How I Learned to Love Shrimp Penny Tehilah on uniting “welfarists” and “abolitionists” through pressure campaigns
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Sep 9, 2025 Penny Tehilah, Executive Director of Animal Activism Collective, shares her journey in uniting various animal rights groups through grassroots pressure campaigns. She discusses the importance of in-person convergences for building community and skills. The conversation highlights the innovative Rage Tour and how it engages locals to become committed activists. Penny explains how collaborative efforts have led to significant wins, including those for shrimp welfare, and why embracing both abolitionist and welfarist approaches can lead to impactful change.
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Tangible Wins Drive Momentum
- Pressure campaigns produce concrete, verifiable wins like stores dropping foie gras or designers abandoning fur.
- Penny argues tangibility builds momentum and proves activism directly helps animals.
Run Multi-Day Convergences
- Host convergences: gather activists in shared housing for concentrated, high-energy actions and skill sharing.
- Use multi-day in-person events to build relationships and accelerate activist development.
Coalitions Multiply Strengths
- Combining groups leverages complementary strengths: ICAW's welfare reach, CAFT's fur victories, and AAC's grassroots mobilization.
- Strategic coalitions amplify wins across campaign types and audiences.
