Calendar of Events

Are you interested in trying a vegan diet with some help and support? If so, then sign up for the London Vegan Pledge.

Once you have been registered, you will be given joining instructions for two meetings at a venue in central London, one at the start of your pledge month on Sunday 12th May 2013, and one at the end of your vegan month on Sunday 9th June 2013.

This two-part “Introduction to Veganism” course includes: speakers, films, delicious vegan food, cookery demos, free recipe booklets and basic health and nutrition advice. At the first meeting you will also meet your vegan buddy who will support you during your month. All of this is completely free!

• Download flyer
• Download press release
• Register online

If you have any questions please feel free to get in touch via info@vegancampaigns.org.uk.

Details of the 2012 Vegan Pledge can be found here.

Vegan Campaigns promotes veganism, mainly in the London area. Among the activities that have already taken place are vegan food fairs, information evenings, veggie burger giveaways and street stalls. We also helped to organise the London Vegan Festival in 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011, as well as the London Vegan Pledge.

We have occasional meetings in Central London, and also have an email list to inform about events and campaigns planned. To find out more, visit the rest of the site or contact us for more details to get involved.

The aim of the Veggie Pride march is to bring veg*ans together to demonstrate publicly in order that everyone of them become a spokeperson of the animals’ cause instead of remaining unnoticed.

In order to do this we encourage them to express their pride in being veg*an, to join the fight against prejudice against veg*ans and to defend their rights as citizens. In effect, the oppression of non-human animals is also a violation of the rights of human beings. Amongst these are the following:

• The right to eat correctly in works canteens, in hospitals, in prison and in any other location of communal eating
• The right to impartial medical advice and information
• The right to raise our children in accordance with our convictions and that they are not marginalised as a result
• The right to refuse work that goes against our ethical convictions
• The right to respond in the media to all those who choose to criticise our way of life.

See. Eat. Hear. FEEL VEGAN. Two days of vegan exploration await you. Nourish your taste buds on scrumptious plant-based food from New York’s famed vegan restaurants — the best in the world!

Get inspired by world-renowned speakers, champion athletes, and top chefs. Provoke new thoughts with award-winning films and their directors. Discover the vast market of cruelty-free products and services. And much more.

The Seed invites the vegan-curious, vegan-skeptical, and vegan choir to explore what we have to offer today. You’ll gain understanding of the endless benefits of a compassionate, healthful, and earth-conscious existence of the vegan & plant-based lifestyle.

Malibu, CA – March 18, 2013 –  American Tortoise Rescue (ATR) (www.tortoise.com), a nonprofit organization established in 1990 for the protection of all species of tortoise and turtle, is sponsoring its 13th annual World Turtle Day on May 23rd.  The day was created as an annual observance to help people celebrate and protect turtles and tortoises and their disappearing habitats around the world.  Susan Tellem and Marshall Thompson, founders of ATR, advocate humane treatment of all animals, including reptiles.  Since 1990, ATR has placed about 3,000 tortoises and turtles in caring homes.  ATR assists law enforcement when undersize or endangered turtles are confiscated and provides helpful information and referrals to persons with sick, neglected or abandoned turtles.

“World Turtle Day was started 13 years ago to increase respect and knowledge for the world’s oldest creatures.  These gentle animals have been around for about 200 million years, yet they are rapidly disappearing as a result of the exotic food industry, habitat destruction, global warming and the cruel pet trade,” says Tellem. “We are seeing smaller turtles coming into the rescue meaning that older adults are disappearing from the wild thanks to the pet trade, and the breeding stock is drastically reduced.  It is a very sad time for turtles and tortoises of the world.”  (See slide show here http://www.slideshare.net/tellem/where-have-all-the-turtles-gone.)

Tellem says, “We have heard from organizations throughout the world that are also hosting World Turtle Day, including India, Australia and many other countries.”

Tellem and Thompson note that experts predict the complete disappearance of one of the world’s oldest creatures within the next 50 years.  They recommend that adults and children do a few small things that can help to save turtles and tortoises for the next generation:

• Never buy a turtle or tortoise from a pet shop as it increases demand from the wild.
• Never remove turtles or tortoises from the wild unless they are sick or injured.
• If a tortoise is crossing a busy street, pick it up and send it in the same direction it was going – if you try to make it go back, it will turn right around again.
• Write letters to legislators asking them to keep sensitive habitat preserved or closed to off road vehicles, and to prevent off shore drilling that can lead to more endangered sea turtle deaths.
• Report cruelty or illegal sales of turtles and tortoises to your local animal control shelter.
• Report the sale of any turtle or tortoise of any kind less than four inches.  This is illegal throughout the U.S.

“Our ultimate goal is to stop the illegal trade in turtles and tortoises around the world.  Our first priority here in the U.S. is to stop pet stores and reptile shows from selling illegal hatchling tortoises and turtles,” says Thompson.  “We also need to educate people who are unfamiliar with their proper care about the real risk of contracting salmonella from turtles.  Schools and county fairs are no place for turtles. Wash your hands thoroughly every time you touch a turtle or its water, and do not bring turtles into homes where children are under the age of 12.”

For answers to questions and other information visit American Tortoise Rescue online atwww.tortoise.com or send e-mail to info@tortoise.com; on Twitter @tortoiserescue; “Like” American Tortoise Rescue at www.Facebook.com/AmericanTortoiseRescue; and join World Turtle Day on www.Facebook.com/WorldTurtleDay.

Suggested Tweet: #DidYouKnow World Turtle Day is May 23rd? @TortoiseRescue #turtle #tortoise

Animal experimentation kills untold millions of animals every year in the U.S. and across the world. Rats, mice, hamsters, rabbits, dogs, cats, monkeys, pigs, sheep, goats, fish, chickens, and many other animals die, often without even being counted. Their deaths pass without recognition except as statistics as part of experimental protocols.

We believe that it is time for their lives to be remembered and their deaths to be memorialized. Please join us along with activists worldwide for our fourth International Day of Mourning for Animals in Labs on Sunday May 26, 2013.

It is important for the animals, and for ourselves that we participate in this annual event. The animals MUST be remembered; we MUST give their deaths some meaning. And for those of us that are living, dealing with these millions of deaths on a daily basis — we NEED these events, too, for funerals are for the living. This event will remind all of us why we are working for the animals, and strengthen our resolve.

Please be a voice for these silent victims of animal experimentation! They deserve nothing less from us.

Remember, it is up to us to give meaning to the deaths of millions of animals. Please join us by organizing an event or attending one in your area!

This conference is focused on issues concerning all fur-bearing animals, particularly the exploitation and cruelty of fur farms, wool and leather production, “harvesting” of wildlife (hunting, trapping, penning, etc). It will also explore other areas of animal exploitation including vivisection, puppy mills, animals in entertainment, horse slaughter, animals for food.

Attention will be given to individuals and groups dedicated to the care of and advocating for fur-bearing animals; farmed, domestic, or wild. Also of interest are issues relating to the environment, which directly affects all living beings on our planet, our air, our food and water, which are seriously compromised by chemicals and pollution caused by animal exploiting industries like factory farms.

This exciting conference offers a new view and approach to animal rights advocacy and leadership, as it is also designed for grassroots activists and organizations, namely:

• to provide a forum for those who rarely have an opportunity to speak to large audiences about the work they do;

• to create a platform for grassroots activists that focuses on: “Reviving the Animal Rights Movement: Effective Grass Roots Activism.” A New View and Approach to Animal Rights Advocacy and Leadership.

AFS Conference Highlights Include:
• Over 20 outstanding national and international speakers, leaders in the field of animal rights

• Opportunities to meet and network with people of like-mind during and after the conference

• Ground-breaking animal rights films, some never before seen by the public

• Opportunities to chat with animal rights authors, artists, filmmakers.

• Provocative and informative presentations and panels on fur bearing animals, and many other animal rights issues: animals killed for food and clothing; “disposable” pets, hunting for “sport”, lobbying for animals, knowing your legal rights and more.

• Vegan Banquet and Reception with surprise guests, entertainment and silent auction

• Vegan breakfast buffet, lunches, reception and banquet included in full registration VIEW REGISTRATION

Resistance Ecology is about movement building. It is about cultivating an ecology of resistance that can adapt to the circumstances of domination. For us, this work begins with scrutinizing the state of the animal liberation and radical ecology movements of North America by addressing previous shortcomings and providing remedies.

The Student Animal Liberation Coalition is pleased to announce the first annual Resistance Ecology Conference in Portland, Oregon, May 31st to June 2nd 2013, at Portland State University (PSU). This conference is a cooperative effort between the Student Animal Liberation Coalition (PSU), the Jericho Movement and a new movement organization: Resistance Ecology.

The conference advocates for a movement of resistance that is multi-layered, unified, diverse and intersectional. Previously, the organizers of this conference have helped to organize the Let Live and Law and Disorder Conferences in Portland, Oregon as well as the Portland Anarchist Bookfair. There will be speakers, panels, and workshops occurring all three days.

Resistance Ecology is about movement building. It is about cultivating an ecology of resistance that can adapt to the circumstances of domination. For us, this work begins with scrutinizing the state of the animal liberation and radical ecology movements of North America by addressing previous shortcomings and providing remedies. The most novel way that we can achieve this is by creating a movement-wide discourse that is accessible to everyone involved.

Our mission is to compel others to evaluate the systematic exploitation of other species and ecological communities, and to inspire personal transformation, engagement and activism through educational and participatory events. We exist to keep the discourse of animal and ecological liberation thriving on our campus, with the intent of promoting the confrontation and abolition of these exploitations as they manifest in our lives and community.

We work to network and organize with other campus and off-campus organizations, beyond the boundaries of animal rights or environmentalism, in order to create the most functional, resilient and ever-evolving liberation movement. Liberation, for animals and for the earth, cannot be thought of as isolated from other revolutionary struggles as the structural causes of racism, sexism, and speciesism are interrelated.

We strive to create an open dialogue where members and the community can communicate with one another to achieve the goals that we want to see.

It is also our mission to interject issues of animal and ecological exploitation into discourses where they have been historically absent.

Compassion Over Killing and VegRehoboth are excited to host this all-veg celebration in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The Rehoboth Beach VegFest celebrates how easy and delicious it is to choose vegetarian foods. This FREE outdoor festival highlights the community’s diverse range of animal-friendly cuisine and the many benefits of choosing plant-based foods. Featuring speakers, cooking demonstrations, free food samples, dozens of exhibitors, and area food vendors, the Rehoboth Beach VegFest has something for everyone to enjoy.

Compassion Over Killing (COK) is a national non-profit animal protection organization based in Washington, DC with a second office in Los Angeles. Working to end animal abuse since 1995, COK relies on a variety of strategies to expose cruelty to farmed animals and promote vegetarian eating as a way to build a kinder world for all animals. Compassion Over Killing is also the proud presenter of the DC VegFest, happening on Sat., Sept. 28 in Washington, DC. Visit COK.net to learn more about campaigns to run pro-veg ads on HULU.com, persuade companies to offer more vegan options, and more.

VegRehoboth is a social and outreach organization that provides connection and resources for the Vegetarian and Vegan community in Rehoboth Beach, DE and the surrounding areas. VegRehoboth is open to all—including those just curious! We welcome vegetarians and vegans, part-time vegetarians, flexitarians, and meat-eaters who want to cut back on meat and learn about healthier new ways of eating.

VegRehoboth hosts informal get-togethers at new or favorite restaurants, veg happy hours, veg film screenings, & more. We share friendship, good conversation, and great food! Visit us at VegRehoboth.com.

Cleveland VegFest promises to be a fun, educational event for the whole family! VegFest is planned for approximately 10 AM – 8 PM.

Plant-based eating and cruelty-free living has been shown to be:
~Healthy for the human body and mind
~The optimum way to ‘go green’ for the sustainability of our Earth
~Strongly connected to social justice and the alleviation of hunger worldwide
~The one truly compassionate choice for all living beings

Featuring many top national speakers and authors in their fields on issues of health, environmental sustainability, social justice, and animal rights, the Cleveland VegFest will be an opportunity to explore how choosing a whole, plant-based, vegan meal, directly impacts conditions in each of these critical areas.

LEARN!
WHAT is vegan
WHY does vegan matter
HOW to make vegan work

Plus…
What kind of impact does a vegan lifestyle have? ~ Where is the evidence?
How do I stay healthy without meat and dairy?
Why haven’t I been told this by my doctor? ~ How much does it cost to eat vegan?
How does what I do make a difference? ~ What does vegan taste like?
…and more!

TASTE!
HOW delicious vegan food can be…
Experience the flavorful, wholesome, and indulgent flavors which encompass vegan cuisine, as presented by some of the best culinary experts in our area… Cleveland’s favorite chefs, restaurants, and confectioneries will be featuring their best-selling vegan menu items.

Plus, national vendors will be showcasing a wide range of vegan products and resources.

EXPLORE!
WHAT effects the Standard American Diet has on our bodies
WHY westerners are dying of heart disease and cancer
WHO has convinced us that we need animal products to be healthy
HOW a vegan diet can greatly improve your health and turn around disease

MEET!
Local vegan groups who provide guidance, support, and opportunities to continue learning and share experiences.

Mad City Vegan Fest is an annual celebration of veganism filled with great food, inspiring speakers, awesome raffle prizes, and a host of vegan-minded exhibitors. The event is free and open to the public.

Whether you’re a vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian, or omnivore, Vegan Fest has delicious food samples and helpful information on how you can protect animals, the environment, and your health through vegan choices.

Mad City Vegan Fest is a project of Alliance for Animals, Wisconsin’s voice for animals since 1983 (address below).

Mad City Vegan Fest
Alliance for Animals
P.O. Box 1632
Madison, WI 53701

Our Mission Statement

• To highlight the ethical, environmental, and health benefits of a lifestyle free of all animal products (vegan).
• To provide a nonjudgmental, supportive, and fully inclusive environment for vegans and for those hoping to learn more about veganism.
• To demonstrate the accessibility of veganism by showcasing vegan products and organizations with an emphasis on local resources.
• To advocate compassion as the means by which to alleviate the suffering of humans and animals alike.

The Second Annual Stray Cat Strut to benefit Cripple Creek Ferals and Friends. An organization dedicated to Trap/Neuter/Return of feral, stray and free roaming cats. We also assist in rescue situations and have animals available for adoption although we do not take in animals from individuals. This will be an evening of food, wonderful art, raffles, music and a good time for all!!! Come spend an evening with fellow animal lovers.

Established in 2011 by the “Our Planet. Theirs Too.” Foundation in New York City, The National Animal Rights Day (NARD) has become an annual tradition in the US. On this day, we remember, and give a voice to, the billions of animals who die by human hands in this country every year. We mourn their loss, reiterate their rights to live happy and free, and celebrate their existence in our lives.

The Third National Animal Rights Day — New York City
Sunday June 9, 12 noon – 5 pm,
North Plaza of Union Square

12:00 noon: A ceremony to commemorate the billions of animals who lose their lives every year by the hand of humanity, and signing the Declaration of Animal Rights!
12:30-1:30: A free, open-to-all, yoga class which will focus on generating compassion for all beings — humans and animals alike!
1:30-5:00: Yummy free vegan food, vegan fashion show, live music, drum circles, street theatre, face painting, Capoeira, and other attraction!

Please ‘join’ the event on our Facebook page

The Third National Animal Rights Day — Los Angeles
Sunday June 9, 12 noon – 5 pm,
Santa Monica beach, by the Pier

12:00 noon: A ceremony to commemorate the billions of animals who lose their lives every year by the hand of humanity, and signing the 50-foot long Declaration of Animal Rights!
12:30-1:30: A free, open-to-all, meditation session which will focus on generating compassion for all beings – humans and animals alike!
1:30-5:00: Yummy free vegan food, vegan fashion show, live music, kite flying, and other attraction!

Please ‘join’ the event on our Facebook page

The 12th Annual North American Conference for Critical Animal Studies is being held at Minneapolis Community and Technical College from June 20-22, 2013.

About 350-400 national and international scholars, activists, and scholar-activists generally attend this conference each year. This conference merges academic and activist insight, with presentations from scholar-activists and grassroots organizers alike.

Theme: Breaking the Silence on Global and Local Intersections of Ethnicity, Spirituality, and Nonhuman Animals

As the poor become poorer, more prisons are constructed, and the global south struggles with exploitation, disease, hunger, and mass displacement, social justice activists are becoming more intolerant of global racism and discrimination. In kind, the theme of this year’s annual North American Conference for Critical Animal Studies is the intersectionality of race, ethnicity, animals, and spirituality. Some of the foundational questions that the conference is interested in discussing include: Can activists compare struggles of racism to nonhuman animal suffering? What is the intersectional history of ethnicity and animals? Do you have to be anti-racist to be an animal advocate? How has religion aided in the marginalization of people of color and nonhuman animals? How has religion aided in the liberation of people of color and nonhuman animals? How, if at all, do animal advocates challenge colonization, imperialism, and racism? What are the theoretical and scientific similarities between racism and speciesism? How have different ethnic and spiritual groups addressed animal advocacy?

About ICAS

Critical animal studies is a field that promotes total liberation and explores the ways in which oppression intersects amongst human animals, nonhuman animals, and the environment. This year’s special theme is Breaking the Silence on Global and Local Intersections of Ethnicity, Spirituality, and Nonhuman Animals.

The Institute for Critical Animal Studies (ICAS) is a fully volunteer non-profit organization that is dedicated to the liberation of human and nonhuman animals, as well as to the end of environmental destruction. We are also an intersectional organization interested in coalition building and exposing of the interconnectedness of all oppressions.

Saturday, June 22nd – 8:00 am – 4:00 pm

8:00–9:00 – Registration and Vegan Continental Breakfast

9:00–9:15 – Welcome

9:15–10:30 – Jonathan Balcombe, Animal behavior expert and author of four books, including Pleasurable Kingdom.

10:30-10:45 – Break

10:45–noon – Michael Budkie, co-founder and Executive Director, SAEN (Stop Animal Exploitation Now).

noon–1:30 – Vegan Lunch, Networking

1:30–4:00 – Harold Brown, former beef farmer and founder of Farm Kind. He is also a subject of the documentary film Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home. The documentary will be shown and discussed by Farmer Brown.

5:00–7:00 – Guests are invited to attend an informal dinner at Jazzy Veggie – 15% off entrees for conference attendees.

Sunday, June 23rd – 8:00 am – noon

8:00–9:00 – Vegan Continental Breakfast

9:00–noon – Roundtable Discussion lead by Scott Harris, with Jonathan Balcombe, Michael Budkie, Harold Brown and Jill Fritz.

Please attend and learn what we can do in Michigan, our communities and in our lives to better the lives of all animals.

The Symposium of Animal Liberation is a conference intended to unite, inspire, and motivate activists and anyone new to the animal rights movement or interested in learning more about it. This is the very first Symposium and it will consist of workshops addressing different animal abuse and exploitation industries, effective forms of activism, vegan and activist lifestyles, and more! You’ll hear presentations from experienced activists, network and meet other people who share your views, and have the opportunity to visit the exhibit hall.

The idea for the Symposium stemmed from the notion of advancing the positive, powerful effects FARM’s Animal Rights National Conference produces. Individuals are motivated to get active, provided with knowledge, form friendships, and those who do not yet follow a compassionate lifestyle are inspired to take the leap. The majority of animal rights conferences and veg-fests, however, are usually on either the East coast or the West coast. So why not have one farther inland to spread the inspiration to impel change to those who might not otherwise be able to take part in such a powerful experience? Anyone is enthusiastically welcomed — encouraged — to attend: the Symposium is not limited to Arizona residents.

Speakers
Joe Miele, Committee to Abolish Sport Hunting; Karen Davis, United Poultry Concerns; Morgan J. Dunbar, Animal Allies NY, Farm Kind

Workshops
• Desensitization & Indoctrination Within the Academic Industrial Complex: How Vivisectors are Made…and Broken
• Staffing Tables and Leafleting for Animal Rights
• Moving Beyond the Rhetoric of Apology and Speciesism
• “Varmint”/Small Game Hunting in the Southwest

Film Screenings
Vegucated

The Animal Rights National Conference is the premiere annual event for the U.S. animal rights movement. It is also the world’s largest and longest-running animal rights gathering, hailing back to 1981. By serving as a platform for training, skill-sharing, philisophical discussion, and networking, it provides the best annual forum to legitimize the animal rights movement as a social justice struggle. It is the only conference open to all points of view on achieving animal liberation.

AR2013′s four-day program will feature over 70 presenters from more than 60 organizations representing virtually all sectors of our movement.

These presenters appear in seven Plenary Sessions, which bring all attendees together, and 75 daytime workshops, which are configured along three concurrent tracks: Issues, Organizing, Remedies. On select days, the program also includes Rap Sessions, Campaign Reports, and Videos.

In each time slot, you choose the session that best fits your needs and interests:

The Issues track covers various types of animal abuses and the underlying issues (best for newcomers).
The Organizing track suggests improvements in personal and organizational effectiveness.
The Remedies track addresses campaign strategies and outreach to various constituencies.
Rap Sessions engage participants in debates about controversial issues.
Campaign Reports report on recent achievements in preventing various types of animal abuse.
Videos are shown on Friday and Saturday.
Networking Receptions, every evening, offer free snacks and a chance to meet fellow attendees.
The Awards Banquet, on Saturday evening, features award presentations and a keynote address. Exhibits, open between 10am – 6pm, showcase movement merchandise, educational materials, and delicious vegan treats.

Speakers too numerous to list. Click here for the presenters.

Vegetarian Summerfest is the 39th annual conference of the North American Vegetarian Society. It is set for July 3 – 7 at the Conference Center at Pitt-Johnstown, on the picturesque campus of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, PA. The campus is a 650-acre mountaintop wildlife preserve with 40 acres of hiking trails.

The conference features experts in the fields of health, nutrition, animal rights, the environment, exercise and related lifestyle areas, plus talented chefs. Click here for the speakers list.