In today’s interview we are very happy to welcome back to ARZone, Dr. Casey Taft. 

Casey is co-owner of Vegan Publishers and Professor of Psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine. He’s an internationally recognized psychologist and clinical researcher, -- winning prestigious awards for his work. He has published over 100 journal articles, book chapters, and scientific reports, and has recently authored “Millennial Vegan,” “Motivational Methods for Animal Advocacy,” and “Trauma-Informed Treatment and Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence.”

Casey Taft ARZone Vegfest UK Interview

In this interview we were pleased to welcome Phoebe Frampton to ARZone. 

Phoebe is a vegan activist and artist and has been organising various activism events and campaigns within the vegan movement for 7 years. She and her sister together founded activism groups ‘London Vegan Actions’ and then ‘The Earthlings Experience’ which became a new form of activism, with events taking place in more than 100 cities worldwide. She also performs spoken word and poetry to raise awareness about different injustices towards humans and other animals and encourage one love for all beings.

We spoke with Phoebe about The Earthlings Experience, about 'infighting', about showing footage without the consent of passersby, showing happy footage and much more.

Phoebe Frampton ARZone Vegfest UK Interview

In this interview we were pleased to welcome back to ARZone, Jeremy Hess. 

Jeremy is a rights-based advocate, who creates content for social media to inspire us to respect other animals and to be thoughtful about our advocacy.

He volunteers at FRIEND Farm Animal Sanctuary, writes for the Vegan Publishers Facebook page, mentors new vegans, and runs Vegan Interactions which is designed to help us find our voice by sharing ideas and supporting each other.

Jeremy is providing a space that adds to that support at Vegfest UK this year with the Vegan Activists Hub, which he hopes will give activists the opportunity to expand upon the ways we can better ourselves as advocates. We spoke with Jeremy about that initiative, about the meaning of 'animal rights', about why he has created a space for groups such as DxE and AV, and about what he hopes to accomplish at this year's Vegfest UK Brighton event.

Jeremy Hess ARZone Vegfest UK Interview

In this interview we were delighted to welcome Farrah Rainfly back to ARZone. 

Farrah is one of the founding directors of Life after Hummus Community Benefit Society, a BME-Led London-based social enterprise who are on a mission to pioneer nutrition and lifestyle intervention solutions for a changing health and care landscape to improve the physical and mental health of the public and reduce health inequalities, tackle food poverty and reduce social isolation, whilst operating within an intersectional framework. 

Currently on a weekly basis they offer FREE Food Waste Prevention Cooking Club Socials, attended by 30 participants each week. They guide them to prepare healthy vegan dishes in their hands-on nutrition and cooking classes, normalising the act of cooking. At the heart of what they do is a simple motto: Health is a RIGHT and not a privilege. 

Farrah will be presenting at Vegfest UK Brighton this year, addressing healthy eating on a vegan diet, and avoiding common pitfalls, and joined us to discuss that, as well as her other outstanding work.

Farrah Rainfly ARZone Vegfest UK Interview

In this interview we were joined by budding business sensation, Omari McQueen. 

Omari, who is already an award winning chef, has always had a passion for cooking, and started his own You Tube channel called “The Mari Maker Show”, as well as his own vegan business, Dipalicious, all by the age of ten! Omari’s dips are not only delicious, he makes them all himself, before sharing them with the world via the Dipalicious website. Each dip is 100% vegan. 

Omari was part of Vegfest UK Brighton this year and he (and his Mum, Leah) joined us to speak about Omari’s work, what he took from  Vegfest UK Brighton and how Omari has already had so much success.

Omari McQueen ARZone Vegfest UK Interview

In this interview we were very pleased to welcome our special guests, Trev Weeden and Kristy Alger. 

Trev has been an active member in the animal movement since becoming vegan in 2016. Co-organiser for the March to Close All Slaughterhouses since 2017, and co-organiser for both the World Day for the End of Speciesism march in 2017 and the Dominion March in 2018, he also helped organise Be Fair Be Vegan events in 2018. Trev has also been a volunteer and employee of Animal Liberation Victoria. 

He’s recently helped form the new Collectively Free Melbourne Chapter - an activist community working for animal liberation, human liberation, and earth liberation.

Kristy is an animal liberation activist living in Tasmania. She is a co-founder of Tasmanian Animal Save, and was elected current President of Animal Liberation Tasmania in October 2018. Both organisations are active within the Tasmanian and interstate animal advocacy communities.

Her approach to animal activism is informed by a strong commitment to feminism and the ideals of consistent anti-oppression. Ultimately Kristy is focused on dismantling systems that actively oppress all beings, human and other than human, whilst seeking out alternatives for a future that is inclusive and supportive for all.

Trev and Kristy joined us to speak about the Melbourne March to Close all Slaughterhouses, which they are helping to organise as well as their ideas about advocacy and or in general.

Animal Rights Zone (ARZone)