S3, Ep6: Diversity, Equity & Inclusivity in Veganism with Aryenish Birdie
Nov 25, 2020
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Aryenish Birdie, founder of Encompass, talks about the lack of diversity in veganism and the need for inclusivity in the animal rights movement. She shares personal stories of activism and highlights the importance of amplifying the voices of vegans of color. The podcast also explores self-care for activists and emphasizes the significance of compassion.
Promoting diversity, equity, and inclusivity is crucial in the vegan movement to ensure racial justice and representation.
Activists should educate themselves on anti-racism, amplify voices of people of color, and integrate equity in all aspects of their work.
Deep dives
The Importance of Racial Equity in the Vegan Movement
In this podcast episode, Arianna Shburty discusses the need for diversity, equity, and inclusivity in the vegan movement. She emphasizes the importance of fighting for racial justice and ensuring that people of all cultures and races feel included and represented in the movement. Arianna shares her personal journey as an activist and explains the work she does through her organization, In Compass, to address the lack of racial diversity in the animal rights scene. She encourages individuals and organizations to educate themselves on anti-racism, amplify the voices of people of color, and integrate equity into all aspects of their work. By doing so, the vegan movement can become stronger, more inclusive, and better equipped to fight for the rights of all beings.
Building an Inclusive Vegan Movement
Arianna Shburty discusses the need to build a vegan movement that is racially equitable and inclusive. She addresses the misconception that veganism is a privileged or exclusive lifestyle and highlights the importance of breaking down that impression. Arianna encourages activists to amplify the voices of people of color, share resources and materials created by individuals from diverse backgrounds, and engage in conversations about racial equity. She emphasizes the need for white allies to take responsibility for solving the problem of racial injustice within the animal rights movement, recognizing that it was created out of white supremacy. Arianna also emphasizes the importance of self-care for activists, particularly those who are advocating for racial equity, and advises individuals to disengage from toxic discussions and take time to recharge.
Promoting Racial Equity: Actions for Individuals and Organizations
Arianna Shburty provides actionable steps for individuals and organizations to promote racial equity within the vegan movement. She suggests engaging in self-education by reading books, articles, and resources on anti-racism, as well as seeking out the perspectives of activists of color. Arianna emphasizes the importance of amplifying the voices of people of color in the movement and offering support through volunteering, sharing their work on social media, and providing financial contributions. She encourages organizations to integrate equity into their strategic planning, budgets, and values, as well as prioritize diversity and representation in their staff and leadership roles. Lastly, Arianna reminds individuals to be open to challenges and mistakes, and to foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
The Intersection of Veganism and Racial Justice
In this podcast episode, Arianna Shburty explores the intersection of veganism and racial justice. She shares her personal journey as a vegan activist and how her experiences shaped her commitment to both animal rights and racial equity. Arianna emphasizes the need to challenge exclusionary practices within the vegan movement and addresses the argument that veganism should prioritize human issues first. She advocates for a holistic approach to activism, recognizing that compassion should extend to all beings, human and non-human alike. Arianna encourages vegan organizations to speak out on racial equity issues, integrate equity into their values and practices, and actively work towards building a more inclusive and diverse movement. She also highlights the importance of self-care for activists, particularly those who face racism within the animal advocacy community.
This season of The ChickPeeps is brought to you by our friends at Vivo Life! Use our code 'chickpeeps10' to get 10% off your order at vivolife.com.
In this episode Evy and Tylor talk to Aryenish Birdie, founder of Encompass, about her work to make the animal protection movement more racially diverse, equitable, and inclusive, and what each of us can do to reach and help more people with our activism.
While you’re listening, please take a moment to check out the link to our sponsor. Not only are Vivo Life a great, vegan company, but their support also allows us to continue to produce The ChickPeeps for you! We love them and their products and we think you will too.
In this episode…
Aryenish describes how she inherited her respect for animals from her parents, who bonded as teenagers while protecting stray dogs on the streets of Karachi, Pakistan.
She remembers her first experience as an activist, campaigning with the help of her mother, against a draconian frog dissection project that was mandated by her school.
Aryenish shares what she learned from her years at The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and what prompted her to found Encompass.
Aryenish tells us about the issues caused by the lack of representation within veganism and the challenges present when promoting diversity within our movement.
We talk about how animal rights is an ally-led movement and the need for diversity as our movement is only as strong as the voices of which it is composed.
Aryenish shares tips on how each of us can promote inclusivity in our activism and create a better world for human and non-human animals.