Fish have feelings too

A great article on Peter Singer arguing for equal consideration of interests for fish and questioning the ethic of fishing.   As usual the comments provide perfect illustrations of speciesism where the mere idea of considering their interests is considered ridiculous, worthy of ridicule.  link

Indigenous peoples and animal rights

It is often said that animal rights or veganism is an elitist white ethic that does not apply, is not suitable or not shared by (all) other cultures. I have largely believed this to be false since most Hindus and Sikhs practice vegetarianism.  Further, Ethopians eat a mostly vegetarian diet for religious reasons, some Buddhists are vegetarian and I'm sure we would find other cultures who might vegetarian or view animals favourably if we cared to look.  Further, individuals of all cultures can and do develop an affection and belief that animals are not here for us to exploit, abuse and kill. We are not static in our identities and cultures.

For this reason, I loved this interview with Margaret Robinson, from the Mi'kmaq tribe in Canada who explains her perspective on veganism and its relationship to her traditional culture. Link

Modern day hero

This Australian man with a troubling past perfectly summarises the sentiments of the animal rights movement in a compelling manner.

For activists

I just watched this series of videos from Tribe of Heart co-founder James LaVeck. I found it very helpful and interesting. I thought you might find it helpful too.

 Part 1: The journey of awakening conscience (7.5 min)

 Part 2: Dealing with toxic ideas and toxic organizations (14.5 min)

 Part 3: From passive nonviolence to spiritual transcendence (7.5 min)

 Part 4: Aligning our lives with our values(15.5 min)