I was tasked with creating a theme for our recent Vegan Toastmasters meeting. Given the state of the world, particularly the recent Hamas attack on Israel, the theme that jumped out at me was PEACE.
Peace feels so elusive, especially in the Middle East. Despite the complicated nature of the conflict, most of us are horrified by the brutality inflicted on innocent humans- no matter what your beliefs are about who is right. Violence toward humans happens all over the world for myriad reasons.
Tangentially (but not unrelated) many of us are horrified by violence inflicted upon non-human animals. Humans massacre millions of innocent beings every day. Needlessly. While many readers will say “but an animal’s life is not equal to a human life,” I beg to differ. Perhaps animals don’t have the cognitive abilities that humans have. But they are sentient beings and feel pain. They have families and communicate and love their offspring. Not too dissimilar from us humans.
Cows, pigs, chickens, fish (and any animals we consume, perform tests on, trophy hunt) deserve better than the horrible existence to which they are subjected. (Yes, even the ones who are “humanely raised.”)
The topic of animal slaughter and consumption is also complicated. Our agriculture and food systems are enmeshed with major corporations and governments. Eating animals is normalized in most cultures and it’s how most of us grew up.
We don’t have an easy solution for peace in the Middle East. I will leave that to more learned minds than mine. BUT we do have an answer to animal slaughter and torture. It’s called being vegan.
Will the world go vegan overnight? No. Billions of human beings are not ready to embrace a more compassionate way of eating. But could it happen for you? Yes. The number of vegans, vegetarians, pescatarians or reducetarians is growing all the time. And there’s more support than ever. One by one, over time, we make a difference.
Peace starts within our own hearts. And choosing what we eat every day can help bring peace to our planet on so many levels. By not actively participating in acts of violence toward animals we become aligned with our inner values of peace and not harming others. This can map over to our compassion toward humans.
Maybe someday there will be peace for all the animals: human and non-human. We can start by being vegan ourselves, then spread peace through our personal actions and advocacy.
Even if you are not yet ready to be completely vegan or plant-based, every step you take toward consuming more plants and fewer animal products makes a difference. To you, the animals and the planet. Please reach out if you would like more information or support in eating more plant-based.
And don’t forget to Give Peas a Chance!
If you, like many of us, are feeling helpless, and wish to contribute toward aid in embattled regions, Doctors Without Borders is an excellent organization.