Top Ten: Do It Yourself Activism Tips
from No Compromise Issue 27

Based on information from Vegan Outreach and PETA

1. Work as a Humane Educator in area schools. Humane education examines the challenges facing our planet, from human oppression and animal exploitation to materialism and ecological degradation. For more information on Humane Education training visit http://www.iihed.org/

2. Leaflet, leaflet, leaflet! Carry literature with you and leave it everywhere - at the laundromat, in waiting rooms, on the bus, and wherever you go. Leaflet a concert as it lets out; in just 20 minutes, you can pass out hundreds of booklets to concert-going youth.

3. Wear compassion on your sleeve (or backpack or shirt). It’s amazing how effective simple activities, like strategically placing a sticker or an "Ask me why I’m vegan" button on your jacket or backpack, can be. You’ll be amazed by the conversations that one little button, sticker, or t-shirt can start!

4. Set up an information table. A great way to reach a large number of people is to set up an information table in a busy area of your town (try the local mall, concerts, street and craft fairs, middle schools, high schools, colleges, etc., and be sure to get permission). Stock your table with flyers and fact sheets and get ready to amaze and educate passersby!

5. Make a library display. Public libraries usually have prominently placed display cases that members can use to educate others about issues that concern them. A display with a collage or poster, some leaflets and appropriate books from the library is sure to get attention and turn heads!

6. Promote animal rights on cable-access TV. Expose thousands of people to the plight of animals on factory and fur farms, in laboratories and in circuses by organizing your own cable-access television show.

7. Get involved with local community groups. Members of local organizations can talk to their clubs about offering vegan meals at group functions. Church members can speak with pastors about veggie options at church dinners and fundraisers.

8. Write letters for the animals. The Letters section is the most-read section of the daily paper and is well read in magazines as well. Scan the newspaper for animal issues, then put pen to paper. See Letters for Liberation in No Compromise issue #26 for more info.

9. Host a vegan dinner party. Many people would like to go vegetarian but just don’t know what to eat. We can’t think of a better way to promote compassion than by showing your officemates, or non-vegan friends just how delicious vegan dining can be.

10. Make requests at grocery stores and restaurants for vegan foods. Give everyone vegan options and save animals who otherwise would have died for someone’s plate. Grocery stores and restaurants will bend over backwards to satisfy their customers, so don’t be shy about requesting vegan foods!