Our Principles and Values
1.
We are a movement for all life
We have a vision for a safe and secure future for all. A future where no animals are exploited, whether for food, fun, or any other purpose.
We recognise that the farming and fishing industries are not only where the greatest number of animals suffer, but that transitioning to a plant-based food system is the key solution to our climate and ecological emergencies.
3.
We focus on system change above individual change
We understand fundamental shifts in our society are required, not just for the animals, but for people to thrive as well.
Whilst individual personal and spiritual transformations are an important part of this, alone they are not enough. Rather, we must move people, culture, and structures at a systemic level if we are to create the necessary societal and personal changes.
We do this by positively envisioning what can be achieved, rather than getting weighed down by all that is wrong.
Whilst we will challenge behaviour that is harmful, we avoid blaming and shaming individuals, as no one person is responsible for our flawed system.
2.
We are a Nonviolent movement
We have a duty to openly, and nonviolently, challenge our broken system.
Nonviolence involves targeting systems doing harm, not people doing harm; being accountable for the actions we take; staying humble; accepting suffering without retaliation; and remaining peaceful in our spirit, words, and deeds.
It is both the change we want to see, and how we will achieve it.
4.
We are a kind, welcoming, and sustainable movement
This means actively working to create welcoming, accessible spaces; looking after one another and ourselves;
building our resilience;
avoiding jargon;
taking time to reflect and learn; challenging ourselves and one another, and accepting constructive criticism when required;
consciously improving each day; assuming good faith in interactions;
resolving conflict when it arises; managing workloads;
and working collaboratively for the good of the community, without expectation of compensation.
5.
There is more that unites than divides us
We embrace collaboration with those who share similar values, and seek reconciliation with those who may not.
We stand alongside other groups striving for justice, including climate campaigners; animal rights advocates; striking workers; indigenous communities; and more.
In the animal justice space, we applaud those striving for liberation in their own ways, including the nonhuman animals who fight for their own freedom each and every day. Here we occupy our own niche: using nonviolent direct action to achieve systemic, cultural, and personal transformations.
We seek common ground and reconciliation through dialogue with farming and fishing communities, many of whom increasingly face struggles of their own under the existing system, and from our deepening climate and ecological crises.