Hi everyone, this week on May 28th at 1pm to 2pm Pacific, I’ll be in conversation with some brilliant leaders (including Jan Masaoka and Al Cantor) about regulatory and tax reform of private foundations, such as with Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs). It’s free. Register here.
I’m writing this from Toronto, where I just spoke at one of the largest gatherings of animal rights and veganism advocates I’ve been to. It was amazing, and not just because I could eat everything and didn’t have to settle for a blueberry garnish and a mint leaf plucked off a nonvegan cake for dessert.
It was inspiring and heartening to meet so many dedicated people who care about animals and to learn about the creative, vital, and successful work they’ve been doing. One of the most inspiring and illuminating sessions was about a community in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula mobilizing against a pig farm. The farm, owned by a giant corporation, raised and slaughtered thousands of pigs, with most of the meat sold overseas.
The effects were horrifying. Community members could no longer drink the water and had to use bottled water because of the runoff of blood, antibiotics, and waste. Children were getting sick from the burning of the feces creating acrid smoke. The air and water and land were all polluted. Fruit and vegetables were contaminated and no longer edible. The mental health of everyone in the village suffered due to the constant sounds and smells and sight of death.
The community organized, lobbied, and protested and faced down police brutality, where organizers were beaten and arrested. At the end, though, they won, driving out the factory farm. Now they begin the process of healing the people and land, which will still take many years for this small community.
This case highlights how connected all our issues are. In this instance, we saw the intersection of animal rights, environmental protection, children’s welfare, food security, physical and mental health, poverty, community organizing, labor rights, and politics. If we dig further, we probably see other subsectors as well, such as the arts.
…
Read full article here…
