June 3, 2008

Striking at the Roots: An Interview with Mark Hawthorne

Photo from strikingattheroots.com, taken by Marji Beach

What happens when you ask one hundred and twenty animal activists their advice about strategy, tactics, and making meaningful change for animals? The answer is Mark Hawthorne's new book Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism. Highly readable, Hawthorne's text demystifies advocacy, showing the myriad entry points where people can get effectively involved, from the small-scale to elaborate, from the casual to highly organized. Showcasing the voices of activists, the personable text pulses with infectious enthusiasm. Tune in to hear Hawthorne talk about what surprised him, who inspires him, and where the movement stumbles (and thrives!).

News links:

• B.C. man found guilty of cooking a cat alive
• Class pets facing extinction in Britain
• Utah's Temma Martin has dedicated her life to standing up for pets

Download mp3s of the interview:
lower quality / smaller: part 1 (2.77 MB) and part 2 (3.1 MB)
higher quality / larger: part 1 (8.43 MB) and part 2 (9.22 MB)

March 6, 2007

Veg 101 and Aftershock: Confronting Trauma in a Violent World

First up, we speak with Bev Miller, R.D., about the Toronto Vegetarian Association's free "Vegetarian 101: Moving Towards a Healthy Heart Diet" nutrition talks. The March 17 talk is dedicated to "Protein, carbohydrates, and fats," and the final session on March 31 will tackle "Making healthy lifestyle habits." Get a taste of Bev's accessible and lively style as she busts some of the biggest food myths, and teaches you how to thrive nutritionally.

Then, we continue with a live conversation with activist, sanctuary co-founder, and psychotherapist, pattrice jones. In this interview we delve into jones' poignant new book Aftershock: Confronting Trauma in a Violent World, A Guide for Activists and Their Allies. "Everyday," writes jones, "people who push against violence and injustice or pull for peace and freedom must face their own fears. Many activists also must struggle with 'aftershock,' the physical and emotional reverberations of frightening or traumatizing experiences endured in the course of their activism." On tomorrow's program, we hear about some key aspects of trauma and how people can positively address these issues, with particular attention given to the relationship between trauma and animal activism.

Download mp3s of the interview: part 1 (3.29 MB) and part 2 (2.84 MB)

February 20, 2007

The Lifelong Activist: Interview with author Hillary Rettig

In her stimulating book, The Lifelong Activist: How to Change the World Without Losing Your Way, Hillary Rettig argues, "[M]ost people seem to leave activism involuntarily, and that's a problem on many levels. When an activist burns out, she typically derails her career and damages her self-esteem and relationships. She also deprives her organization and movement of her valuable experience and wisdom. The worse problem, however, may be that when an activist burns out she deprives younger activists of a mentor, thus making them more likely to burn out. And so it's a vicious circle, with burnout leading to more burnout" (p. 16).

Rettig's text, which could have easily been called A Very Practical Handbook for Managing Your Life, offers a concrete methodology for balancing activist pursuits, earning a living, and walking your own path toward self-actualization. Her text offers both no-nonsense advice and compassionate encouragement from the perspective of someone who has heaps of personal activist experience, plus years of helping other activists who have faced (and transcended) burnout. More than a book of "tips" or "do's and don't lists", The Lifelong Activist offers a systematic methodology that helps the reader reflect, prioritize, and move forward. As a vegan and animal rights activist, who has also been involved with the labor and feminist movements, many of Rettig's illustrative points and examples draw on those issues and contexts. Rettig has an uncanny knack for anticipating her critic, and confronts these concerns head on. From tackling perfectionism, negativity, and personal fears, to learning to delegate and stay focused, she shows you how to get on track (if you aren't already), get back on track, and stay on track, so that we can lead our lives as effective and happy activists.

Tune in to learn more about the key elements of the book, and how Rettig enacts her goal, which is to empower as many activists as possible, while telling what she "perceive[s] to be the truth even if some readers find it to be controversial or even painful" (p. xv).

Download mp3s of the interview: part 1 (3.37 MB) and part 2 (2.6 MB)

March 1, 2005

The Vegan MD, Dr. Michael Greger, on Atkins, Burnout, and Nutrition

Internationally renowned speaker, Dr. Michael Greger, discusses his new book, Carbophobia: The Scary Truth about America's Low-Carb Craze, the risks involved with taking on the Atkins corporation through his website, activist burnout, and vegan nutrition. We also pose email and call-in questions for Dr. Greger on nutrition.

Download mp3s of the interview: part 1 (2.67 MB) and part 2 (3.19 MB)

May 11, 2004

The Veg Resource Group & cookbooks galore!

This week on Animal Voices we'll be speaking with Debra Wasserman, co-coordinator of the Baltimore-based Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) and prolific cookbook author. The VRG is a "non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public on vegetarianism and the interrelated issues of health, nutrition, ecology, ethics, and world hunger. In addition to publishing the Vegetarian Journal, VRG produces and sells cookbooks, other books, pamphlets, and article reprints." Debra's cookbooks include Vegetarianism for the Working Person, Meatless Meals for Working People, Simply Vegan (co-authored), and The Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook. Debra is also the past editor of the fabulous Vegetarian Journal.

Download mp3s of the interview: part 1 (3.31 MB) and part 2 (2.15 MB)

April 27, 2004

Avoiding activist burnout with poet James Strecker and Miyun Park of Compassion Over Killing

Today's show will be about activist burnout, both within activism in general and animal rights activism in particular. Burnout seems to plague our movement and other social justice movements. It can be alienating and depressing to continually confront the horrors of the world, with little opportunity to witness immediate change. Sometimes activists don't take the time to care for themselves, or feel that they don't deserve a break in the face of such overwhelming pain and suffering.

We'll reflect on these issues, and share some perspectives on self-care and tips for avoiding burnout. We'll be talking with Miyun Park, an activist and animal cruelty investigator with Compassion Over Killing. We'll also be speaking with an in-studio guest, accomplished writer James Strecker. Additionally, Animal Voices will read Tooker Gomberg's "Letter to an Activist," which the late environmental activist wrote on Earth Day 2002.

Download mp3s of the interview: part 1 (3.25 MB) and part 2 (2.36 MB)