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This week Marine interviews Julia Feliz-Brueck about her consistently anti-oppression vegan activism. Julia is a decade-long vegan, a mother of two, a scientist, and a published author and illustrator. She is also the founder of Sanctuary Publishers (sanctuarypublishers.com), a vegan book publisher that gives back to marginalized communities with every book sold. Published under the Sanctuary Publishers label, sales from Julia’s most recent books, The Baby and Toddler Vegan Feeding Guide and Veganism in an Oppressive World, help support the work of Chilis on Wheels, an organization that helps to feed the homeless with vegan meals, and the Food Empowerment Project. Julia is also the founder of VeganismOfColor.com and co-writer of the Vegan Bill for Consistent Anti-Oppression (ConsistentAntiOppression.com). In this interview, Julia talks about her experience as a neurodivergent vegan of colour to bring attention to the ableism and white-centrism within the mainstream vegan movement.

Sources and Links

Websites

Vegan Bill of Consistent Anti-Oppression: ConsistentAntiOppression.ComThis Bill outlines and explains the steps towards evolving into an effective and successful vegan movement that centers nonhuman animals.Veganism of Color: VeganismOfColor.ComUse this site as a tool to learn about veganism of color, to use when addressing People of Color to point them towards their own communities, and to learn details on Vegans of Color that you should support to help veganism reach People of Color.New Pride Flag: NewPrideFlag.comLGBTQIA of Color are more likely to identify as LGBTQIA and are twice as likely to be targeted by homophobia while Trans Black Women are disproportionately targeted and murdered at the highest rate from anyone else in the LGBTQIA community. This new pride flag hopes to remind the movement of its history, which was started by Trans Black and Brown women like Marsha P. Johnson. The flag also hopes to raise the voices of Trans and Queer PoC, as well as raise awareness of the need to center those most marginalized within the movement. We all benefit when we help address root issues, understand interconnections, and work to help those most afflicted in our communities. The flag is free to download on the site.

Books

Available on Amazon, Major Booksellers, or SanctuaryPublishers.Com/Shop

Veganism in an Oppressive World by Julia Feliz BrueckISBN-13: 978-0998994611A step by step guide on understanding veganism in an oppressive world in the words of Vegans of Color around the globe and how to navigate it to best focus efforts that actually benefit nonhuman animalsFood Justice: A Primer by Saryta RodriguezISBN-13: 978-0998994635A book which helps bridge Food Justice issues and Animal Rights issues in a way that exemplifies how they are interconnected and reliant on one another.

For babies and toddlers:

Wild and Free by Andrea Zimmer and Julia FelizISBN-13: 978-0998994642This hardcover children’s book helps children understand the wrong versus right dichotomy of speciesism and sets veganism/anti-speciesism as a social justice movement that is part of working towards human and nonhuman liberation through catchy rhymes and colorful images.

Coming soon in 2019

Veganism of Color: Decentering Whiteness in Human and Non-Human LiberationA Vegans of Color Community Project edited by Julia Feliz Brueck

Articles

Racialized Speciesism by Julia Feliz on Medium: https:...

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In this episode, Mexie explores what geoengineering can (and can’t) provide in terms of climate change mitigation and adaptation. She outlines various options in the two main geoengineering categories: Carbon Dioxide Removal (removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere) and Solar Radiation Management (reducing the amount of solar radiation that hits the earth’s surface). The options in the first category are safer than the options in the latter, however each comes with serious risk. Geoengineering has been gaining traction with the release of the latest IPCC report, but could a geoengineered world be even more dystopian than a 4-6C temperature increase?

Sources and Links

* Aaron Byrd and Sofia Perpetua, How it Happens – Carbon Capture: https://www.nytimes.com/video/science/100000002990028/how-it-happens-carbon-capture.html* Jan Christoph Minx and Gregory Nemet, The Inconvenient Truth About Carbon Capture: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/theworldpost/wp/2018/05/31/carbon-capture/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.9ab0e07ee02d* James Temple, The Carbon Capture Era May Finally Be Starting: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/610296/the-carbon-capture-era-may-finally-be-starting/* Climate Vision, The Negatives of Carbon Capture and Storage: http://climatevision.co.uk/the-negatives-of-carbon-capture-and-storage* Umair Irfan, Will Carbon Capture and Storage Ever Work?: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/will-carbon-capture-and-storage-ever-work/* Jonathan Watts, Geoengineering May be Used to Combat Global Warming, Experts Say: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/08/geoengineering-global-warming-ipcc* Fiona Harvey, Reflecting the Sun’s Rays Would Cause Crops to Fail, Scientists Warn: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/aug/08/reflecting-suns-rays-would-cause-crops-to-fail-scientists-warn* Peter Beaumont, Scientists Suggest a Giant Sunshade in the Sky Could Solve Global Warming: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/apr/05/scientists-suggest-giant-sunshade-in-sky-could-solve-global-warming* Rima Sabina Aouf, Five Geoengineering Solutions Proposed to Fight Climate Change: https://www.dezeen.com/2018/10/18/five-geoengineering-solutions-climate-change-un-ipcc-technology

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In this episode, Mexie interviews Becky Ellis, a PhD candidate at the University of Western Ontario and the host of the Permaculture fo the People podcast, about how and why permaculture is important for envisioning a sustainable post-capitalist future. Becky explains the fundamentals of permaculture and why the ethics of permaculture are inherently radical. We discuss issues around colonial-capitalist property regimes that both leftist and permaculture movements must address, as well as how permaculture can add to other radical social movements concerned with both human and animal liberation. To thrive in the 21st century, our post-capitalist world-building needs to radically re-envision our relationships to one another as well as to all of the other species in the ecosystems of which we form part.

Sources and Links

* Permaculture for the People: https://permacultureforthepeople.org* Permaculture for the People Podcast on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/permaculture-for-the-people/id1438915815?mt=2* P4P facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/permaculturefortheppl/* Find Becky on Twitter (@Permacultureppl) and Instagram (@Earthygrrrl)* Leanne Simpson, As We Have Always Done: https://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/as-we-have-always-done* Sylvia Federici, Re-enchanting the World: Feminism and the Politics of the Commons: https://btlbooks.com/book/re-enchanting-the-world* Heather Jo Flores, Food Not Lawns: http://www.foodnotlawns.com/* Starhawk, The Earth Path: https://www.harpercollins.ca/9780060000936/the-earth-path/* Trina Moyles, Permaculture of Spermaculture: https://briarpatchmagazine.com/articles/view/permaculture-or-spermaculture* Permaculture Women: https://medium.com/permaculturewomen* How to Grow Your Own Food in an RV: https://www.your-rv-lifestyle.com/how-to-grow-your-own-food/

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In this episode, Marine interviews Rama Ganesan on the problematic associations that many vegans make when they hold up India and Hinduism (or even Buddhism and Jainism) as inherently vegetarian/ vegan. Rama also explains why it is counter to vegan values to celebrate India’s beef ban, to use the word “Ahimsa” as a synonym for “vegan”, or even to use quotes from Gandhi to advocate views of compassion and non-discrimination.

Sources and Links

* Rama’s presentation slides: https://medium.com/@ramaganesan/these-are-the-slides-from-my-talk-at-vegans-of-color-conference-at-dublin-vegfest-september-23-79626adcde61* Rama’s organization, Vegan Michiana: https://veganmichiana.com/* Rama’s Facebook page, Anti-Caste Vegan: https://www.facebook.com/Anti-Caste-Vegan-824278461115942/* Livestream of the Vegans of Colour Conference in Dublin, 2018: https://www.facebook.com/NARAcampaignsIRELAND/videos/523350941468793/?hc_ref=ARQicw-97ayNS-rJtCbiSRd6tg4WBRRe0Psr3mfRdGg00G4RsnTjUB67qkGNAsHe0y4&__xts__[0]=68.ARBuqk3H_zCTH2zVCJuwJb3uyfsf4ir6eV4tRTapL02IToSR-oZAhMVbpSaVPc0FactXgXNQUw4PjenJJsz27pJ-WRK6TETEYKa2TZU_VOkDg7hH-MtsNkdBaITR6a9OXW3k2tdjjAnacojxsDJwkAyoWidIUkzjPI9Sq0_wJhiStknuqFPT2TXwEAXCtXg2HiDcVPVT90QcrNLI6UUw6ZSL-IfDTF8nsUq_LYbUCGcwB8EE-V9YO3k1OU_22Q&__tn__=FC-R

Books:

* Kancha Ilaiah, Why I am not a Hindu, A Sudra Critique of Hindutva Philosophy, Culture and Political Economy* Kancha Ilaiah, Buffalo Nationalism, A Critique of Spiritual Fascism* Ed Julia Feliz Brueck, Veganism In an Oppressive World, A Vegans of Color Community Project* Kim Socha, Animal Liberation and Atheism, Dismantling the Procrustean Bed* D.N. Jha, The Myth of the Holy Cow* Sujatha Gidla, Ants Among Elephants, An Untouchable Family and the Making of Modern India* Romila Thapar, The Past as Present, Forging Contemporary Identities Through History* B.R. Ambedkar, Introduction by Arundhati Roy, Annihilation of Caste

Articles:

* Rama Ganesan, Veganism is not Brahminism:  https://medium.com/@ramaganesan/veganism-is-not-brahminism-71ce8f2658a8* Rama Ganesan, Vegans demanding to change ancient religions: https://medium.com/@ramaganesan/vegans-demanding-changes-to-ancient-religions-46ded205ff12* Dalit Diva – Thenmozhi Soundararajan, Why it is Time to Dump Gandhi: https://medium.com/@dalitdiva/why-it-is-time-to-dump-gandhi-b59c7399fe66* Anand Neelakantan, Is India really a spiritual civilization, in New Indian Express Sep 2 2018: www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/voices/2018/sep/02/is-india-really-a-spiritual-civilisation-1865178.html* Adrija Bose, Vegetarian India A Myth?

Rundown

In this episode, Mexie and Marine discuss the ways in which sexual dimorphism, which has been exaggerated by millennia of social oppression, is at the root of patriarchy and rape culture, and informs our other oppressive systems like capitalism, colonialism,  imperialism, and white supremacy. Drawing on anthropological theory and literary works, we argue that the physical dominance of men is not something purely natural, although as a global society we’ve come to understand it as such. What if women were encouraged, as men are, to bulk up and fight back against any attacker? What would the world look like if the physical power dynamics were flipped? What forms of liberation would that enable; what abuses of power?

Sources and Links

* Virginie Despentes, King Kong Theory: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7624359-king-kong-theory* Naomi Alderman, The Power: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29751398-the-power?from_search=true* Silvia Federicci, Caliban and the Witch: Women, The Body, and Primitive Accumulation: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/403846.Caliban_and_the_Witch?from_search=true* Sylvia Kirchengast, Human Sexual Dimorphism: A Sex and Gender Perspective: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262264342_Human_sexual_dimorphism_-_A_sex_and_gender_perspective* Nora Bouazzouni, Faiminisme: Quand le Sexisme Passe à Table: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36169091-faiminisme* Priscille Touraille, Hommes Grands Femmes Petites une Evolution Couteuse. Les régimes de genre comme force sélective de l’adaptation biologique: https://www.amazon.fr/Evolution-Couteuse-s%C3%A9lective-ladaptation-biologique/dp/2735111865* Un Podcast à Soi, Un Autre Homme Est Possible: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/un-podcast-%C3%A0-soi-n-8-un-autre-homme-est-possible/id1294224809?i=1000410467992&mt=2

“Vegandale” Research Opportunity

* Contact Becky Ellis at [email protected]

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In this episode, Mexie interviews the (in)famous Spenser Rapone, a veteran who was deployed in Afghanistan and became radicalized by his experiences there, becoming a virulent anti-war, anti-imperialist and anti-capitalist activist. We discuss the reasons for the war in the first place, Spenser’s time there and what he learned from inside the US war machine, and why this has turned into the longest US occupation of a sovereign country. We also dig into the political economy of war itself and how this state of constant ‘conflict’ has become so normalized that it barely registers anymore in mainstream media. Spenser and fellow veteran and comrade Mike Prysner have started the Eyes Left podcast project to reach out to veterans and people currently serving in the military to offer support in resisting the US war machine and joining the movement for peace and liberation.

Sources and Links

* Eyes Left podcast with Spenser Rapone and Mike Prysner: https://soundcloud.com/eyesleft* Eyes Left, Afghanistan War Update: Defeated Generals Boast of Success: https://soundcloud.com/eyesleft/afghanistanupdate* Spenser Rapone, The West Point Officer Who Called It As He Saw It: https://www.truthdig.com/articles/the-west-point-soldier-who-called-it-as-he-saw-it/* Scott Horton, Fool’s Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36054118-fool-s-errand* Media Roots, Veterans Advocate Mutiny w/ Mike Prysner and Spenser Rapone: https://soundcloud.com/media-roots/veterans-advocate-mutiny-w-mike-prysner-spenser-rapone* On Contact with Chris Hedges, A Soldier’s Tale of Bravery and Morality: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwCbARsO9lQ&feature=youtu.be* Spenser on Twitter: https://twitter.com/punkproletarian

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In this episode Marine and Mexie reunite once again to discuss creative and revolutionary ideas for movement building. Our discussion was inspired by reading adrienne marie brown’s Emergent Strategy. Drawing on quotes and concepts from her book, we consider how curiosity about natural ecosystems and biomimicry as well as a reclamation of creativity and imagination can enhance our social and economic justice movements and help us to realize abundant, emancipatory futures. We also talk about the importance of moving from movements based around charismatic leaders and critical mass to ones based around critical connections, where the strength of our movements lie in the strength and depth of our relationships and our ability to dream together. We hope this will be productive for people interested in reclaiming our collective future! We’re very interested to know what you think.

Sources and Links

* adrienne maree brown, Emergent Strategy: https://www.akpress.org/emergentstrategy.html* adrienne maree brown [Ed.], Octavia’s Brood: http://octaviasbrood.com/* Octavia Butler, Earthseed Series: https://www.goodreads.com/series/57804-earthseed* Octavia Butler, Lilith’s Brood: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/liliths-brood-octavia-e-butler/1101818679#/* Aph Ko and Syl Ko, Aphro-ism: https://aphro-ism.com/* Ursula Le Guin, The Dispossessed: https://libcom.org/library/dispossessed-ursula-le-guin* Donna Haraway, Staying With the Trouble: https://www.dukeupress.edu/staying-with-the-trouble

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In this episode Mexie talks with Robbie Martin, documentary filmmaker and co-host of Media Roots Radio, about the recent co-ordinated banning of Alex Jones and Infowars off of most of the prominent social media outlets. Robbie places the bannings within the broader context of Silicon Valley execs partnering with state and defence contractor-funded think tanks to eliminate “fake news” or “Russian disinformation” from their platforms in order to circumvent any further blame for undesirable political outcomes, such as the backlash Facebook faced after the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the election of Donald Trump. We then talk about the implications of this broader Russiagate narrative and Silicon Valley’s control over our information for the left, and discuss to what extent the Alex Jones incident represents a slippery slope for any dissenting voice that challenges the mainstream, corporate or think tank class narratives. We end with a discussion of how leftists might be able to engage people on and off of social media in ways that may protect against being erased and silenced at the whim of big tech corporations.

Sources and Links

* Media Roots Radio, Co-hosted by Robbie and Abby Martin: https://soundcloud.com/media-roots* A Very Heavy Agenda, documentary series by Robbie Martin: averyheavyagenda.com* A Very Heavy Agenda on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/* American Anthrax, documentary by Robbie Martin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT7ATynE8_0* American Bisque, documentary by Robbie Martin (cw for violence): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1-EAnV6-58* Alan MacLeod, Facebook Also Censoring the Left Isn’t Just a Worry – It’s a Reality: https://www.truthdig.com/articles/that-facebook-will-turn-to-censoring-the-left-isnt-a-worry-its-a-reality/* Matt Taibbi, Censorship Does Not End Well: How America Learned to Stop Worrying and Put Mark Zuckerberg In Charge of Everything: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/facebook-censorship-alex-jones-710497/* Matt Taibbi, Beware the Slippery Slope of Facebook Censorship: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/facebook-censor-alex-jones-705766/* Go Fund Me to keep the Empire Files going: https://www.gofundme.com/keep-empire-files-going/donate

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In this episode, Mexie is joined by Leslie (Mad Blender on YouTube) to discuss the political economy of mental health and addiction. We draw from Mark Fisher’s Capitalist Realism to put the present-day rise in mental illness into social, political and economic context. We demonstrate that although chemical imbalances play a role in mental distress, there are innumerable other social and political determinants of health that can be equally if not more important. We end by arguing for a re-politicization of mental health and addiction issues along with work to end the stigma.

Sources and Links

* Mad Blender’s Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcStOVD6xZ54ky6hcZZcqig* Mark Fisher, Capitalist Realism: http://www.zero-books.net/books/capitalist-realism* Oliver James, The Selfish Capitalist: Origins of Affluenza: http://selfishcapitalist.com/index.php/the-selfish-capitalist* Steven Dawson on Vegan Warrior Princesses Attack: http://veganwarriorprincessesattack.com/174-borderline-personality-disorder-with-steven-dawson-lcsw-part-1/* CAMH, Mental Illness and Addiction Facts and Statistics: https://www.camh.ca/en/driving-change/the-crisis-is-real/mental-health-statistics* Centre for Suicide Prevention, Indigenous Suicide Prevention: https://www.suicideinfo.ca/resource/indigenous-suicide-prevention/* Jean Twenge, Are Mental Health Issues on the Rise?: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/our-changing-culture/201510/are-mental-health-issues-the-rise* John Bellamy Foster and Brett Clark, Women, Nature and Capital in the Industrial Revolution: https://monthlyreview.org/2018/01/01/women-nature-and-capital-in-the-industrial-revolution/* WATCH the ‘Man Enough’ series on YouTube, Episode 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVsbYas4tVo

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Flipping it on ya today! In more than one way. First off, Mexie is solo on this podcast as Marine is focusing on an exciting new IRL endeavour (go Marine!). And secondly, we’re flipping our very first episode, Why Leftists Should Be Vegan, to detail some of the near endless reasons why veganism without anti-capitalism is ultimately going to be insufficient to provide animal liberation, a “cruelty-free” world or environmental sustainability. This was inspired by the Vegan Warrior Princesses Attack! podcast’s latest episode where they brought to light that 2 slaughterhouse workers per week suffer amputations on the job. The profit motive does not give a f*ck about human or non-human life, and its expansionary nature means it will never be sustainable nor will it stop harming animals. We need action on both fronts – committing to animal liberation in the here and now and also confronting the larger systems that perpetuate violence against all living beings.

Sources and Links

* Food Empowerment Project’s Chocolate List: http://www.foodispower.org/chocolate-list/* Marine’s video, Why Veganism Must Be Anti-Capitalist (NOW!!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbT2y8VR7WE&t* Vegan Warrior Princesses Attack! podcast: http://veganwarriorprincessesattack.com/* Wasley, Cook and Jones, 2018. Two amputations a week: the cost of working in a US meat plant: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jul/05/amputations-serious-injuries-us-meat-industry-plant* Mexie’s video, Decoupling the economy is horseshit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zZyCCqYTBo* Mexie’s video, Radical food politics: hunger is political: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqE5YUOGK_g* Mexie’s video, Precarious work! The reserve army of labour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgJlsBCmrUA* Why Leftists Should Be Vegan: http://veganvanguardpodcast.com/2017/11/15/why-leftists-should-be-vegan/* “Insectageddon”: Bee autonomy, (anti-)capitalism, and building a multi-species commons: http://veganvanguardpodcast.com/2018/06/21/16-insectageddon-bee-autonomy-anti-capitalism-and-building-a-multi-species-commons/* Factory farms and environmental racism: http://veganvanguardpodcast.com/2018/03/29/10-factory-farms-and-environmental-racism/* Universal basic income: panacea or dystopia?: http://veganvanguardpodcast.com/2018/03/01/8-universal-basic-income-panacea-or-dystopia/

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