Together we can bring change to the world, gradually replacing fear and hatred with compassion and love. Love for all living beings

Lisa lives in East Providence, Rhode Island where she is an animal rescue volunteer and a wildlife rehabilitator. She has witnessed the abject suffering of animals who experienced abuse and neglect either in domestic or factory farm settings. She has also witnessed the remarkable intelligence, complexity and richness of spirit animals have. Meatless Movement recently had a chance to chat with her.

She told Meatless Movement that the mind melting horrors and cruelty inflicted upon animals in factory farming all over the world is a tragedy that we have the power to stop.

Please tell us more about yourself

Our vegan community is helping to create the kind of world that is about true peace for all sentient life
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My life’s passion is promoting veganism and this path has been inspired by my work as an animal rescue volunteer, wildlife rehabilitator and a counselor at a busy outpatient community clinic.

May all animals know this kind of joy
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I am inspired daily by the resilience of all animal and human life when offered the opportunity to be safe in body and in spirit. Having the joy and the honour of establishing these sacred connections as well as witnessing the connection and joy all sentient life experience – the stunning scope of animals’ intelligence, their love of family and their capacity to form lifelong bonds with many different species as well as each other and seeing their beauty and their ability to be in each moment with great attentiveness is more profound to me than I can begin to articulate.

In accompanying both animals and people through experiences of trauma and into experiences of home and belonging is, quite simply, one of the most beautiful things to witness.

I hear your voice in all the world’s noise
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I believe the defining experience in communicating the interconnectedness of all life is one of empathy. There is an exciting and profound evolution in our consciousness that is about honouring and celebrating the indisputable fact that all life is sacred.

I believe it is vital for us as a society to end the archaic notion of speciesism and to embrace the reality that animals, humans and even nature itself wants to live, thrive and be free to exist in its own unique and sacred way. Human life is not more valuable than animal life. All life is equal. All have the intelligent as well as instinctual desire to live and it is our honour to ensure that all beings have the opportunity to live in only love and peace.

Helping others to recognize this connection as well as to make simple, loving shifts to veganism as the very act of doing so is an act of love. Veganism is not a political issue. It is not an opportunity to be divisive. Being vegan is simply about choosing love. Love for animals, love for this troubled earth that we all share and love for making choices with a mindful heart to do no harm.

And if we dare to look into those eyes, then we feel their suffering in our hearts
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When discussing veganism with friends and the world at large, I try to plant seeds in loving and thoughtful ways. I love cooking and sharing and bringing vegan foods to friends at work or at social gatherings as this is a gentle way of showing others that a vegan lifestyle is beautiful, healthful and infinitely more inspired when made with plants and lots of love! People can get reflexively defensive about their diet and their perception that their choices are up to them. Breaking this deeply embedded belief system down with simple, loving offerings helps to bring about awareness of veganism and that it is all about love.

I also introduce veganism in my work as a counselor. When people are reminded that their experience of suffering and isolation is the same for animals as well as for people and that making choices that involve ones that consider lives outside of their own, helps people to focus a bit less on their own experience and more on the fact that all of us simply want to experience happiness.

In your light, I learn to love
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I have found that the more people expand their awareness outside of their own experience to include others, is a powerful tool for transformational change. The more we can realize that we are here to love, support and bring joy to others is a huge step towards creating peace for all. To see through the eyes of another and recognize that we are all the same is to choose veganism.

“One day the absurdity of the almost universal belief in the slavery of other animals will be palpable. We shall then have discovered our souls and become worthier of sharing this planet with them.” Martin Luther King, Jr.