Armchair activism: Vegan campaigns to get involved with in 2020

When you go vegan, it’s common to want the world to change with you. You’ve seen the light, so why can’t everyone else? To avoid this sense of frustration, it can help to be proactive and get involved with campaigns that align with your values. Whether your motives are ethics, health or environmentalism, supporting a campaign can foster a deeper and more meaningful connection with veganism whilst raising awareness amongst the general population.

Aligning yourself with a cause run by those whom are devoted and dedicated to a conscious and ethical cause is a fantastic way to help enrich your attitudes and beliefs whilst reminding you of the importance of the wider goals you are looking to achieve through your lifestyle. With this in mind, let’s explore some of the most impactful campaigns for 2020…

Compassion in World Farming: End the Cage Age

What is it? Whilst we all dream of one day living in a world where no animals are killed for their meat, in the meantime we can campaign for better conditions. Across the world, billions of animals are farmed in cages, causing unnecessary suffering. 

Why it’s important Pigs, hens, rabbits, ducks and quail are all subjected to cage cruelty. Sows are forced to nurse their piglets in crates, rabbits and quail endure their whole lives in barren cages, and ducks and geese are caged for force feeding to produce foie gras. These antiquated systems confine, restrict, and prevent animals from expressing their natural behaviours.

Get involved Sign the online petition, donate and share the stories behind caged farm animals.

Find out more: Head to ciwf.org.uk or follow them on social media.

The Woodland Trust’s Big Climate Fightback

What is it? The Woodland Trust is leading the Big Climate Fightback, which will see tree-planting events occurring across the UK during National Tree Week (23rd November-1st December 2019).

Why it‘s important The campaign aims to help battle climate change and deforestation by replenishing some of the Earth’s lungs, re-planting trees which are lost due to human interference.

Get involved It’s simple — head to their website and pledge to plant a tree, and go ahead and plant one in your local area. You can also join one of the public events across the UK on 30th November 2019.

Find out more Search for Big Climate Fightback at woodlandtrust.org.uk.

Orangutan Appeal UK

What is it? The Orangutan Appeal UK aims to help save, re-home and protect the already incredibly endangered orangutan population in some of the most overly-deforested areas, including Borneo and Indonesia.

Why it’s important The action of the charity has seen orangutans rescued from vulnerable areas and treated to alleviate injury, before finally being released into a safer habitat. The charity also helps fund conservation projects for the rainforest in Borneo. 

Get involved Getting involved with the appeal is simple. You can choose to support the charity as a part of your next 10K or mountain climb, or for the more sedate fundraiser, host a charity evening with bakes and eats.

Find out more Visit orangutan-appeal.org.uk.

The Official Animal Rights March 2020

What is it? Want to do more than just sign a petition? The Official Animal Rights March will be back in 2020, and promises to be bigger than ever, taking over even more cities across the world.

Why it’s important The peaceful marches are critical in helping catapult veganism into the public domain and raise awareness of industries that exploit animals. Previous years have seen the march hit the news headlines in national papers, uniting veganism amongst mainstream press.

Get involved Sign up for one of the marches in your city and grab yourself a placard!

Find out more Head to surgeactivism.org/theofficialanimalrightsmarch to find an event near you.

Viva!’s Moo-Free May

What is it? Every year, Viva! launch their Moo Free May campaign in order to bring attention to the cruelty of the dairy industry. Viva! sheds light on the plight of the dairy cow and her calves, with a month-long campaign packed with dairy-free swaps and street action events.

Why it’s important Dairy consumption in the Western world continues to be high. Increasing awareness and using inspiring dairy-free swaps and recipes are critical steps to help encourage more individuals to ditch dairy.

Get involved You can host your own Moo Free May event in your local area, and encourage your nearest coffee shop to drop their dairy-free milk surcharge for one month.

Find out more at scarydairy.org.uk.

Cruelty Free International’s Anti Animal Testing Campaign

What is it? Cruelty Free International are tirelessly campaigning to help end the use of animals in laboratory testing across the globe.

Why it’s important Millions of animals are currently being used as test subjects. Is this necessary? Considering the advancement in computerised toxicology, it seems rather outdated that animals are so widely used in scientific research. The campaigns help challenge companies to do better, and consider transitioning towards modern alternatives, which are free from suffering.

Get involved There are many ways you can help raise awareness and funds for the campaigns, from blogging online to using your social media account. You can also shop for cruelty-free beauty products on their website. 

Find out more Visit crueltyfreeinternational.org.

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