We explore Aiyana's evolution from mainstream vegan activism to their creative projects centring anti-speciesism and collective liberation. Aiyana guides us through some of the concepts and language from her recently published book. In ‘Radical Companionship: Rejecting Pethood & Embracing Our Multispecies World’, Aiyana offers a theory and praxis of how we can develop more respectful relationships with others through an anti-speciesist lens, with particular focus on individuals he terms as 'colonised into pethood'.

Corey shares her research on the professionalisation of animal rights organisations and how this is detrimental to a radical abolitionist message. We explore the importance of an evidence based focus for effective activism, and why the science backs an interconnected approach. We discuss the sociology of the movement through a vegan feminist lens and look at how we can dismantle the misogyny within. Corey shares insights on how we can challenge the invisibilisation of non human animals in history through a re imagining and retelling of their stories. 

Michelle shares how a passion to spread the animal rights message led her and husband Josh to found Herbivore Clothing  and more recently to co-create the animal-free cook book 'Eat Like You Give A Damn'. We hear of the challenges of running a vegan business, including navigating ethical entrepreneurship within an oppressive capitalist system. We explore Michelle's work with Wildwood Farm Sanctuary, as well as her role with The Raven Corps, a youth-led total liberation activist community.

Exploring how scientific findings on other animal cognition and behaviour can inform our advocacy in the animal liberation movement.  We hear insights on how human exceptionalism - 'the rage of inhumanity' - is detrimental to free-living, captive and 'homed' animals, and how we might foster more respectful relationships and learn to better co-exist with them. Marc shares some remarkable stories from his extensive field work observing the complex and familiar nature of other animal's emotional lives.

We discuss the claims that the movement is becoming too human-centred with its focus on diet, health and human experiences of oppression. Carol shares why she believes promoting veganism for health is problematic, and why we are failing other animals if we refuse to use an interconnected approach in our advocacy. We also explore how vegan-feminism is helping us move towards animal liberation and social justice, and look at the resistance of non-vegan feminists to Carol's work beyond the species barrier.

Carol discusses some of the themes of her revolutionary book, The Sexual Politics of Meat, including the inextricable link between misogyny and speciesism. We explore how understanding masculinity and meat, feminised protein and the function of the 'absent referent' is so important to dismantling these interconnected oppressions. Carol also gives her views on why, despite parallels between human and non-human oppression, making direct comparisons in our advocacy could be counterproductive to our goals.

pattrice shares her journey from her early activism in the LGBTQ+ and antiracist movements to educating on social justice issues and co-founding VINE Sanctuary. We explore why pattrice advocates a contextual & interconnected approach to animal liberation through the lens of a failed campaign to save two oxen, as detailed in her remarkable book 'The Oxen at the Intersection'. We discuss how the ecofeminist ethic of care fits with the concept of moral rights for other animals. Through the tales of some of the survivors resident at VINE, we hear how their courage, resilience and their relationships with each other could better inform our allyship.  

Exploring Lynda's recent paper, The Peppa Pig Paradox, and how children are socialised into loving other animals whilst learning to normalise their use and consumption. Given the powerful social forces at play, we consider how we can start to break the cycle of conditioning to create a new narrative. Lynda shares the challenges of raising a child with vegan values in a non-vegan world. We hear of lessons learned as a long term animal rights campaigner, and how scholar activists can bridge the gap between theory and activism.

We hear about Kristof's research into the psychology of human-animal relations and how Social Dominance Orientation and Right Wing Authoritarianism influence oppressive behaviours, including speciesism. We explore through a psychological lens why, despite powerful socialisation, some individuals are awakened to the injustice perpetrated on other animals and break from societal norms to embrace veganism, and how this might inform effective advocacy for behavioural change in others.

Mylan shares his journey from an upbringing in a family of hunters and pig farmers to philosophy professor and ethical vegan. We explore the importance of morality in achieving social change, and whether an understanding of 'rights based' theory is necessary for effective advocacy.   We hear how Mylan's work in animal, environmental and food ethics has informed his understanding of how we can connect to non-vegans through shared values and positive marketing strategies. And we explore the role of emotion in our moral considerations, and whether reasoned thinking alone is enough to effect behavioural change.