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Today on the podcast we dig into the philosophy and practice of Effective Altruism (EA) and how it permeates and influences the animal rights movement. Krista Hiddema, Executive Director of For The Greater Good, has written a chapter in the new anthology, The Good It Promises, The Harm It Does: Critical Essays on Effective Altruism edited by Carol Adams, Alice Crary, and Lori Gruen. Krista offers a broad introduction to EA and how in the last decade, it has informed and now enveloped the animal advocacy movements strategy and tactics and why this may be a detrimental path for the animals. She shares stories of how campaigns that are unquantifiable can have profound impact and should not be pushed aside by the EA trend.  Krista holds a doctorate in social sciences where her research focused on the need to utilize ecofeminist principles in matters of board governance within the animal rights movement. She holds five other degrees in areas of leadership, human resources, and organizational development, she teaches strategic planning and board governance, she is a fellow with the Animals & Society Research Initiative, and a reviewer for the Journal of Critical Animal Studies, and much more. She resides in outside Toronto, Canada.   Resources: Book:  The Good It Promises, The Harm It Does: Critical Essays on Effective Altruism edited by Carol Adams, Alice Crary, and Lori Gruen Krista:  ·      www.DrKristaHiddema.com ·      https://drkristahiddema.com/blog ·      https://drkristahiddema.com/blog/2022/12/14/effective-altruism-the-impact-is-fear-corruption-and-it-is-also-not-good-for-animals ·      https://www.facebook.com/Krista.Hiddema    

Naijha Wright-Brown is the Executive Director of the Black Veg Society, a 501c3 non-profit organization that educates predominantly Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities on the benefits of holistic living, the plant-based diet, and veganism.  She is also the co-creator of Vegan Soulfest and Maryland Vegan Restaurant Month. Naijha shares her journey creating a soul food restaurant called The Land of Kush as well as an incredibly successful Black-focused vegan festival all while running the Black Veg Society. Naijha is on a mission to help people find their vegan soul! Resources: Naijha Speaks- YouTube Black Veg Society Vegan SoulFest- August 19 & 20, 2023  About the Egyptian Kingdom of Kush Soul of Ahimsa: Vegan Spiritualty Retreat in NY

On today’s episode we have a recurring guest joining us, Hope’s husband, Cogen Bohanec. Hope and Cogen start us off with a big announcement and then Cogen discusses his work as a constructive theologian in the Dharma Traditions and how he connects Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist Dharma with environmental and animal rights issues. He talks about eco-psychology, eco-theology, karma theory, and the dangers of “human exceptionalism.” Cogen also talks about his recent writings regarding animal personhood, animals’ intrinsic value, and how we can remove systems of oppression through religious and cultural transformation.  “It is a false binary to say that we are either altercentric (other centered) or egocentric. That’s a false binary. Actually it's more of a dialectic, care for ourselves is care for the other. Care for the other is care for the self. It’s a both/and solution.” – Cogen Bohanec, PhD  We would like to thank A Well-Fed World (AWFW) for their generous support of this podcast! A Well-Fed World is an international hunger relief and food security organization advancing plant-based foods and farming to create a sustainable, nourished, and climate-friendly future. Learn more at awfw.org. Resources: Ahimsa, Animal Advocacy, and Veganism is an online, self-study course with Hope Bohanec, offered by Arihanta Academy. Learn more and register for the spring semester here. Other Episodes with Cogen: Episode 48: Vegan Love and Rescue with Cogen and Hope Bohanec Episode 57: The Vegan Hypocritical Imperative with Cogen and Hope Bohanec

Ryuji Chua is an animal activist and filmmaker who is currently working as a video producer at Surge Activism, an advisor for the Vegan Hacktivists, and was recently featured on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah to talk about animal rights and his latest independent documentary "How Conscious Can A Fish Be?" Hope and Ryuji talk about the importance of including fish in our advocacy and discuss fish pain, fish sentience, and fish farms. Ryuji offers advice about effective communication as a vegan, how focusing on the animals is critical for our messaging, and  how protecting wild animals is often seen as preserving the species or ecosystem, without consideration to the individual animals.  Resources: Ryuji’s YouTube Channel Ryuji on The Daily Show Video: How Conscious Can a Fish Be?

 Today Hope starts us off with some interesting information about lobsters, crabs, oysters, and other marine life. Then we have Kathy Stevens joining us. Kathy is the founder & director of Catskill Animal Sanctuary, a 150-acre refuge in New York’s Hudson Valley for 11 different species of farmed animals. She was an educator for many years and in 2001, she co-founded Catskill Animal Sanctuary, where her love of teaching, her belief that education has the power to transform, and her love of animals come together. One of the world’s leading sanctuaries for farmed animals, Catskill has saved more than 5,000 non-human individuals through direct rescue — and even more through programming that encourages humans to adopt veganism. Hope and Kathy talk about Kathy’s journey starting Catskill Animal Sanctuary, how elderly farmed animals are so rare and only found on sanctuaries, and how Tucker the cow has changed thousands of lives with his love of people.  Resources: Catskill Animal Sanctuary Kathy’s books:  Where the Blind Horse Sings Animal Camp

Happy New Year! Today on the podcast we have Sangita Iyer joining us. She is a journalist, biologist, award-winning filmmaker, National Geographic Explorer, and founder of Voice for Asian Elephants Society. Sangita was born and raised in Kerala, India, home to captive elephants used in temple ceremonies, documented in her award-winning film Gods in Shackles and now her new book called Gods in Shackels: What Elephants Can Teach Us About Empathy, Resilience, and Freedom.  Considered the “Blackfish for elephants,” the film exposes the heartbreaking plight of these amazing gentle giants in India. From her home in Canada, Sangita now oversees teams on the ground in India who combat elephant poaching, illegal trade, habitat loss and more. Hope and Sangita discuss the precarious situation for elephants in India, for both the wild population and for the captured elephants used in rituals.   “Elephants are the largest animals on earth, and they are literally designed to play a vital role in the ecosystem. Climate change has no borders, so what happens to elephants in India and Africa reverberates and impacts other countries at a devastating pace.”   -Sangita Iyer Resources:  Gods in Shackles (website) Gods in Shackles (film) Gods in Shackles (book)  Voice for Asian Elephants Society

Happy Holidays! In this episode, Hope is flying solo and  wanted to share with you some exciting things coming up in the new year for Compassionate Living and our signature projects, the Humane Hoax Project and the Ahimsa Living Project. She also talks about the mixed message of the holidays with tidings of love and peace wrapped up with overconsumption and meat eating.   “If we haven’t changed our hearts and we just change our habits, then any progress is built on a flawed foundation” -Hope Bohanec  DONATE TO COMPASSIONATE LIVING’S MATCHING CHALLENGE

Elly Nakajima is the founder and director of Animal Alliance Asia – a movement building organization dedicated to empowering and training animal justice activists across Asia. Born in Japan and currently based in the UK, Elly is passionate about building a more inclusive, culturally relevant, and effective movement across Asia. She was one of the first Japanese language educational content providers for vegan advocates in Japan.  Hope and Elly discuss the need for vegan advocacy to adapt and change for different cultures and different audiences in Asia. Elly explains why truly local leadership across Asia is critical for the ideas of veganism and animal rights to thrive. Elly is on a mission to empower woman and people of the global majority to embrace leadership roles in animal rights and to feel confident advocating for animals in their countries and regions.  Resources:  Animal Alliance Asia DONATE TO COMPASIONTE LIVING’S MACTHING CAMPAIGN

This episode is a rebroadcast of a solo show from last year at this time where Hope explores the Thanksgiving holiday in the US, the malleability of tradition, and the plight of the millions of turkeys that suffer and are killed for the holidays. We hope you enjoy this episode replay. Happy ThanksLiving! 

Dr. Jason Hannan is Associate Professor in the Department of Rhetoric, Writing, & Communications at the University of Winnipeg. He is the editor of Meatsplaining: The Animal Agriculture Industry and the Rhetoric of Denial. Jason and Hope talk about this edited volume and about “meatsplaining” as a PR tactic of the animal agriculture industry. They talk about how animal exploiters use the law, social media, anti-vegan trolling, and the humane hoax to justify and sanitize atrocities in animal farming. They also talk about Jason’s current book project, New White Saviors: The Colonial Mythology of Meat, which examines the meat industry as a form of cultural and ecological imperialism. He is also the Chair of the Winnipeg VegFest, the largest vegan and animal rights festival in central Canada. Resources: Meatsplaining: The Animal Agriculture Industry and the Rhetoric of Denial  Episode 48: Love and Rescue with Hope and Cogen Bohanec

Welcome to our spooky and fun episode where Hope explores the connection between Halloween, horror movies, and veganism. Then we have Marla Rose joining us. Marla and her husband, John Beske, own Vegan Street Media,  a full-service marketing, design, and communications company for vegan businesses and nonprofits. Marla also co-founded Chicago VeganMania, a popular festival that ran for ten years, and the author of several books including Fun, Festive and Fabulous: Vegan Holidays for Everyone and Humane Halloween: 22 Quirky, Fun and Bewitching Vegan Recipes for the Spirit of the Season.  Hope and Marla talk about being vegan around the holidays, explore why it seems that so many vegans love Halloween, and overcoming the feeling of isolation during the holidays and the joy of finding like-minded community to celebrate with!  Resources: Vegan Street  Vegan Street Media Humane Halloween: 22 Quirky, Fun and Bewitching Vegan Recipes for the Spirit of the SeasonHumane Halloween FaceBook Page  

Vegan Festival Season is here! Today Hope chats with Erika Hazel. Erika is a popular social media influencer and food blogger known as the Bizerkeley Vegan. Erika became The Bizerkeley Vegan after she transitioned to the vegan lifestyle and the name comes from her love of everything others see as bizarre or unique about Berkeley, California. Erika organizes the Bizerkeley Food Fest and she and Hope talk about the importance of vegan food fests for building community, supporting small businesses, and showing pre-vegans how good plant-based food can be.   “Going through the stomach is my form of activism.” -Erika Hazel, The Bizerkeley Vegan Resources: Instagram: The Bizerkeley Vegan

Today on the podcast it’s all about leather-free materials—fabrics that mimic leather, but are animal-free and more ecological. We have two guests with us to talk about their businesses that focus on innovations in non-leather goods. First up is Paras Doshi, founder of Doshi, that offers fashionable and durable non-leather items like belts, wallets, and purses. Then we have Troy Akin, founder of the company EcoSports. Troy makes footballs, basketballs and more using a material that is vegan, chemical free, biodegradable and that retains the feel and bounce that you would expect from a high-quality ball. Join us to hear about the future of vegan products beyond food and how these fabrics are helping to revolutionizes eco and ethical living. Hope also reminds listeners about her upcoming 6-week course on nonviolence and vegan ethics called Ahimsa, Animal Advocacy, and Veganism starting on Saturday, September 24.  Resources: Hope’s Course: Ahimsa, Animal Advocacy, and Veganism Doshi EcoSports More about the leather industry from BiteSizeVeganSonoma County VegFest

On this episode we are joined by Christopher Jain Miller, the co-founder and Vice President of Academic Affairs of Arihanta Academy, a Jain Dharma college. He completed his Ph.D. in the study of Religion at the University of California, Davis and is the academic advisor for the global Jain Vegan Initiative. Chris and Hope dig deep into the parallel philosophies of Jain dharma and vegan living. They explore the concept of Ahimsa, Sanskrit for non-violence, and how young Jains are seeing veganism as a way to practice their principle of non-harming in a modern context.  They also discuss Arihanta Academy, a new online Jain college, and Hope’s class in starting Sept 24 called Ahimsa, Animal Advocacy and Veganism. Resources: Arihanta Academy Hope’s Class- Ahimsa, Animal Advocacy, and Veganism Chris' Classes- Jain Philosophy in Daily Life, Yoga Sūtra: The Classical Yoga of PatañjaliInstagram- @thejainveganinitiative 

Did you know that ducks like to take a swim before breakfast and that cows like to have a view? Paul Drake is the designer and construction leader of the animal housing at Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge, where he is helping to pioneer a new process called animal-centered design. Paul has a Master’s of Architecture and has a passion for designing sustainable structures that can improve the lives of animals. Lenore Braford is the Founder and Animal Care Director at Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge in Pittsboro, North Carolina. Lenore has nearly a decade of experience working with and enriching the lives of animals. On this episode, we will hear all about the new process of animal-centered design and how this unusual animal refuge is innovating sanctuary life and creating unique spaces designed for each individual species of farmed animal to feel safe and thrive.  Resources: Ryuji Chua on The Daily Show Animal Centered Design Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge Compassion Consortium (monthly online spiritual vegan gathering)   

  Why not dog meat? Molly Elwood is the vegan activists who created the website, Elwood’s Organic Dog Meat which launched in August 2021 and has gone super viral with over 1.3 million unique views. The Facebook page has over 42k followers, and one post has reached nearly 10 million people and has 21k comments and 42k shares! This fictional farm raises dogs for meat with claims like “local,” “organic,” “free-range" and "ethical." The idea was to satirize meat industry's messaging, encouraging consumers to explore their cognitive dissonance around the animals they choose to put on their plates. Molly and Hope discuss the emotional and visceral reactions that this unique campaign has created, the use of satire in political action and change, and how Molly herself fell for the humane hoax before going vegan.  Resources: www.elwooddogmeat.com

Mitali Deypurkaystha  is a British-Indian woman based in the UK. A vegan of 10 years, Mitali has a book publishing company called The Vegan Publisher, using a hybrid book publishing model to help vegan and plant-based experts write books to amplify the voices of ethical entrepreneurs. Mitali tells Hope about her experiences with racism as a child and in particular an aspect of racism called colorism. She goes on to talk about her love of writing, choosing it as a career path, and how the passion of vegan entrepreneurs inspired her to start a vegan publishing company. Mitali explains what a mind map is and how this new method of organizing thoughts can help beyond writing books. She also tells Hope why she wrote her book, The Freedom Master Plan, and how it can help ethical entrepreneurs write and promote their books to catapult their businesses or organizations to the next level.  Resources: Sign Up for Compassionate Living's E-news Sign up for Hope's online course: Ahimsa, Animal Advocacy, and Veganism with Arihanta AcademyMitali's Info: Publisher website: https://www.theveganpublisher.com/ The Freedom Master Plan book website: https://www.thefreedommasterplan.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LetsTellYourStoryPublishing Twitter: https://twitter.com/veganpublisher    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veganpublisher/ LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/veganpublisher/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfrbspEvAQyN8thKIdh-ycg

Deborah Blum is the founder and executive director at Goatlandia Farm Animal Sanctuary in Santa Rosa, CA. Deborah moved to Santa Rosa to fulfill her dream of living with goats and what started as a passion grew into a non profit rescue, education organization, animal therapy, goat yoga, kid’s camp, as well as vegan catering, and much more. Deb and Hope discuss their mutual love of goats and how the rise in popularity of goat dairy has created the same cruelty and ethical issues we see with cow dairy. Deb talks about using goats to graze public lands for fire prevention, and how this other popular use of goats is on the rise and has created yet another host of ethical problems and even more goats needing rescue. They also discuss Goatlandia’s vegan catering and the power of delicious vegan food to change the world! Resources: Goatlandia Farm Animal Sanctuary  

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH! We are celebrating Pride today with two amazing people, Mckenzee Griffler and Pax Ahimsa Gethen. Mckenzee holds a certification in Animal Sanctuary Management and is the Executive Director at the Open Sanctuary Project. Mckenzee is a trans woman and shares with us some basics of trans etiquette, unpacks some of the most pressing issues facing the trans community, and conveys why respecting and supporting trans people and trans kids saves lives. Pax Ahimsa Gethen is a blogger, photographer, Wikipedia editor, and long-time vegan. Pax shares their thoughts on the connection of being trans and being vegan, some San Francisco trans history, proposing gun abolition, and the story of their connection with a neurodivergent alpaca at VINE animal sanctuary.   Resources from Mckenzee (she/her/hers): Podcasts:Gender RevealTransLash PodcastThe Anti-Trans Hate MachineWebsites: Them.ushttps://genderdysphoria.fyi/SingularThey.infoState Action Center - National Center For Trans EqualityBooks:  A Quick & Easy Guide To Queer and Trans IdentitiesA Quick & Easy Guide To They Them PronounsQueer: A Graphic HistoryA Queer History Of The United StatesOrgs:Sylvia Rivera Law ProjectTrans LifelineThe Trevor ProjectThe National Center For Trans EqualityACLU Resources from Pax (they/them/their):  Website: http://funcrunch.org Blog Posts: Dare to disarm Resistance to going vegan - excuses and responses The Transgender District: https://www.transgenderdistrictsf.com/ Office of Transgender Initiatives: https://sf.gov/transcitysf Compton Cafeteria Riots: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jun/21/stonewall-san-francisco-riot-tenderloin-neighborhood-trans-women    

This episode we welcome back to the podcast Hope’s husband Cogen Bohanec. Cogen and Hope reminisce about giving vegan talks together in the early 2000’s, how enchanted they were with each other’s integrity and ethical values, and how some (almost) raw sushi was a symbol of their love. They then explore some vegan philosophies they have debated over the years. The first is what Cogen calls the Hypocritical Imperative, arguing that it’s better to be hypocritical than complacent. They also discuss vegan vs. plant based labels and if plant based offers a more inclusive option or a watered down ethic. They also investigate a philosophy they call Directional Ethics, which examines whether or not to support a restaurant or store or product based on their vegan “direction.”  They also discuss quantifiable and unquantifiable measures of effectiveness for veganism and activism.  Resources: Episode 48: Vegan Love and Rescue with Cogen and Hope Bohanec