Veganism asks us to care.
It challenges us to stretch our compassion beyond what we’ve been taught is normal or necessary. But could we be stretching even further?
Read the full post below.
Being vegan is about compassion. We already know this. We’ve made a decision to not support animal cruelty with our plates, our wallets, and our lifestyles. But what if we used this same muscle of compassion, resistance, and economic boycott to show up for other marginalised groups too?
Economic boycotts are a powerful tool. They allow everyday people like you and me to collectively apply pressure to those in power. Whether it’s refusing to shop with companies that prop up unjust systems or declining to buy from countries with terrifying human rights records, a boycott is a public way of saying we see what you’re doing and we don’t agree.
Boycotts are not just reactionary. They’re not about quick outrage or moral posturing. They are organised, strategic actions designed to make life uncomfortable for oppressive institutions. A classic example is the international boycott of South African goods during apartheid. It was part of a wider campaign that helped isolate the South African government and contributed to the eventual dismantling of apartheid. That’s the power of people refusing to spend.
As a vegan, I believe in reducing harm. And that principle doesn’t end at the door of a slaughterhouse. It continues through to the financial systems I engage with. Which is why I support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
What’s happening in Gaza and the West Bank is a human rights violation of the most extreme concern. For many of us watching from afar, it can feel crushing to see so much violence and not know how to help. BDS gives us a way in. It is a peaceful, organised campaign that invites individuals, businesses, artists, universities and governments to use non-violent pressure to demand justice for the Palestinian people.
Boycotting Israeli goods and companies that profit from the occupation, refusing to engage with institutions complicit in genocide, and supporting Palestinian-led civil society calls for action are tangible ways we can show solidarity.
You can find out more at bdsmovement.net. Read up, talk about it, and start making changes in your consumer habits.
We already know that what we buy matters. Let’s take that knowledge and make it work for all forms of justice. Let’s stretch that vegan compassion a little wider.
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