Episode 597: The Liberation Pledge ft. nico stubler

Our Hen House is excited to welcome activist and animal studies scholar nico stubler onto the podcast this week for a riveting conversation on animal rights activism. This conversation will make you think critically about different approaches to vegan activism, whether you agree with them or not. The scholar and activist shares their commitment to the Liberation Pledge—in which vegans make the commitment to never eat around individuals who are eating animal products—and tells us how receptive people have been thus far. nico also provides insight into how the pledge can be used to actively dismantle carnism, how veganism helped them connect to a Nicaraguan community while serving with the Peace Corps, and  how simply being vegan doesn’t equate to active animal activism.
nico is an activist and a scholar. They completed their their M.A. in Animal Studies from New York University, and has led grassroots campaigns in Colombia, New York, and California. They focus on activism and scholarship that address animal agriculture’s devastating harms with the urgency they demand, and is currently working on a forthcoming book, Ban Meat: A Pragmatic Approach for Ending Animal Ag.

“The big power and the potential of veganism to affect change is through showing other people that we’re eating vegan, why we’re eating vegan, and encouraging other people to eat vegan. Consuming and demanding animal products is an act of violence.” – nico stubler

Interview Highlights:

• Why it’s so important to nico not to compromise their principles or mental health by not eating with people who are consuming animal products
• The benefits and criticisms of the Liberation Pledge and why it is effective activism
• What the ideology of carnism is and how we can move away from it being seen as the norm
• Why society views animals as usable and abusable, and how we can stop conceptualizing animals as edible

Connect with Nico Stubler:

• Liberation Pledge Website
• nico stubler on Facebook
• Liberation Pledge Support Group on Facebook
• nico stubler on Instagram

Connect with Our Hen House:

• Our Hen House Website
• Our Hen House on Facebook
• Our Hen House on Instagram
• Our Hen House on Twitter

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This episode is brought to you in part through the generosity of A Well-Fed World. A Well-Fed World provides the means for change by empowering individuals, social justice organizations, and political decision makers to embrace the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. Learn more at awfw.org.

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Don’t forget to tune into Our Hen House’s other two podcasts: The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and The Animal Law Podcast.
The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.