In-Person Trainings

In this workshop, Tobias Leenaert presents some of the key choices we can make if we want to make a difference for animals. Whether we are working as an individual advocate or as part of an organization, we have many options to choose from—some which have more impact than others. What we do for animals is ideally a combination of what we love, what we are good at, and what is effective. Tobias also explains how individuals and organizations can measure their impact.

In this workshop, Melanie Joy explains the principles and practices of effective communication, as they apply to our personal interactions with family and friends and to those to whom we are advocating. Improving our communication improves not only our ability to convey our message, but also our sustainability, since effective communication is essential for sustainable advocacy. Participants will learn the principles and tools for communicating clearly, directly, and compassionately.

Building on the concepts introduced in Effective Communication, Melanie Joy explains the specific methods for advocating veganism. She discusses how to recognize and respond to defensiveness—in others and oneself—as well as ways to avoid getting caught up in unproductive or counterproductive communications about eating animals. She presents the basic principles of effective advocacy and applies them specifically to veganism, taking into account the carnistic mentality that often gets in the way of advocating effectively.

To be an effective vegan advocate, it’s important to look at what works, and not just follow personal theories and ideologies. Being pragmatic is not (just) about not offending people, and it certainly is not about compromising or selling out. It’s about doing what works. This workshop helps participants to think anew about strategy and to pick the best ideas and strategies for the current phase of the vegan movement.

In this workshop, Tobias Leenaert builds on the points introduced in Making Compassion Easier, examining the implications of a pragmatic approach to vegan outreach. The focus of this workshop is the question, “Is what I’m doing having the impact I want?” Tobias discusses effective and ineffective communication styles and arguments for veganism, and helps participants learn new ways to approach advocacy.

Unsustainable advocacy, which often leads to burnout, is widespread among vegans and can significantly reduce the effectiveness of the vegan movement. In this workshop, Melanie Joy discusses how to both prevent and reverse unsustainable advocacy and “secondary traumatic stress,” the stress that comes from witnessing violence. She also discusses ways that vegan advocates can increase their resilience, which increases both their sense of fulfillment and their effectiveness as advocates.

Relational literacy is the understanding of and ability to practice healthy ways of relating. Many of the most pressing problems in our lives and our world—from animal exploitation to war and domestic abuse—have a common denominator: relational dysfunction. Relational dysfunction is also a key impediment to the success of vegan organizations and the movement as a whole, as manifested in widespread infighting, toxic communication, and abuses of power among leaders. And a staggering number of individual vegans report that the breakdown of relationships in their personal lives is an obstacle to their sustainability. In this workshop, Melanie Joy explains the principles and tools for building relational literacy, to help vegans improve the quality of their relationships and advocacy and to help build a more resilient movement and a more compassionate world.

Like the broader culture, the vegan movement has been plagued by abuses of power, from discrimination to sexual harassment. Much of the problem is caused by unexamined privilege—privilege people aren’t aware of. However, attempts to raise awareness of privilege often lead to infighting and end up reinforcing the very problem they’re trying to transform. In this talk, Melanie Joy presents a straightforward explanation of what privilege is, why it matters, and how to talk about it in a way that helps create a more inclusive and powerful vegan movement.