“Real change is about making social justice for everyone, any gender, sexual orientation, race or species. Many people I know demonstrated for social justice last summer, but weren’t vegan. This summer they are, and they call for justice for all animals. This is how the social revolution in Israel is evolving and I hope we’ll be seeing this kind of transformation in other countries.” … READ ON

Animal advocate and educator Elizabeth DeCoux explains how and why to oppose agriculture gag laws that seek to criminalize animal advocacy efforts in exposing the abuses of animal enterprises like farms and labs. She begins her talk with explaining the political motivation behind the emergence of ag gag bills in Florida and other states, … READ ON

Ultimately, Understanding Animal Abuse challenges the reader to consider animal abuse as not limited just to harmful acts committed by individuals. It asks us to extend our notion of abuse to the systemic cruelty of factory farms and vivisection laboratories. … READ ON

“The peace map is drawn on a menu. Peace is not just the absence of war; It is the presence of justice. Justice must be blind to race, color, religion or species. If she’s not blind, she will be a weapon of terror. And tonight there is unimaginable terror in those ghastly Guantanamo’s we call factory farms.” — Phillip Wollen … READ ON

Wollen is a former VP of Citibank and Australian philanthropist who is known to keep out of the limelight. But, man, did he come to the table for this debate to deliver a huge performance and a powerful message packed in just 10-minutes. Bravo! … READ ON

Intelligence Squared’s 2012 series of debates kicks off with a look at the ethics of eating meat. Six speakers are divided into two teams for lively and insightful arguments for and against the proposition, Animals Should Be Off the Menu. Out of an audience of hundreds, 73.6% agreed meat should be off the menu upon hearing all of the arguments. Find out why, then ask yourself if you are making the right choice. Speaking for the proposition are Peter Singer, Philip Wollen and Veronica Ridge; against it, Adrian Richardson, Fiona Chambers and Bruce McGregor. Their cases are followed by questions from the floor and finally, the audience vote. … READ ON

Italian photographer Francesco Scipioni conducted a day-long photoshoot in an Italian slaughterhouse and, as a result, became a vegetarian, he reports. Here is his collection. … READ ON

Unless small-scale farms have a plan to upend the most basic principle of classical economics–not to mention human nature–their endorsement of eating animals will continue to be, however inadvertently–an endorsement of factory farming. They will, of course, deny this. And they will, of course, be deluding themselves. Worse, they’ll be harming animals. Indeed, their delusions are just as complicit in the senseless killing of billions of animals as are the factory farms they claim to hate so vehemently. … READ ON

ASPCA, one of the leading animal protection organizations, would have you believe that the killing of chickens, as shown in the photo here, can somehow constitute a humane practice, a practice that is consistent with their mission of respect and compassion for animals. The kill cone method of slaughtering chickens, one of the most barbaric acts of violence we’ve seen, is considered the “humane” standard today, and ASPCA is using charitable donations to fund and promote poultry slaughter, expand poultry breeding and hatchery facilities and pretend that a factory farm is Not a factory farm, while doing NOTHING to promote genuine compassion and respect for these birds. … READ ON

The United States becomes first nation in the world to formally recognize Vegan Earth Day in 2009, and Dennis Kucinich is the spokesperson for the 2012 Vegan Earth Day! In this recorded message, Kucinich describes what personally led him to go vegan and how he is spreading the important message to others. He emphasizes three key reasons for adopting veganism: his health, his concern for animals and for the environment. … READ ON

The NhRP was founded in 2007 by attorney Steven M. Wise, and is made up of dozens of smart, committed, and hard-working people from many backgrounds who have come together for one clear purpose: to break through the legal wall that separates humans from nonhumans, thereby gaining legal “personhood” for nonhuman animals, beginning with some of the most intelligent animals on earth, like chimpanzees, elephants and dolphins. … READ ON