Go Vegan World is a new Public Vegan Advertising Campaign that has grown from the success of the Go Vegan Ireland campaign which took place in Ireland in 2015. This international campaign was inspired by my work with the residents at Eden Farmed Animal Sanctuary who taught me about the personhood of other animals and the atrocity we have perpetrated on them by our use of them. It is surely the greatest tragedy this world has ever witnessed. Everyone needs to know about it.
Go Vegan World launched in June 2016 in Ireland, the country of its birthplace. It is dedicated to the memory of Matilda.
Our new campaign repeats the focus of the Go Vegan Ireland campaign by illustrating the sentience of individuals. It brings those individuals right from the heart of the animal agricultural, research, clothing, and entertainment industries, into the streets, where they confront us with who they are and the injustice of our use of them. It returns their voices to them, giving them the opportunity, as capable, sentient persons, to look at the viewer and ask for what they need from us (for us to go vegan). The campaign repeats the theme of the harm we cause them by our consumption of dairy and eggs, as well as the injustice of our objectification of them in all our unnecessary use of them.
It features several interrelated themes that aim to dispel the myths that enable our commodification of other sentient lives. In particular, the campaign challenges our ignorance of their sentience and equality, the deception of acceptable use, and the myth that any animal use is necessary. There is a strong emphasis on the preciousness of life to the bearer of that life. This campaign aims to reflect the truth of the consequences for them of our non-vegan lifestyle values and choices, casting a light into the hidden dark world of human predation on defenceless others.
The campaign is supported by the Go Vegan World website and Vegan Kit, both of which are designed to give a clear understanding of What veganism is, Why we need to be vegan, and How to be vegan. These campaign supports aim to help people transition easily and quickly to veganism, without the need for complication or gradual stages.
May it bring us closer to animal equality and a vegan world.
Location
The campaign appears on street signs and bus shelters throughout Ireland at the following locations:
Dublin (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 22, 24, 28, Ballybrack, Blackcrock, Dun Laoghaire, Killiney, Loughlinstown, Monkstown, Stillorgan, Saggart, Stillorgan, Balbriggan, Swords)
Cork (city centre, Ballincollig, Bandon, Blarney, Buttevant, Fermoy, Youghal)
Kildare, Meath, Wicklow, Wexford, Westmeath, Louth, Carlow, Offaly, Laois, Kerry, Tipperary, Limerick, Galway, Waterford, Clare, Mayo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Cavan.
Credits
This project has evolved through a collaborative and supportive network of some of the most generous, courageous people I know. They include, but are not limited to the following, to whom I extend my deepest appreciation and gratitude:
Chris Copeland Photography & Agatha Kisiel Photography for their representation of the residents at Eden Farmed Animal Sanctuary; Jack T (Trzewiczek) for his passion, clear sightedness, and collaboration on the campaign design and management; Linda Clark and Bronwyn Slater for proof-reading and editing; Ronnie and Sany for their care of Eden so that I could give my time to this project; those whose generosity and belief in a vegan future funded the campaign, and those present in the campaign photographs: Colleen McIvor, Agatha Kisiel, Charlotte, Frank, Annie, Justin, Emily, George, Ally, Connie and the other animals in the photographs whose names are not known to us.
