ARCO's Abolitionists - A Vegan Forum

Hello all,

I am organizing a Critical Animal Studies film series at my college (in Oakland,CA). I am showing two films with two different speakers. Can anyone recommend films that are more abolitionist oriented? I am hoping for films that discuss environmental issues or human rights/oppression in relation to AR (to hopefully attract people that normally would not be interested in AR.) Peaceable Kingdom and Earthlings are the two that have been recommended most to me so far. It's not that I dont want to show people the truth... My only worry about Earthlings (I have not seen it yet!) is that it may be so depressing and graphic that it could turn people away. This is another worry of mine. I hear the first film I mentioned is a bit more uplifting? I am going to watch of whole bunch of films though before I decide.

Also, I applied for funding through my school. I have not heard back yet, but I am feeling anxious and feel that I should look for other funding opportunities. Can any of you recommend some funding opportunities? I am looking to raise around $600 but could probably scrape by with $400 if I had too. Are there any places that offer grants specifically for vegan outreach/AR?

I am also thinking of doing a fundraiser if I have to by selling vegan food as a donation to support the film series. My only issue with this is that I dont know of many people that would want to help me. I suppose I could try to track down other AR people on my campus, if there are any. (I go to a very small school). It's a little discouraging trying to find helping hands on my own, but Im wiling to do anything to try! I don't have a problem with getting vegetarians or non-AR oriented people to help me as long as they are not going to act as opposition or misinform people. That's another thing I feel a bit torn about, but Im not sure that its that important?

Wow, this sounds so familiar to me. I tried to get something together at my school, but I was pretty much alone at first. By the time I found others, it was kind of late (I was there for two years). Peaceable Kingdom & Earthlings are the two that came to my mind as well. Unfortunately, Peaceable Kingdom is only just being shown in its new form, so I'm not sure you'd be able to get a copy or a screening yet. If you have an old copy, maybe you could use that, but I'm not sure the makers want people to be showing that version anymore.

Have you checked their website? http://www.tribeofheart.org/ for

Shaun Maunson, the maker of "Earthlings," definitely wants to have Earthlings screened for free at universities, so you can easily get permission, if your university requires that. Depending on how big the audience is, maybe you could ask people how much they want to see. Earthlings comes in sections, so it's easy to choose to show different parts. It has an overall "whole earth" theme in the intro, which makes it good for environmental concerns.

My school, University of Maryland - College Park, has a student food co-op that has a lot of vegan food and some vegan employees/volunteers. If you have something similar, you could ask around there, to see if anyone is interested. Put up flyers around campus, but especially on the bulletin board at the co-op if there is one.

What I finally ended up doing was forming at Meetup group for the College Park and surrounding area. If any students sign up, that's great. Otherwise, you will at least have the support of others who will probably be interested in campus outreach. http://www.meetup.com/ There might already be a local animal rights group that would want to do campus outreach, in fact! It's really good for groups to have an "in" at a school, so as a student you could be really useful for them. And they could help you brainstorm or do a fundraiser or something.

Who are you getting as speakers?

I dont have any veg resources at my school. It's a small art school. I am thinking of collaborating with a veg co-op at UC Berkeley. I also want to involve the off-campus community somehow, even if it is just for attendance. I don't want to alienate the community at my school, but at the same time, I feel like it's impossible to get them involved.

Vasile Stanescu is the speaker who has agreed to help me out. Here is some info on her:

I am a fifth year PhD Candidate finishing up my dissertation on "critical" animal studies. My actual dissertation is on the connection between the exploitation of animals and colonialism. I am happy to talk about that topic if it works with any of the films/topics you are working on. Alternatively, I have a speech already pre-pared which I have given several times attempting to debunk locavorism and other forms of "happy meat" and/or humane slaughter. It is titled "Green Eggs and Ham: The Myth of Environmentally Sustainable Meat." This paper also deals with issues of racism, homophobia, sexism, and anti-immigrant sentiment and I can send you a copy if you would like. It also won the award for best graduate paper at the "Minding Animals" Conference in Australia over the summer.My main focus is the connection between different forms of oppression, connections oppression of animals with the oppression of other groups. It can be quite a controversial topic but I enjoy it.

For my other speaker, I got in touch with In Defense of Animals. They seem like they could help me out, but when they recommended Peta (b/c they have an office near to my school), I didn't know if I should be concerned. I don't know much about IDA. I know they host the Vegetarian Festival (which is actually vegan, but not called so) with the San Francisco Vegetarian society (who I am also going to try to contact for networking).

If you know of any resources for other speakers in the Bay Area, let me know.

Hmm. I don't know of any off hand but I'll try to nose around. Meanwhile, would it be possible to get a copy of that paper your speaker wrote? It'd be great to have here in the forum, if possible, or just as a personal copy if that doesn't work.

Would you ask for me?

Thanks!

Erica412 wrote:I dont have any veg resources at my school. It's a small art school. I am thinking of collaborating with a veg co-op at UC Berkeley. I also want to involve the off-campus community somehow, even if it is just for attendance. I don't want to alienate the community at my school, but at the same time, I feel like it's impossible to get them involved.

Collaborating is a smart idea. They'll have resources and experience, so you don't have to "invent the wheel" all over again.

If you get really organized, you can apply to the Sabina Fund, run by Farm Animal Rights Movement. But it's a pretty extensive process. FARM also has materials you can use for tables, spiffy cards with environmental or global hunger facts on them. Look on their website.

Do you think it'd be helpful to find animal rights-related artwork, for posters or flyers or something? I don't know of stuff off-hand, but maybe a google search or asking around in other forums. Which I'll do, as well.

We'll figure this out!

Panthera,

You are so kind for wanting to help me like this! I am feeling pretty good right now. I received funding from my school for one film screening. They are willing to fund the other so long as I can confirm another speaker. It was suggested to my by one of my professors that I just contact the filmmakers directly to see if they would give a Q&A. I thought this sounded quite ambitious at first, but then I thought, hey it can't hurt to ask! I contacted Earthlings and Peaceable Kingdom for starters.

As far as art work goes, I don't know if I forgot to mention that I go to an art school! lol. I have a printmaking student designing the posters, however as far as speakers go, it would be a great option to have a vegan AR artist on campus to speak since an artist or designer would already have an in with the students at my school. If you come across any activist artists in the bay area, that would be great connection to make!

I will check out the sabina fund! Thank you so much! I will also try to get a copy of Vasile's essay to you.

The Sabina fund deadline was the 31st, but thank-you so much for sharing this resource with me. I was looking for places to get funding, so this could be very helpful for me in the future. I will bookmark it. Thanks!

Glad to help! That's awesome about the funding - congratulations on getting this project together, especially by yourself.

I posted on a couple of other forums for suggestions about movies or speakers, so we'll see if anything turns up. In the meantime, you might try contacting any artists you come across who aren't in your area, just to see if they can point you to someone who is.

Dan Piraro comes to mind as a vegan artist - he does the Bizarro comic strip. He's famous enough that he should have some contacts for you try.

I appreciate your efforts to raise awareness. I'd be happy to think that I contributed, especially since I wasn't able to do anything directly myself!

So far: Gale Hart, an artist in Sacramento
Why Not Eat Your Pet: Art that gives animals a voice

Someone mentioned Kyenan Kum from Oakland, who co-founded International Aid for Korean Animals. I am dubious about her, though, because she campaigns against dog/cat consumption, but never mentions reducing meat consumption! She has a link to an art school in your area, I think.

And Harold Brown offers his services as a speaker. www.farmkind.org. Which links to http://www.cultureandanimals.org/ which gives grants to artists.

Wow! This is some of the greatest help I've received. These are awesome resources. I bookmarked them. I e-mailed that Sacramento artist(s). I am really hoping to hear from them! The work is quality. I also e-mailed the American-Korean artist who works with companion animals. I told her I was vegan and asked if she works around other animal issues. ( I doubt it though...its too bad since she is an alum from my school!) I will look into Piraro next and the farmer after I wait a bit for some responses from others.

I was looking into getting Shaun Monson to speak with Earthlings. Apparently he will do it for free as long as I can pay the plane ticket. It seems ideal to have the film maker, which is of course a kind of artist (and they do have some media arts at my school)!

I do wish I could have some other artists though...oh well, guess I will have another series next year. (hehe...if all goes well.)