Challenges with absorbing newcomers in the animal rights movement

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The animal rights movement faces barriers to attracting new members due to low salaries and the dominance of large organizations. There is a need to avoid glorifying sacrifice and martyrdom among activists and lower the bar for involvement. The movement should aim to make participation appealing, enjoyable, and meaningful to members, similar to how the NRA does. While there are positive reasons to join the movement, strategists need to focus on reducing anxiety and creating a more inclusive environment for newcomers.

David Coman-Hidy is former President of The Humane League, one of the largest farm animal advocacy organisations in the world. He now works as a Partner at Sharpen Strategy working to coach animal advocacy organisations.

In this episode, we discuss the age-old debate facing animal advocates: Should we pursue incremental approaches to improve welfare or should we only advocate for the total abolition of animal exploitation. Additionally, David also shares some approaches he would like to see more of within the animal advocacy movement, as well as what we could learn from other social movements.

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