Press Release
Subject: Animal advocates say, “It’s time to talk Rights. It’s time to talk Vegan.”
The notable French writer, Victor Hugo famously said, “There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come.”
Vegan Animal Rights advocates and activists from all over New Zealand believe veganism is exactly such an idea, and so
they are converging on the nation’s capital this weekend to discuss philosophy, strategy, and tactics within their
movement.
The event is being called the ‘A Vegan Future Hui’, and the name is almost self explanatory. The people are coming from
Kerikeri in the North, to Invercargill in the South, and almost everywhere in between, with one purpose in mind: To
discuss how to begin advancing a clear, open, and confident Veganism and Animal Rights focussed message, with the end
goal of a vegan Aotearoa/New Zealand in mind.
In one sense though, it is not entirely new. Animal Rights advocates around the globe, (as opposed to Animal Welfare proponents), have been talking about veganism and abolishing all forms of animal exploitation, to anyone who would
listen since the global movement began in the 1970s.
However, the world has changed significantly since then. A few decades ago many people perceived veganism as something
of a ‘fringe’ idea. But in recent years there has been a major shift in people’s perceptions of this growing social
justice movement, and the associated lifestyle choices it entails.
This is in part because of a major increase in awareness of the many serious problems inherent in the status quo. The
way humans exploit animals, including raising and killing animals for food, (and especially so in factory farming), has
been demonstrated to cause significant, and often severe suffering for them. Science has also revealed that animal
agriculture is causing catastrophic environmental destruction, including being a major contributor to climate change, as
compared to growing plants for human consumption. Eating animal-based foods has even been scientifically linked to major
and serious human health issues such as heart disease, stroke, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and certain forms of cancer.
At the same time, awareness has been growing of the viability, practicality, and significant health and other benefits
of a vegan lifestyle, and so it is rapidly increasing in popularity. People from all sectors of society - from our
governor general Dame Patsy Reddy, through to regular Kiwis of all ages, cultural backgrounds and ethnicities, spiritual
beliefs, political affiliations, and more - are going vegan. Veganism is especially popular amongst young people. The
almost exponential and ongoing increase in availability of vegan products and options has also accelerated this trend.
The advocates and activists meeting in Wellington this weekend recognise that there will be scepticism and even
resistance in some sectors of society: especially amongst the farming community. But they are also confident that large
numbers of other ordinary Kiwis are ready and willing to hear this important message. The aim of the Hui is to discuss
how to begin presenting the message to the public, politicians, and industries, in a credible, respectable, and
effective way.
The vegan approach, whether practiced by an individual, family, community, business, or indeed applied as a nation-wide
policy, ticks many important boxes, and solves many serious and urgent social problems. Yet adopting a vegan lifestyle
has become so easy in the 2nd decade of the 21st century, that many animal advocates now feel that it would be socially
irresponsible to not talk about it.
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Note: The event is being held at Wellington High School, at 249 Taranaki Street from 9:00am - 5:30pm on Saturday the
18th of March, and from 9:00am - 4:00pmon Sunday the 19th of March.