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Awareness of the lives of non-human animals has skyrocketed since World Vegan Day first took place on November 1, 1994.
Abundant research has proven that humans are not unique in feeling pain, pleasure, fear, and joy. We have a greater understanding of the bonds that animals form. And long-overlooked species, including fishes* and bees, have been recognised for the sentient beings that they are.
Yet, an upsetting dissonance endures. Despite knowing how our actions are causing them to suffer, humans continue to use and abuse ever more animals.
Love Animals? Go Vegan
For animal lovers around the globe, World Vegan Day is a chance to turn awareness into action.
In food, clothing, entertainment, and more, many people who claim to love animals are not aligning their values with their behaviors.
Being aware that animals have their own lives and do not want to suffer is a first step. However, to make a meaningful difference, we need to act on this knowledge.
Find out everything you need to know about veganism here, and how to remove all animal products from your diet here.
Vegan for the animals
The harsh reality for animals is stark. On November 1, like on every other day, hundreds of millions of animals will be slaughtered for food.
When evidence shows that these animals have the potential to feel pain and fear, it is hard to make sense of this scale of suffering.
You only need to observe some of the lucky ones, those who are rescued from exploitation and have the chance to live out their lives at vegan sanctuaries, to realize that they each have their own personality and their own likes and dislikes.
If you want to donate to animal sanctuaries, you can find a list here.
Vegan for health and planet
The benefits of veganism for the health of individuals and our collective global health have never been clearer.
Studies regularly show the health dangers of eating meat and the protective benefits of a plant-based diet.
Moreover, animal agriculture is one of the biggest contributors to the climate crisis. It is also considered a major threat for a future pandemic.
Find out how you can help save the planet by changing your diet here.
Why every day should be World Vegan Day
Awareness days are pointless if the awareness is not turned into action.
At every meal, in every shop, on every day out, we have a choice. Either we can support industries that exploit innocent animals for profit. Or we can choose plant-based and cruelty-free alternatives.
When it comes to animal exploitation, every individual choice is meaningful. Every action has the potential to make the world a kinder place.
A different sort of awareness?
On November 1, it is important to celebrate every small step towards a more vegan world.
Activists and charities are doing incredible work to bring animal suffering into the public eye. Meat consumption is duly falling in the UK.
Furthermore, some institutions and nations are taking seriously their responsibility to act on the climate science.
Maybe, in the not-too-distant future, World Vegan Day will exist to raise a different kind of awareness. In a vegan world, when the atrocities of animal exploitation have been confined to the past, November 1 will be a chance to remember their countless trillions of victims.
*While the English language typically refers to multiple fishes as “fish,” we choose to use “fishes” to emphasize their individuality.
