Many of us have heard of the term “trickle-down economics”, but Hana Low wants to introduce us to “trickle-up social justice”. Coined by Dean Spade, this term is the jumping off point of a talk Hana gives about the connections between fighting oppression for LGBTQ communities and non-human animals. Hana alludes to a few common … Continue reading
Veganism is often marketed by proponents of the mainstream animal activism movement, as a sure-fire way to shed some pounds. This approach has led to a lot of fatphobic campaigns that have been created by animal rights groups, which have led to the shaming of fat-identified folx and in particular fat identified vegans. In … Continue reading
The Peoples’ Social Forum is a huge gathering of activists happening in Ottawa in August. Co-organizer Darius Mirshahi will tell us all about how to participate and what to expect. You may recognize Mirshahi as hip-hop artist Testament — he’ll also chat with us about how he got into hip-hop and why he feels it is the most potent form of music for conveying political messages. Continue reading
Dylan Powell talks with AV about veganism in occupied territories. The system of animal agriculture brought to the Americas 500 years ago is hungry for land — for grazing, for feedcrops — and its expansion is tied to land theft, displacement, and environmental destruction. Might activists fighting this system recognize as allies the Onkwehon:we (original people) activists fighting to protect remaining wild spaces against pipelines, fracking, and suburban sprawl? (Photo from ontarioplaques.com) Continue reading
Dr. Kendra Coulter is teaching the first-ever Labour Studies course focused on nonhuman animals at a major university. Using examples ranging from therapy dogs to horse racing, from socialized care of street dogs in Greece to low-cost veterinary clinics in Hamilton, Coulter shows us how animal work is enmeshed with capitalism and class, and how we can approach solidarity with working animals and the humans who work with them. Continue reading
Hip hop artist Sole (Tim Holland) talks to Animal Voices about his music and his transition into on-the-ground activism, spurred by the Occupy movement. This wide-ranging conversation also touches on growing your own food, the intersection between veganism, race, and rap, and the influence of Charlotte’s Web on a very young Tim. Continue reading
Margaret Robinson joins Animal Voices to speak about how Mi’kmaq values, as expressed in legends and her own family stories, dovetail with veganism. Tradition and food are so often intertwined, and anyone who has ever felt a tension between their vegan values and their culture will want to listen to this one. Continue reading
“This interdisciplinary study fuses analysis of feminist literature and manifestos, radical political theory, critical vanguard studies, women’s performance art, and popular culture to argue for the animal liberation movement as successor to the liberationist visions of the early twentieth-century avant-gardes, most especially the Surrealists.” The interview introduces many of the book’s themes, focusing particularly on … Continue reading
At the top of the hour, we connect with Ashkon Hobooti to hear about the 4th annual Vegan Rock, which will happen at The Boat in the Kensington Market on February 23rd. Come listen to “happy, fun, upbeat” music from an all-vegan lineup of musicians — Dream Awake, Stefi Beck, Matt Zadkovich, and Hobooti himself — and indulge … Continue reading
We talk with lauren Ornelas, founder and volunteer executive director of the Food Empowerment Project. Ornelas tells us about the Food Empowerment Project’s most recent study on how easy it is for communities of color and low-income communities to have access to healthy fruits and vegetables as well as alternatives to meat and dairy products. … Continue reading
Animal Voices 