Our Approach
Organizers embrace a love-based approach when conducting outreach at Animal Save Movement events.
We take a zero tolerance approach to animal exploitation while following the guidelines detailed in this document. We understand that all forms of oppression are linked and take an intersectional stance to activism.
Anti-speciesism
We are an anti-speciesist movement against all forms of discrimination and oppression towards animals.
Speciesism is a term coined by British philosopher Richard Ryder in 1970. It refers to the widely held belief that the human species is inherently superior to other species and so has rights or privileges that are denied to other sentient animals. It’s a contradiction of our own moral values to be against other forms of discrimination whilst continuing to discriminate against non-human animals.
We don’t promote welfarism, vegetarianism, or reducetarianism. We do not advocate for better conditions for other animals, we ask people to adopt an ethical vegan lifestyle and become active for other animals.
Introduction
This practical guide provides you with all the tools you need to set up your outreach event. It includes links to all the graphics for cards, banners and flyers, videos for different forms of outreach for all branches and a list of materials that are helpful when doing outreach*
Remember when we do outreach we are speaking for the millions of animals that are being silenced in exploitation centers.
Raising your voice is very powerful.
- Think of your event, not as an action but as a campaign.
- Organize and share goals.
- Invite the press.
- Attend constantly to that place where you want to achieve a change, for example, outside a store that uses fur or the city hall.
How to start
Before organizing your outreach event make sure you read the code of conduct and our diversity and inclusion protocol:
- Choose the location and request permission if required
- Make an event on Facebook and share it in different groups and platforms
- Place your event in the global action list:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gY65V2eEtnP-2-KiMpsWEu8GSt2O1j5uqXraXNGnLGs/edit#gid=91593871
Different forms of outreach
1- Food Giveaway and Vegan Samples
- Reach out to sponsors
- Assign different roles to volunteers
- Plan meals to share and do a tasting
Materials:
- Table and tablecloth
- Reading:
- PBT Vegan Guide.pdf
- Nutrition for our children.pdf - Laptop or screen if you want to show videos (download before, we recommend using VLC player to loop the videos:
- Non graphic videos: link
- A detailed guide for food giveaways you can find here:
- FOOD GIVEAWAY ENGLISH
- FOOD GIVEAWAY ESPAÑOL - Photos and videos to inspire: Link
2- Save Squares
- Download VLC player to loop the videos:
- Add videos from your region, ask the video team for help with edditing if needed.
- Use footage from vigils
Materials:
- laptops or screens
- videos
- blindfolds or glasses
- cards: here
- placards:
“what do you see” - Flyers:
- PBT Vegan Guide.pdf
- Nutrition for our children.pdf
More detailed information about Save Squares:
3- PBT Stand
Materials:
- Table and tablecloth
- Flyers:
- videos
More graphics here (logos, print, etc.)
Plant Based Treaty
We take a solutions based approach. That's why we encourage everyone to incorporate the Plant Based Treaty in their outreach events. That way we offer a solution with the problem we are presenting.
The Plant Based Treaty initiative is a grassroots campaign designed to put food systems at the forefront of combating the climate crisis.
Modeled on the popular Fossil Fuel Treaty, the Plant Based Treaty aims to halt the widespread degradation of critical ecosystems caused by animal agriculture and to promote a shift to healthier, sustainable plant-based diets. We are urging scientists, individuals, groups, businesses, and cities to endorse this call to action and put pressure on national governments to negotiate an international Plant Based Treaty.
The Treaty has three demands:
Relinquish:
No new animal farms, no new slaughterhouses and and no new deforestation for animal agriculture
Redirect:
Promotion of plant based food and active transition away from animal based food systems.
Restore:
Reforest the Earth, restore mangroves, peat bogs and some types of grasslands, and protect the oceans.
Ask members of public to endorse the Plant Based Treaty by visiting plantbasedtreaty.org
Plant Based Treaty at Schools
We take a solutions based approach. That's why we encourage everyone to incorporate the Plant Based Treaty in their outreach events. That way we offer a solution with the problem we are presenting.
Plant Based Treaty in schools/Vegan Outreach guide
Outreach Dos & Don’ts
DOs
- Use a professional love-based approach during outreach by asking open questions that help others reach their own vegan conclusion
- Advocate for an ethical vegan lifestyle that rejects all forms of exploitation
- Try to encourage individuals to attend an animal vigil to meet the victims face to face
- When using screens, give people the space to watch what is happening on the screens, so they can process and reflect what they are witnessing
- Try to source footage from your own country or region
- Ask people to endorse the plant based treaty
DON’TS
- Try not to intrude on others’ outreach conversations
- Limit closed-ended questions
- Don’t judge others, remember many of us were not born vegan
Who to Engage With
Only talk to people who show interest. If they walk away let them go. Don’t call after anyone, or make them feel pressured to engage in conversation.
Non-speciesist Language & Definitions
Adapted from Animal Equality Language and Liberation by Joan Dunayer
We understand that much of the language used when referring to non-human animals is inherently speciesist. As we strive to not only change the systems that oppress non-human animals we must also unlearn the oppressive language our society has been indoctrinated with. We hope that this section of language suggestions will help to further advance our advocacy efforts when conducting outreach.
Top 12 word swaps as we strive for anti-speciesist language
|
it |
she (female); he (male); he/she, she/he (hermaphrodite); she, he (particular individual of unknown gender); they (unspecified individual of unknown gender)* |
|
animals (excluding humans) |
nonhuman animals, other animals, nonhuman persons |
|
abattoir, meat plant, packing plant, processing plant (in reference to a killing facility) |
slaughterhouse |
|
bacon, ham, pork (etc.) or beef, hamburger, steak (etc) |
pig flesh or cow flesh |
|
fake meat, meat substitute, meat alternative |
plant-meat, plant-based meat, vegan meat |
|
dairy cow, milk cow |
captive cow, exploited cow, cow exploited for her milk |
|
livestock |
exploited nonhuman animals |
|
milk (from cows) |
cow milk, dairy milk |
|
leather |
cow skin, dog skin, horse skin, crocodile skin, goat skin, sheep skin, pig skin, ostrich skin (etc.) |
|
wool |
sheep hair |
|
wildlife |
free living animals |
|
wild v. (a nonhuman animal living in the wild) |
living in the natural world |
Check out our activist toolkit for a full list of definitions.
Types Of Footage
1- Negative Footage
The negative footage showcases footage of animal abuse and exploitation from a variety of industries including agriculture, clothing, entertainment, labor and scientific research, etc. By displaying this footage we hope that the bystander sees the grim reality of what they sponsor when they support these industries and it influences them to adopt a vegan lifestyle.
2- Positive Footage
This positive footage showcases encouraging and uplifting footage of animals living their lives at sanctuaries and forever homes after escaping or being rescued from a variety of industries including agriculture, clothing, entertainment, labor and scientific research, etc. By displaying this footage we hope that the bystander sees that all animals have the desire to live a life free from abuse and exploitation and they make the connection that a vegan lifestyle is in line with their ethics towards other animals.
3- Climate Footage
This Climate footage showcases footage of the damaging impact animal abuse and exploitation has on our planet and climate change. We hope that we can help bystanders understand that living a vegan lifestyle is the single biggest action they can take towards fighting climate change.
For talking points during climate save events covering how to have effective outreach conversations at climate save squares visit plantbasedtreaty.org for overviews and fact sheets with scientific information and the solutions. Save Squares can be used effectively to collect thousands of endorsements on the streets.
3- Health Save Footage
During Health Save events our objective is to educate the public that a plant-based diet is safe, healthy and enjoyable. In these conversations we advocate bystanders adopt a vegan lifestyle but we also educate them about how accessible veganism can be.
The importance of Collective Liberation
We are continuously striving to better align ourselves in the fight for collective liberation. We recognize the interconnectedness and the intersection of all oppressions, human and nonhuman.
Intersectionality is a very important part of activism and an integral part of ASM’s ethos.It is collaborative with other causes and strengthens our position in working towards a fairer world for all.
As a global organization many of our members experience injustice first hand. We feel it is our duty not to ignore their plight and to also create space and learn from their insight to help strengthen our organization and movement.
Please check out the collective liberation glossary on our website to learn more.