Being Vegan Helped Me Prepare for This
How to find hope — and allow space for grief — in a time of change
In the wake of the coronavirus crisis, millions of us have had to make sudden and substantial changes to our everyday lives. Around the world leaders talk about a “war” against the virus. Varying degrees of policing have been put into place to ensure that citizens comply with lockdown measures, with the threat of fines, arrest or violence if they do not. In the face of widespread insecurity, I believe veganism offers a less combative and more compassionate model for change.
Vegans are used to change. Going vegan in an overwhelmingly meat-eating society means a radical break from the norm. Equally importantly, it offers the opportunity for reflection on the challenges, as well as rewards, of transforming our ways of living and relating to one another, human and other-than-human. My understanding of veganism is not restricted to a plant-based diet, or to care for other-than-human animals. What I call contextual ethical veganism means living, as far as possible, without commodifying or otherwise instrumentalizing other animals, while recognizing that people practice veganism in different ways depending on our circumstances. It is about compassion for animals, people and the planet.
Going vegan in an…
