 years of age.


Churches

Churches, especially large ones with many programs and other things going on there throughout the week, would welcome someone coming in to talk to the congregation about veganism/healthier way of life. If you are a  member or at least regularly attend worship services at the church, you have an even better chance of being allowed to present veganism there. If you are a member and your church has an area where members do tableing for social justice causes, ask the main organizer of the tables if you can do a vegan table with pamphlets and samples of delicious vegan food. Who mostly attend church? People who are over 30.

So with educating the schools and the churches, you will be informing all the ages and generations of people.


Twitter

Follow everyone who follows you, so as you Tweet, all the non-vegans, which will be most of your followers, will see your vegan tweets. I say follow everyone because if you don't, many (non-vegans) will stop following you. If you want to have a section at Twitter to just see fellow vegan tweets easily, simply make a Twitter List of all your vegans before following everyone else. You can make many Twitter Lists for any category you want.


Tweetdeck

Tweetdeck is a marvelous way of spreading the vegan message! After you register there and get the deck, type in the word vegan in the search at the upper right corner. After you click for the search, you'll see only the tweets at that Tweeter column with the word "vegan" in it as mentioned. Go to the bottom of that search and click at Add Column. Now, when you see someone asking about the vegan life, you can tweet them back with information. Believe me, you'll see A LOT of people asking for help. Plus, you'll help many other non-vegans, as you'll have many non-vegan followers because you are following everyone who follows you, so they'll read your informative vegan tweets. This also can work in other social networks.


Outdoors

If you want to spread the vegan message in a more public way, do it openly outdoors! Most non-vegans will not go out their way to hear vegan/animal rights talk. By having vegan gatherings out in the parks, you'll be taking the message to where non-vegans normally are. Make sure it's very accessible to non-vegans and not in such a way where a person has to go through a gate to get there, as I said, non-vegans will not go out their way to hear the message, so have the entrance wide open, like in a public park.


How to Tell if You're Being an Effective Vegan Activist

In your activism, whether it be in public in person, on your podcast, on your blog, your emails, etc. if the majority of people responding to you are praising you and agreeing with pretty much everything you say immediately without questioning you,  then you are not being an effective vegan activist! You are simply just informing other vegans what they already know, and your vegan activism will be nothing but a vegan club for fellow vegans. Non-vegans (who most of your audience should be) will not quickly praise you; they will be asking a million questions, challenging you, debating you, mentioning their fears, being skeptical....at first until you give them more information to their satisfaction as it pertains to them as an individual. Then they may express gratitude and praise toward you for being so informative.

You can certainly do whatever you want in speaking the vegan message, and not take my advice, as you are not hurting me. Who you are hurting are animals in the world by spending most of your time talking to people who already are vegan/animal activists.

"And this movement is idiotic with its preaching-to-the-choir mentality."

 


Animal rights activist and vegan, Gary Yourofsky said the following in an interview last year, titled: In Conversation with Gary Yourofsky: “Educate Educate Educate!” 


"Besides my recent trip to Israel, I no longer do open-to-the-public lectures because I am faced with the problem of attracting an audience. The only people who show up for a vegan presentation are animal rights people. And this movement is idiotic with its preaching-to-the-choir mentality. Telling animal rights folks about veganism is pointless. Education IS the most effective form of activism and I will continue educating NON vegans about veganism."



Gary is absolutely right. Those are the same people who show up at Vegfests; it's great for meeting up with old vegan friends and making new ones, but for helping to educate people about veganism, it's a wasteful joke.

I really wish vegan activists would do as Gary and educate people about veganism in schools, and also in churches--to which I do, but for now just in my own local church. Start with your own school or church. To any vegan who reads my blog, THESE are the places to do tabling, handing out pamphlets, and talking to others about vegansim, not at some veg conference (what the heck is this annual Animal Rights Conference? Just a waste of time, money and resources.), vegfests or other animal rights/veg meet. Plus, I don't understand why many vegans only follow fellow vegans on their Twitter or other social network. Why do you want just fellow vegans hearing your vegan message??

There's A LOT of self-indulgence and strutting around in self-satisfaction, trying to impress other vegans in the vegan community that just wastes time and energy, but most importantly, it hurts the animals in the need of getting the vegan message out quicker to non-vegans. Veganism is NOT a social club, so vegans should stop treating it like it is. The vegan community should stop preaching to choirs of vegans at group meets and start preaching to the choir that's in the churches.

Vegans, you should not strive to be well known in the vegan community. You should strive to be well known in the non-vegan community.

Vegan Blueberry-Banana Bread

Yesterday, I made this Betty Crocker bread but "veganized" it. The bread taste fabulous! Here's what I did:

Ingredients

Olive Oil to grease pan
4 very ripe medium bananas
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegan Smart Balance, softened
2 servings Ener-G egg replacers
1/2 Silk PureAlmond Milk--Vanilla
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup frozen (or you can use fresh, as long as you do not use thawed) blueberries

Recipe

Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pan(s) will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and side of pan with olive oil. I used just one large pan, as shown, to make my bread just under 1 1/2 inches in height. Use whatever size pan you want. The Betty Crocker recipe called for 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2 inches, or 1 loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches. I prefer to make flater breads so it is cooked throughly in the middle.

Peel bananas and place in medium bowl. Mash bananas with a potato masher or fork.

In a large bowl, stir the sugar and vegan Smart Balance "butter" until well mixed. Stir in the Ener-G egg replacers until well mixed. Stir in the bananas, almond milk, and vanilla; mix until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt just until moistened. Stir in blueberries.

Divide batter evenly if using two pans, using a spatula to scrape batter from bowl. Smooth top of batter.

Bake about 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. My bread was ready in 55 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan(s) on a cooling rack.

Loosen the sides of the bread from each pan if necessary, using a spatula. I placed the cooling rack on top of the bread (with bread still in the pan), then turned the bread upside down on the rack. Then I used another cooling rack, placing on top of the bread so the bread was now in between the two racks, turning the bread again sandwiched bewteen the racks so now the bread is top-side up on one cooling rack, to cool it faster.

Cool completely, which is about 2 hours, before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.

Enjoy!

Today's Many "Past" Blogposts!

After some thought, I have decided to concentrate on one blog, making it better than ever and continuing to improve on it which means I will be discontinuing the sister blog, Vegan Wiccan.

I have taken much information, including some of my favorite older blog posts, favorite blogs and links, from Vegan Wiccan and added it to this site. Another big reason I have decided to go with one blog is because both blogs are fairly similar, so I felt there was no need to have both blogs going.

If you also have read my blogposts from Vegan Wiccan then you are still current in reading the blogs here. If not, then grab your favorite vegan beverage and/or snack, sit back and enjoy reading the many past favorite blogposts of mine from Vegan Wiccan.

Spiral Scouts

Founded in 1999 in Index, Wash., the Spiral Scouts was initially conceived as the youth group for the Aquarian Tabernacle Church (ATC). The ATC is the first Wiccan church to receive full legal status.

But when the Spiral Scouts began a national expansion in 2001, the organization avoided rigid identification with any one particular faith. Though open about its basis in pagan beliefs and practices, Spiral Scouts is described more as a program for girls and boys of minority faiths working, growing and learning together. They are a variety of spiritual people who don’t necessarily identify themselves with a certain group.

The Spiral Scouts organization has now spread to 20 states, Canada and Europe. Currently, 127 different groups have been chartered, ranging in age from preschoolers to teenagers to parents. Groups can be structured in two ways: as a “hearth,” which is composed of a single family, or as a “circle,” which has a wider membership.

Spiral Scouts is very similar to mainstream scouting organizations. Members wear uniforms, attend monthly meetings, camp and learn wilderness skills. They perform community service and earn merit badges in subjects ranging from sculpture to ecology and nutrition. The organizational structure of the group is also comparable to its better-known counterparts, with different levels of membership corresponding to a child’s age. Youngsters aged 3 to 6 are known as Fireflies and those aged 9 to 13 are termed Spiral Scouts. Pathfinders, the highest level of membership, denotes teenagers aged 14 to 18. But where the Boy and Girl Scouts recite a pledge to “do my duty to God and my country,” a Spiral Scout promises, among other things, to “respect living things” and “respect the beauty in all creations.” Also, Spiral Scout merit badges are set up in five categories--earth, air, fire, water and spirit--that correspond to the five points of the Wiccan pentacle. One major difference between the Spiral Scouts and the mainstream scouts is that membership is not gender-specific. Each circle is required to have both a male and female leader, who must first undergo extensive background checks.

The Spiral Scouts is not about not being some other group. They are their own holistic group that exists for the kids and the families.

Vegan Bloggers

I'm not only a blogger but I often comment on other blogs. When I do, my comments are always constructive and honest. Also, as many people do, when you click on to my photo, you arrive at my own blog which lets you know I am indeed not a troll.

I do not post hateful or insulting comments.

Below are the last two blogs where I posted comments but were censored so not shown on their blog:

compassionatecook.com

ieatgrass.com

Both are vegan blogs, which really doesn't surprise me as I have found in my 30+ years in the animal rights movement that most (please note: not all) vegans tend to be pompous egomaniacs which may be the reason why unless you post comments that agrees with those blog sites above, your comments won't be posted--at least mine weren't.

The first one I posted to, at Compassionate Cook, was in response to the blogger saying in her podcast she doesn't allow people to bring any animal food into her home. She went on and on about it....So she said she received an email from a person asking her if she allows people to bring their leather clothing, shoes or wallets into her home also. Interestingly, she did not answer it although she brought it up. She seemed to have felt the need not to answer the person but I thought it was a very legitimate statement.

If you are going to be a vegan, you should address the clothing issue as well--not just what people put in their mouths.

So I replied to her after listening to that podcast with the comment:

"You said you do not allow people to bring in animal food in your home. Do you also not allow people to bring in your home clothing made from animals too?"

Blogger Colleen Patrick Goudreau did not post it as I noticed other comments were posted well after I had posted mine.

Note to blogger Colleen of Compassionate Cook. Instead of refusing to reply to me, you could have responded to me (and to that letter someone sent you) either of these ways:

1. I let people in my home who wear animals because ____________________.
2. You're making me think about this. I should also not allow people to bring animal clothing in my home also, telling them in a nice way, or at least I should have a coat rack by my door and have them leave leather coat, shoes, etc. by door.

In certain places, it is customary to leave coats and shoes by the door--vegan or not.

Colleen is well known in the vegan community as a spokesperson in different ways, have written books, etc. so it's sad that she doesn't know how to reply in a mature, intelligent way to people who, in this case, simply wants clarification in her statement.

The second one I posted to, I Eat Grass, was in response to the blogger who said as his first words, "I love kale." Then he stated a lie saying, "I know every vegan says that!" I replied in a comment saying:

"I don't really like Kale. I think it's overrated and unsatisfying. Kale in chips form or potato chips, I'd rather have the potato chips."

Blogger, Morgan Dudkewitz did not post it as I noticed another comment was posted well after I had posted mine.

Note to Morgan of I Eat Grass. Instead of ignoring my comment, you could have responded to me like this, especially if you are a raw vegan food blog:

Wow, it's too bad you prefer processed, unhealthy potato chips over delicious, wholesome kale. Potato chips may taste good to you but it's definitely not nutritious. Did you know this about potato chips? (His reasons why potato chips are unhealthy).....Maybe by trying some good recipes with kale in it may turn you on to kale, as you're really missing out on something very good for you. (He could post more of his favorite kale recipes too.)

It's too bad that he decided to pooh-pooh my comment. This would have been a great opportunity to discuss healthier eating to me, a vegan who is hooked on processed vegan food. I would have listened and took his words to heart. But instead, I am not interested in going to his blog anymore because of his immature attitude.

Both blogs have lost me due to their blog unprofessionalism.

Interesting, regarding Alex Jamieson's blogpost that I replied to and made a blogpost about here: Reply to Alex Jamieson's "I’m not vegan anymore", Alex has allowed the most vicious comments to her, in reply to what she said, to her blog. I've even heard she allowed a comment where someone called her the "C" word (rhymes with runt). Mind you, her comments are moderated; I know this because that's what a sign came up when I commented on her blog, then a little later, my comment was posted (Thanks Alex).

Whatever needs to be said about Ms. Jamieson, at least she's mature and professional enough to allow comments on her blog from people who disagree with her--and there are many!

All bloggers: I know, it's your blog to do whatever you want with it and moderate as you want. I can see not posting comments made by trolls, but if you do not post comments just because someone doesn't agree with you, or post only comments that praise you means you must be an extremely pompous, arrogant and haughty person. You have self-esteem issues.... Being open to others' opinion is a wise, humble approach. And remember, just because you post it doesn't mean you have to agree with it, and by posting other views/opinions does show that you're an intelligent, mature adult.

China Study Cookbook Coming Soon!

I am looking to lose 30 pounds (or at least 20) to have the perfect weight for my height and frame (oh sweet memories!). Right now, I'm going by a Vegan Food Pyramid to help me to lose weight but I would like to have a guide where the process is discussed more--like preferably in book form.

So after searching online for a couple hours, I found out in May of this year, there will be a cookbook version of the best-selling vegan book, The China Study. I haven't read The China Study, but will take a brief look at it (surprisingly, my partner Jeffrey owns the book and he's far from being vegan). I say, I'll take a brief look at it, because it would be like "preaching to the converted" but I'm sure to find nutritional information I didn't realize. But the book, The China Study Cookbook, is what I really want! I've pre-ordered it now.