Sam

 

I became a vegan a couple of months into 2017 after talking extensively with a vegan friend about the ethics of eating meat. I couldn't continue to justify eating animals and thought I would give Veganism a go to see how I felt.

 

I started participating in activism about 7-8 months ago. I'd seen some videos of street activism and conversations where activists were really able to connect with strangers through an understanding approach and it was a powerful tool in shifting my mindset about the angry vegan stereotype. I want to do for other people what those activists did for me.

 

Activism makes me feel tired sometimes. But when you have a conversation where you really connect with someone and see their mind change right in front of you, it's so, so worth it. I was at a Cube in Sydney and the whole day I didn't have one negative conversation or one moment where I felt like I didn't know what to say. I realised how far I've come in such a short time and I just felt so damn happy I can't even describe it. 99% of people I talk to leave the conversation thanking me for being there.

 

The hardest part is people who shout things out to be funny or impress their friends but are too scared to come and actually talk. I wish they knew I used to be just like them. I try to keep in mind that I was eating animals not too long ago and that when the world does it, it's really easy just to do what everyone else does without thinking.

 

To me it seems like veganism in the Illawarra is growing. The activist crew in Wollongong is literally growing weekly and I come across so many people on the streets that are already vegan.

 

I know there is a stigma around activism as being judgemental or aggressive sometimes, but its really all about compassion. If you are thinking of getting active or giving animals a voice, AV is a great place to start. Some of the nicest people I have ever met in my life I met at the Cube.