The Let Live Northwest Animal Rights Conference is just around the corner. You have plenty of time to register! We look forward to seeing you all there!

We had a crazy weekend! VegFest on Saturday was a blast, coconut ice cream…YUM! Our buddies from Animal Defense League, Blossoming Lotus and Food Fight! were all there. Lisa Higgins from Sweet Pea did an awesome cupcake-cooking demo, I got to try the cupcakes first hand…believe me they were great! I heard this year was the largest turnout (I could hardly get to Papa G’s for a Monkey Bar) and the booths all looked amazing. A lot of new tables were present which was fun, and one of us even got a Tofurkey Lunch Box!

If that wasn’t fun enough we held our first tabling on campus Monday. From the gracious donations by FARM, we had a nice little setup. Feel free to visit our Myspace page for pictures! We handed out some literature, chatted with several people and even collected some more email addresses! If you are interested in joining us for our monthly outreach projects please send us an email or check our Google Calendar for the next date!

We've added a new banner to our Media section to support the Let Live conference. Please help us spread the word on this upcoming event!

Vegans For Animal Advocacy has been working with Portland Animal Defense League (PDX ADL) on several campaigns; one of these is eliminating the sale of Foie Gras in Portland. After sending several emails, letters and phone calls to the owners of 10-01 and Nutshell (a vegan restaurant) we decided we couldn’t wait any longer. This past Friday we pulled our resources and showed up downtown to express our dissent in person. Gathering across the street from 10-01, the owner of the restaurants approached us, he showed us a new revised menu with Foie Gras absent. Although hesitating to sign a pledge he did agree to say on camera that he will not serve Foie Gras anymore.

Obviously excited we decided that with one victory under our belts we had to make visits to the two other restaurants nearby serving Foie Gras. Blue Moon was next, congregating outside we passed out leaflets to those walking by and received a very positive response from drivers and pedestrians. As we chanted “We will be back” we walked on to Fenouil. The response was not as pleasant, undeterred we chanted “That’s not dinner, that’s fatty liver!” among other things which evoked a very angry response from one restaurant patron. As the sun started to set we called it a night and headed over to Blossoming Lotus for a victory party.

An update for this would be the recent email ADL received from Fenouil, they have decided to remove Foie Gras from their menu! Both victories are momentous and both PDX ADL and Vegans For Animal Advocacy thank, applaud and commend both 10-01 and Fenouil for choosing to remove this unethical “delicacy” from its menu. We are aiming for similar results in the restaurants left on our list and one-day hope for a Foie Gras free city!

Animals belong to themselves, not to us. They should not suffer in our systems of food, science, entertainment and fashion. Instead, they should live free of the tyranny we put upon them. But they cannot claim this freedom alone. "Let Live" is a grassroots forum for people who want to help. Through an open, respectful, and friendly environment this conference will provide an opportunity for attendees to learn skills and strategies to become better advocates for the animals, no matter ones experience level in activism. 

This conference is for first-timers, experienced activists, and anybody in between who hopes to make a real difference for animals and build a stronger, more effective community and animal liberation movement. This conference is for anybody who wants to live and let live. 

"Let Live" is taking place in Portland, Oregon, June 27th-29th, 2008. It will be held this year on the campus of Portland State University. Much more info to come soon, please check the conference website (www.letliveconference.org) often and subscribe to the blog to stay up to date. Any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch. See you in June. 

Thanks.
The "Let Live" Crew

The Great American Meatout was amazing! We took over the park blocks and we were lucky enough to have In Defense of Animals, Action for Animals, Portland Animal Defense League and Northwest Veg came out. Sweetpea Baking, Papa G’s, Primal Spirit and Food Fight all donated vegan food for us to pass out as well! The chocolate chip walnut cookies from Sweetpea were a hit but the monkey bars from Papa G’s were my personal favorite! We handed out over 100 Vegan guides answer questions about a vegan lifestyle and chat with current vegans on campus.

Our co-sponsored event on Saturday was also a hit! The Radical Eco-Feminist Tour was so interesting and the vegan lunch from Food for Thought was delicious. Don’t forget to check out their website for more information on their campaign.

March 26th, 7:00pm at the Bye & Bye in Northeast Portland will be the monthly Portland Animal Defense League letter writing meeting. There are several new prisoners who need letters, as well the immediate demand for Bonneville Sea Lion signage. Please come out, chat, eat, write and design! Bye & Bye has awesome food and drinks and best of all; smoke-free!

The past few weeks have been crazy, so sorry for the lack of blogs. We had our volunteer training at the Portland Humane Society last Friday. It was a ton of fun, and we were able to spend time with some amazing animals. We started out with some training and then went on a tour of the shelter. Next we spent some time with the dogs, we each got our own run and were able to spend some one on one time with a dog. Rusty really pulled at my heartstrings; he was a young, 3-legged chow mix. We were told he was hit by a car and had to have his leg amputated but it didn’t hold him up one bit. He was the sweetest rolling over to get his bellied rubbed and leaning into you. We also saw so many adorable black labs, all full of energy and so excited to have someone to play ball with. The time flew by and it was hard for us to leave them but we were able to move onto the cattery, which the majority were themed rooms with multiple cats living together. So many adult cats with awesome personalities all wanting love! If you are thinking about adding an addition to your family... we would recommend adopting, save a life first!

Currently, we are still working on The Great American Meatout event and attempting to balance that with our finals. If anyone has suggestions please let us know, also if anyone would like to table this event, shoot us an email via Contact form.

I just wanted to thank everyone who came out! We had a great turnout, lots of food was shared and great conversation ensued. Cherry Bomb Bakery was nice enough to drop off cupcakes and oreo cheesecake! We had everything from mac and cheese to Mexican pie. We will be having another potluck next month March 28th from 6:30PM to 8:30PM in the same location SMU 333. So if you missed this one make sure not to miss the next one!

A lot of great things are coming up for March! March 7th we will be having our Portland Humane Society training. The next event is The Great American Meatout event on March 20th; this is still in the works but we are looking for any organizations that would like to donate vegan food or would like to have a table at our event. We are looking at 10:00AM to 2:00PM in the Park Blocks. If you would like to volunteer to hand our materials please let us know.

Don’t forget to check out the Events section of the blog for more information on any upcoming activities!

Did you know right in our backyard genocide is in the works? Recently the NOAA Fisheries Service submitted a report stating their plan to start shooting Sea Lions. These extremely smart, articulate creatures apparently are “eating too much fish.” Even in their own report the department says that killing the Sea Lions may not help the situation and at most result in a .5%-7% decrease. The other issues at hand; fisherman kill twice as many fish as the Sea Lions while the Bonneville Dam kills more fish than fisherman and Sea Lions combined.

Please help us fight this act of murder by submitting your resistance to sea.lion.comments@noaa.gov (please use ''California Sea Lion Lethal Removal'' in the subject line). We only have until February 19th, so please submit, tell your friends and family to express their dissent as well! For the full report, please click HERE.

Here is an example of an actual email that was sent:

Hello,
I am a member of a Portland State University based animal advocacy group. Upon hearing the news that a limit of 85 sea lions per year are allowed to be killed in order to reduce salmon consumption, I was very disturbed. Not ready to just sit idle and let my emotions take control, I decided to search for further information.

I am sure that I can inform you of no more than you already know. But it is beyond the point that the sea lions are responsible for less salmon consumption than the dam, or by the fisherman, since the sea lions are responsible for eating 2-4% of the population, while the dam is responsible for 2-16%, and human fisherman 4-17%. It also beyond the point that the estimated impact of the lethal removal is 0.5-7% improvement, and that this improvement is not necessarily permanent. These are only statistics that can be interpreted subjectively.

However, this information is symbolic of a broader movement in human society. It is not enough that we eat salmon and other fish, regardless of the fact that we do not require fish in our diet. It is not enough that we built a dam that is causing more damage to the ecosystem than any natural issue, such as the sea lions. Humans must push the limits further, to kill innocent sea lions, who rely on fish in their diet, and can not be taught to stop eating fish. The sea lions may die, they may suffer from wounds and may watch their families fall apart by the hand of man. It is not for the salmon that this is being done. If the salmon were of such concern, then humans wouldn't be eating them, fishing for them, or damming their river. Mankind has always put the concerns of its species first. Without the salmon, the Northwest's fishing economy might have to suffer a little loss. Without the salmon, humans might not be able to sit down for an hour or two and enjoy a fillet on their pallet. It is not for the salmon, it is for the humans.

This anthropocentric view of right and wrong has pushed the limits as it is. We have destroyed and exploited the environment to very dangerous levels, and finally take action to stop it when our health and lives are at stake. We didn't stop when species went extinct. We didn't stop when oil spills destroyed beaches and tortured its wildlife. We now begin to take a look around as the economy, health, and our future are threatened.

I am writing because I strongly disagree with the sea lion decision.  I am writing because I don't believe in the dominion that we have over the natural world. If you weigh the decision you will see the inequality between the species that are concerned. The sea lions need the salmon to eat, yet we take it away so we can sustain, not our lives (like them), but our economy and our tasty meals. The sea lions will die and suffer for these trivial reasons. The salmon are seemingly having their interests looked out for, yet we refuse to renew the dam, or to even acknowledge the damage its doing, and we continue to drain them from the rivers, cash them in for income, and pick them off of our plates. The humans have no loss. The humans still get their energy, and their jobs. The humans still get to fish, if not for a living then for fun. The humans still get to eat salmon and all kinds of animals, while they suffer the pains and tortures of our appetite. More significantly, the humans retain their position at the top and control the status quo about these inequalities. How many people will stop to think about these decisions? This action may not be the most horrible thing in human history, but it the tip of an iceberg. The decision to kill these sea lions will only perpetuate an unjust inequality, an exploitation.

If this letter does nothing but offer you another complaint about the sea lion decision, then at the very least offer me an explanation. Offer the public an explanation of why humans have the right to continue. I would like to hear a reason of why this is logical or fair. If there is no reason, and it is simply another desensitized decision based on the needs of man, then things can become clear. The reasons why the climate and environment are in crisis are clear, and the reasons why billions of animals suffer every year are clear. When there are no salmon to enjoy, then we may stop. When there are no forests left to harvest, then we may stop. It comes down to our relationship with the Columbia and its natives. If this decision can be reversed, then possibly so can the greater pattern in our existence. It comes down to the sea lions.

Thank You.
Justin

And if you would like to do more, please email us and we will forward as much information as we have to you.

For everyone who missed it we were at the Wellness Fair yesterday, right next to the huge bowls of hummus! We were able to hand out a lot of material and get some more emails on our listserve! Don’t forget about the potluck and recipe sharing this month on the 22nd from 6PM to 7PM. We’re having issues with the system to get a room, but the location should be nailed down by next week and we’ll send out an email with the exact details!

On other news, we have officially set a date for our training at the Portland Humane Society! Friday, March 7th from 1PM to 3PM; don’t be late, make arrangements to stay the duration and dress like your going to be walking a dog! Ill be sending out an email with nailed down information shortly.

I am lucky enough to have an old classmate who works for Aramark on campus. Not a big wig, but someone with enough grease to introduce me to the head chef, take me on the tour of the kitchen, and show me what was vegan and what wasn’t. Surprisingly enough there are several vegan options, however, we’re working on a proposal to get even more items, as well as clearly marked items (I told them use a V!) and separate “vegan-only” grill and “vegan-only” cookware. I can say the head chef was very nice, was very open to my ideas and really listened to what I was saying. I hope this will be a start to what can really come, and for Vegans For Animal Advocacy to be on the forefront of change.

Distinguishing vegan items from non-vegan items has always been a hassle, but finding items clearly marked vegan is almost impossible. However the times seem to be changing, Vans who have always had several vegan friendly shoe options (yay for canvas!) have now decided to clearly mark on their website if a shoe is vegan! Now it may seem like a small feat, but my friends... this means we really are moving up in the world. Imagine a place where we don’t have to break out the “Animal Ingredients A to Z” book every time we want to buy something. Imagine not having a sniffing contest between you and your friends to figure out if that shoe smells like leather! Ahh… I can almost taste it. So buy Vans, support their choice to support us! Plus, their canvas slip-ons are by far the most comfortable shoes ever, and you don’t even have to tie them!

Food For Thought Café which is located in the sub-basement of Smith Memorial Union has started a library for information relating to about everything. Slowly, Vegans For Animal Advocacy have secured ourselves a whole shelf dedicated to veganism and animal rights! Our friends over at Action For Animals have also placed materials, so anytime you are stopping for a snack or bite to eat... feel free to snag some information. Tell your friends as well; it’s a very easy, no-hassle way to read up on becoming vegan! We will also be in Food For Thought Café tabling for the Wellness Fair on Thursday, February 7th. We will have several members at our table from 11AM to 1PM, so please stop by! There will be free chair massages, free food, free health assessments and tons of free product information!

The Volunteer Roundup at the Vegan mini-mall was awesome! Our table was placed in Sweet Pea enabling us to eat some tasty brownies and talk with people about our cause. Not only were we able to get a few more emails of interested people, but we were able to network with several local groups which is always a great opportunity. We would like to thank Sweet Pea and Food Fight for hosting us!

So many exciting things happening! During the Vegan Mini-mall opening I got to speak with Chad from Food Fight and they have now featured us on their blog! Food Fight is organizing and hosting an awesome event on Jan. 27th from 6PM-8PM, called AR Volunteer Roundup. Food Fight has graciously given us a table at this event and I’m very excited to spread the word about Vegans For Animal Advocacy! Everyone should stop by and say hello, buy some nachos and sign up for a couple organizations. As far as official club business, we will be meeting with the PSU advisor this week to officiate the club. If you are a PSU student and able to attend the meeting this week, please let me know we need to have at least 5 members present!

Our first unofficial meeting was a success! Three of us met at Blossoming Lotus, had a very nice dinner and discussed some club issues. What we have in the works so far is getting ready for the Party On The Blocks event this month, this will be a HUGE recruiting and tabling opportunity! What we need now are posters, people to man our booth as well as people to lend some vegan books to display at our table. If you are interested in helping with any of this please email me.

The winter term is upon us and I am so excited to finally get our club and website running! I have been getting great responses from surrounding organizations and have been able to set up a monthly volunteer day with the Portland Humane Society. It's important for us to remember why we choose to go vegan and who we are advocating for – the Animals! Please let me know what your available time is Monday – Thursday so we can get this awesome volunteer opportunity set up. I am aiming for this to start in February once we have gotten the word out about Vegans For Animal Advocacy.

I have also come in contact with the Director of Lighthouse Sanctuary here in Oregon who was very excited about our group! They have monthly work parties which I’m hoping we can start attending this term, if you haven’t heard about them please check their website out. Another idea I have is for members to pitch in and sponsor one of the Lighthouse farm animals, I think this would be a great monthly donation instead of paying normal club dues.