Veganisme Belgie

lodchjo · Site Admin Geregistreerd op: 23 Feb 2012 Berichten: 115 Woonplaats: Antwerpen

How to Be a Compelling Vegan Advocate
(From: Activist's Handbook, chapter 7)

Yes, we want the world to finally get it, and get it, like, now. It's all very clear to us, whether we're old-timers at this veganism thing, or we just came around last week with the white-hot intensity of a religious awakening. We know that the adoption of a vegan consciousness is necessary so our planet does not self-destruct; furthermore, many of us feel the ticking of the clock with an almost painful urgency, understanding that as we patiently try to educate the world, animals are having their beaks and tails lopped off, they are suffering in cages, they are dangling by their legs above the kill floor of the slaughterhouse.

How can we reconcile the need to make the world understand the seriousness of the situation while also accepting that this message needs to be communicated in a way that isn't so off-putting that people tune us out? There is a tendency for human beings to reach a point of overload, where they will not be able to hear our message because they've been emotionally overwhelmed by what we have to say.

Let's also be realistic about how much most people embrace change: it's not too common that you're going to encounter someone who says, "Oh, goody! You're about to tell me about some misery I contribute to because of the habits I'm accustomed to! And then it's going to force me to acknowledge my role in the suffering and death of many other beings! And make me change lifelong consuming habits as well as potentially put a wedge between my friends and family and myself! Well, what are you waiting for? Let's get started!" Most people need to feel there's a cushion of safety around them that you are respecting. To create this feeling of safety and open dialogue requires good communication skills on your part.

This doesn't imply that you have to coddle those with whom you are communicating. In fact, as coddling is a form of condescension, there is really no place for it in an open and respectful dialogue. What I am saying is that what's worked for me is to be adaptive, sensitive, confident and even-tempered when advocating veganism to others, even -- perhaps especially -- with those who are outwardly hostile. It hasn't always worked, of course: there are days when I'm simply too impatient to be effective, and times that no matter how Gandhi-esque I tried to be, it was to no avail. Despite all this, I have found what I've outlined below to work for me in most cases.

Be mindful: how do you like to be talked to? Do you respond well to someone who is aggressive? Demeaning? Mechanical? Rude? Unfriendly? Speaking personally, I do not. If I can make someone feel comfortable right away, I know I have made an important inroad. How can you make someone feel comfortable? For starters, do a head-to-toe inventory: keep your body language open and non-defensive, maintain good eye contact, keep your demeanor calm but friendly, among other things. One way to understand how another might like to be talked to is to think about how you like to be talked to. Imagine a scenario in which someone you encounter has an ethic they want you to embrace, and you are initially resistant to what that person has to say. What could that person do to make you listen a little longer, with a more open mind? Now imagine what that person could do that would make you more resistant, more eager to escape. How can you apply what you've learned to your own interactions?

Remember that although we vegans often think of ourselves as being very different from the rest of society, we still have an essential human nature that responds well to the same things as those we communicate with. Thank goodness for this, as it is vital for understanding others. The moment you think that you are smarter, more evolved, more of an all-around good person than the person with whom you are speaking is the moment you convey this in your words. We all like to feel respected, and if you can make someone feel that way, you've knocked down a wall that may have blocked you otherwise.

Don't talk at people. This dovetails very nicely with the previous point, and it's so important, it needs to have its own category. I've observed a kind of preachy and bossy attitude in activists all too often, and I've been guilty of it myself, so I know it doesn't work. I understand how passionately we feel about veganism, of course, but talking at someone just serves to alienate: it comes across as abrasive, self-centered and shrill.

Let me give you an example from my own past: when I was in college, one year I went to a hippie get-together called a Rainbow Gathering, where people camp, play drums and generally bliss out while waving their fingers in front of their eyes for a week or two. Well, there's a lot more to it than that, but that's it in a nutshell. Lots of good vibes and shiny, happy people.

Anyway, one day some people from my camp and I volunteered to go into town to get some supplies, a journey that took the better part of a day. We stopped at *gulp!* the Dairy Queen in town and fortified ourselves with bovine mammary secretions and then continued back to camp. Well, I was a well-intentioned young vegetarian, but I had never even heard the word vegan, let alone given much thought to supporting the fast food industry. I was not very educated about a lot of things connected to consumerism or the power of one's dollar.

When we got back to camp, I was telling a few others about having gone to Dairy Queen and one guy sitting at the campfire shot up, his face inflamed, his veins throbbing in his forehead and his fingers angrily jabbing at the air as he started screaming at me. I was so taken aback, I don't remember all of what he yelled, but it was something akin to, "You moron! How could you give money to a company like Dairy Queen?!? Don't you know anything? Are you trying to singlehandedly destroy the planet, you selfish so-and-so?!?"

Needless to say, I didn't learn much from this outburst other than to avoid future contact with this deranged individual. I did not learn about my contribution to animal suffering. I did not learn about factory farming. I did not learn about my wasteful consuming habits. I did not learn a cotton-pickin' thing, other than that was definitely NOT how I wanted to conduct myself. He also succeeded in alienating all the others in the vacinity when he could have instead planted the seeds for education and growth. Was the satisfaction he felt by venting at and attacking me worth sacrificing an opportunity to teach another about the myriad benefits of veganism? I don't think so.

How do you know if you're talking at someone? If the sound of your voice predominates, it's likely.

How well you listen is as important as what you say. Have you ever had the experience of talking with someone you didn't previously know and feeling like that person really understood you? A conversation in which you feel you emerged a better person because of it? One where you felt smarter, more self-assured, more enthusiastic than before? Chances are likely, you were in the company of someone who was a very good listener. Sure, we all love to be around people who can tell good, interesting stories, but that can become tiresome. One feels vaguely unnecessary after a while.

To be around someone who understands a real conversation to be about give and take, a subtle but dynamic dance between two or more people, is to feel valued and essential. A good listener truly hears what another is saying. A good listener asks questions, not because she's trying to to be polite, but because she's interested. A good listener does not have an ironclad agenda, and does not paint others with a broad brush. A good listener approaches each conversation with a freshness, hoping to learn as well as teach. This last point is important, because when we do our advocacy work, the people we converse with have a great deal to teach us, and if we just listen, we can learn not only how best to reach that individual, but also about ourselves and our effectiveness as educators.

Yes, listening is one of those things that is easier said than done, and it's not made any easier when people respond predictably to what we have to say. But, as mentioned earlier, always keep in mind how you like to be spoken to, and remember that the 50th person in one afternoon asking you how you get a complete protein doesn't know about the other 49 who came before him. Also, keep in mind that unless you were raised as one, you weren't always vegan. Your evolution likely took place over weeks, months or years. Don't expect to see a person transform before your eyes. What you can do, however, is create a non-hostile environment in which a person will feel comfortable learning and teaching. If you've done so, you've likely planted a seed that may very well bear fruit.

Make it Personal. One way of gaining someone's trust is to talk about your personal experiences on the road to veganism. Because so many people think that it must take an almost monastic vigilance, we're often seen as ascetics who relish denying ourselves every conceivable pleasure. If we tell personal stories about our experiences, we help to demystify veganism and make it more accessible. Rather than saying, "How could I possibly miss ice cream? That would clog my arteries with the milk intended for a baby calf who was likely sold for veal, anyway," you might want to say something like, "Yes, at first I was a little apprehensive about whether I could give up ice cream, but it turns out I didn't have to worry after all. There are so many fantastic products on the market right now that I don't miss a thing. Have you ever heard of Soy Delicious or Soy Dream?"

When you make it personal, you serve to humanize veganism and put it in an unintimidating, everyday context. It becomes less of an unattainable and rigid dogma if you can show someone how you personally adapted to the lifetstyle. You can also draw on others' experiences. For example, if the person you are talking to reveals that he hates meat substitutes, saying something like, "They're definitely not for everyone. I have a friend who's a vegan, and she can't stand them either. She's managed to get by just fine without them because she usually just sticks with whole foods, which is probably healthier anyway," helps that person see examples of how this lifestyle can be flexible to adapt to any individual preferences.

It also helps to use humor when personalizing veganism, which goes a long way toward poking holes in the stereotype of us as being angry, strident, permanently scowling fundamentalists.

Treat People as Individuals. This has been touched on in earlier points, but it is essential to good communication. No one likes to feel like they've been branded as this or that, and even if you don't otherwise say it, if you feel like those you communicate with are just Misguided Meat Eaters, or Ignorant Yokels, or Shameless Yuppies, it will come through in what you say. You will patronize. You will fail at listening. Your window of opportunity will slam shut.

If you understand that everyone has something to teach you and you are willing to learn, it will be impossible to write people off. One bit of wisdom I heard a meditation teacher say once is that every stranger you pass in the grocery store has a life that would be so interesting if you read about it. You would learn about personal triumphs that would make you smile with wonder, and personal tragedies that would make you weep. Keeping in mind the uniqueness of those you encounter will help instill a freshness into each opportunity you have to advocate for veganism.

Now, we're all going to have moments when we slip. Times when we become impatient, domineering, or we get our buttons pushed in such a way that we become angry. The point here isn't perfection, but striving to do the best we can with the circumstances that we have, and trying to always improve our communication skills. So get out there and start advocating!

Source: http://www.veganstreet.com