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Loading...Vegan: More than a Diet, More than a Lifestyle
In June of this year, the European Parliament passed an Amendment to the consumer food information regulations, giving legal protection to the word ‘vegan’, and making it a legally-enforceable term in the European Union by the year 2014. According to the new law:
“…the term ‘vegan’ should not be applied to foods that are, or are made from or with the aid of, animals or animal products (including products from living animals).”
Although this obviously indicates that veganism is making its way into our culture and society in a whole new way, this development should perhaps be of some concern to those of us for whom veganism represents much more than food, as it has the potential to reinforce the widespread acceptance that veganism is nothing more than a dietary choice.
The word ‘vegan’ was originally introduced in 1944, by the founder of the UK Vegan Society and inventor of the term, Donald Watson. Although the word was originally used to signify a dietary practice (abstaining from dairy, eggs and honey as well as flesh), the definition was soon expanded to include all products of animal exploitation, including animal-derived fabrics and clothing.
“The word ‘veganism’ denotes a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude — as far as is possible and practical — all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.”
66 years after the coining of the term, it seems that both vegans and the world at large are still undecided about whether the word should signify merely a dietary practice, or whether the meaning should go beyond diet.
The adoption of a ‘vegan’ diet for health reasons is becoming increasingly socially acceptable, as doctors, nutritionists, athletes, celebrities and even CEOs are hopping on the ‘vegan diet bandwagon’ to lose weight, get healthy and improve athletic performance. Men’s Journal recently ran an article espousing the benefits of ‘going vegan’ for working out. YouTube sensation Isaiah Mustafa (aka the Old Spice Guy) recently told Jay Leno that his trainer has told him to abstain from animal products (as well as other toxins) to improve his fitness regimen, and ‘ultra-marathoner’ Scott Jurek has been eating vegan for over ten years.
With environmental concerns becoming increasingly widespread, there’s a new trend to ‘go vegan’ for the health of the planet. With everything we know about the ecological impact of animal agriculture, it makes sense that many people are cutting back or even eliminating certain animal products from their diets in an attempt to curb their contribution to climate change, deforestation, pollution, and the other forms of environmental devastation caused by animal agriculture.
This is all good news of course, but to many of us, it actually has very little to do with what we understand veganism to be.
Since the coining of the term in 1944, the word ‘vegan’ has evolved, as the number of individuals who consider themselves vegan has grown. With greater understanding of the suffering involved in all aspects of the animal industry – from our food to clothing to entertainment – a new standard of the word has developed.
As I wrote in my last post:
“The pandemic of violence in the world calls to us to reevaluate our relationship with nonhuman animals – who are victims of the most extreme forms of our collective violence – and to recognize that they are no more meant to be our possessions than African-Americans, women, children, or any other living beings. They too, are individuals, who value their lives, feel pain, fear death, and have a right to live free from oppression.”
Veganism is nothing less than the evidence of one’s commitment to nonviolence – the determination to eliminate our support for cruelty to others carried out on our behalf.
Veganism is a demonstration of the awareness of fundamental principles of justice – an ongoing declaration of our conviction that acts of brutality and oppression are not excusable simply by virtue of the species of the victims.
Veganism is an acknowledgement of the responsibility of the individual – the recognition of our obligation to minimize the harm we cause by our existence, and to develop in ourselves the qualities necessary to become citizens of a better future; where no one is oppressed, where no one is treated as a means to an end.
If we truly seek a peaceful world – a world in which people do not live in fear of one another, and a world in which humans are not universally regarded as the most violent species on the planet – then there is simply no way we can sidestep veganism as the key to the future we are seeking; the essential step on the way to developing qualities that are vital to our continued existence.
It’s an unavoidable truth that veganism will continue to mean different things to different people. But for those who are drawn to its powerful message of justice, nonviolence and personal responsibility, the profound significance of veganism offers us an ongoing opportunity to expand our understanding and truly live the ideals that we believe in.
Read more: animal rights, animal welfare, vegan
Image: Flickr / Genista
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173 comments
+ add your ownViky X. there are still people living like this. how do you suggest converting them? Indians live on reservations, and not as they did 400 years either
shall we do the same? veganize everyone? people love shouting troll on animal rights topics, when nobody joins in their circule jerk. so here is some "trolling"
http://www.huntercourse.com/blog/2011/05/amazing-hunter-gatherer-societies-still-in-existence/
what do they do for us? why not? this is unessesary and non productive way. if they adopt farming, we can get rid of even plant factory farming. they can feed themself and the world by growing beans and corn and such.
allowing people to live as their ancestors is useless and pointless.
think of those antalopes, lions are being robbed of food. animals are being killed when we can teach them kinder ways
like when people went around with Christanity, giving that gift.
For me veganism has always been nothing like a ‘diet’ or smth; it’s a life philosophy, a way of thinking, and one of my beliefs. It consists of very important things--nonviolence lifestyle, protecting of those who are in need, fighting with cruelty, overcoming my egoism etc. Usually when I tell people I’m a vegetarian (and half-vegan), they say smth like ‘ooh, it’s a hard diet, how do you manage to live with it?’ I’m really tired to explain that “I do not follow any diet (or healthy lifestyle); I can eat wholesome food, and junk food as well. I just wanna live in harmony with other living souls.
thanx for this post.
colleen p., you keep amusing me with your interesting questions ;) Yep, you’re right--300 years ago life was really hard and ppl hardly had a choice. The things that were absolutely normal about 100 years ago have become unacceptable nowadays. Furthermore, thousands of years ago human beings ate each other. So what? Wanna get this practice back? Should we continue living in primitive society as savages and barbarians, or maybe let us develop ourselves, since it is normal and natural process of ANY living creature? Hey, we are able to improve our minds and lifestyle! Aren’t we lucky? X)
I am a vegetarian , and try to go as vegan as possible( I buy hemp stuff, etc). I agree with the people that said if people just followed a vegan diet,thinking that's all there is to being vegan, that would be OK with some vegans, knowing that it's still working at something positive. I bide my time until I can find something to substitute my whey protein( soy too high in estrogen when taking lots of it, pea protein too high in sodium, working on trying hemp and brown rice), then I know I could become full vegan. One day! Thanks Angel!~
I am not a strict vegetarian....I have become unable to eat most meat....I am living in a Nursing Home, so I eat what I can and leave the rest.
Great article :) Thank you.
Thank you.
(con't)
....smörgåsbord of animal products was served. HSUS, Farm Sanctuary, and every organization that signed onto this campaign endorsed this dinner by virtue of supporting the intended promotion of "humane" farming through the OFHF campaign. See: http://vimeo.com/13613159
You may be right Marcus that by creating the impression (in the minds of the public) that the key issue is a dietary one, that we forgo the chance to impart a much more important issue, the key issue for people involved in animal advocacy work.
In my outreach advocacy work, I see myself as a marketer (not in the shadey car salesman sense) of compassion. My goal is to get people to consider valuing animals intrinsically, not simply instrumentally. Of course, I don't say this flat out to people because the change is usually going to come(if ever it does) from the emotional part of a person's brain, not the intellectual one. I will focus on ethical concerns but if I see that the person is not open at all to that, I will talk about health concerns regarding the consumption of animal products.
The one thing that I will never do is sell people the HSUS / Farm Sanctuary line (that factory farming is the problem and the fix is to eat and drink products that come from "humane" farms). This is exactly what good intentioned animal activists did when they put their trust in the leadership of HSUS and Farm Sanctuary and sold the public the idea that the Ohioans For Humane Farms (OFHF) initiative (a collaberation of harmers and exploiters of farmed animals and those alleged to be opposed to the harm and exploitation of farmed animals) was a necessary and good cause / campaign to support. This is a disaster for animals culminating in part, in a fund raiser dinner in which a smörg
If we can get more people to go vegan simply for diet, I am all for it. Meaning, many people are selfish, and may never truly hold sincere compassion for life. (but they will do things for their own selfish benefit - like health)
Some people simply do not care about the pain and suffering of others - and it may be impossible to change how their brain works. America seems to have a LOT of these people. (don't care about human suffering, don't care about animals, etc)
With this in mind, if these people choose to go vegan for selfish reasons -- it still benefits all animals.
My only concern with this approach is that if the focus is solely on diet - that we will lose sight of the issues like leather, puppy mills, fur, pets, zoos, aquatic parks, circuses, etc.
i am vege and heading for vegan ... i eat cheese only Microbial cheese like Halloumi but not in large quantity , milk also the same very lil amount in my tea/coffee. and i feel the way we take milk from so unfair and its really pain full , every animal mom , just like us happy and excited to see their baby and to feed them , but we human being are so cruel and we take that right away , not only that we kill the baby too and drool for the flesh of innocent baby and we call it VEAL .. how barbaric ,unethical , uncivilized is that ? .
i am member of peta and most of the organization and i also rescue animals in personal basis , just like on human i really can't put a price for animals . they are just like us , their life also precious . their pain and suffering almost unheard of millions of butchers and ppl who consume their meat .. i thank GOD PETA and other organizations standing up for these innocent creatures and opening the eyes of many who were blind who, wouldn't think that nicely packed meat you purchased from the market which come to your plate , had gone through gruesome death of hands of CIVILIZED HUMAN BEING. how shame i am even to call my self human ....
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