TLOV 2010 Wrap-up

The weekend of June 11th - 13th was honored with the third annual Their Lives, Our Voices (TLOV) conference from Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA). The conference gathers animal welfare advocates and activists together for a weekend of networking and learning about the latest news in the animal welfare movement, featuring numerous speakers and workshops for anyone interested. While attendees tend to be current activists, TLOV excludes no one, which makes it unique and offers a welcoming and open atmosphere.

This year's TLOV conference was a success in myriad ways, including 180 attendees from around the country and amazing and dedicated speakers. Not to mention the fantastic vegan meal options. Thank you to Delights of India, Holy Land, Pizza Luce, Peace Coffee, and French Meadow for making TLOV a tasty treat for our bodies as well as our minds. None of this could have been dreamed about, let alone executed, without the help of the many sponsors, donors, and volunteers of CAA; and of course the faithful attendees. It takes a tremendous amount of passion and dedications to put on an event of this caliber and each person involved plays a pivotal role in its success.

This year a definite trend emerged from the speakers of TLOV; what transcended the umbrella purpose of gathering like-minded people together to discuss pressing animal advocacy issues was a message of communication. The emphasis on conveying a message in an effective and influential way is one of, if not the, most important lessons for an advocate to learn. TLOV attracts animal activists from all parts of the nation because the goal that CAA sets out to accomplish is first and foremost to inform. A well-educated activist is an effective activist and the TLOV organizers find the people at the forefront of the animal advocacy movement to present the issues and the facts that keep the movement in the minds and the hearts of the public. The director of Vegan Outreach, Jon Camp sums up his experience with TLOV in a few eloquent lines:

"Having been entrenched in the animal advocacy movement for over a decade and having attended dozens of conferences, I can often get a bit jaded in thinking that I have heard pretty much all there is to be heard from animal advocates. Yet each time I attend TLOV, I find myself looking at the program and saying, "This is a talk that interests me." And I go to the talk and I learn something new. The organizers at CAA have their fingers acutely on the pulse of what is relevant, groundbreaking, and truly helpful to animals. If you haven't yet attended TLOV, I wholeheartedly recommend that you do so."

While the 2010 TLOV conference encompassed a diverse range of topics, the central idea in each talk revolved around respect. If your message is not communicated with respect for those with an opposing view then your message will remain unheard. During Zoe Weil's "Positive Communication for Animals" session she provided a quote from none other than the great Gandhi himself that sums up the feel of the TLOV conference, "My life is my message." We have to live as we want others to live. Each attendee had the opportunity to refocus or re-evaluate his/her own communication methods to illicit a more receptive audience, and equally as important, to become better listeners. The emphasis on positive communication is vital to a proper campaign for any issue. As Ms. Weil put it, too much fuel on the fire of your argument will only push people away.

Vegan Outreach's leafleting guru Vic Sjodin offered similar tips and techniques for effective communication. His mantra centers around being relaxed, getting the other person to identify with your cause, and following the ‘less is more' philosophy. One of the more powerful points he made is that the goal is to "get the person to plant their own seed of compassion in themselves." The idea is that if you provide people with the facts they will, even if slowly, begin to make decisions rooted in compassionate living.

A very special opportunity was provided this year, Alex Berkson, a local fourth grader spoke to an auditorium full of people about how he presented the message of veganism to his peers. He addressed some of the reasons for his decision to formally speak up about his lifestyle choices, including the teasing and taunting that often goes along with being a little "different" as a young person, and lets face it, as an adult as well. He also wanted to dispel some of the misconceptions that his classmates had about vegans and the treatment of factory farm animals. Alex's presentation encompassed the main reasons that prompt a person to choose a vegetarian/vegan diet including health, environment, religion, and the most popular at TLOV, ethics. It is inspiring to see a young person stand up confidently for his beliefs in order to educate others.

The ultimate message taken away from TLOV this year is the importance of being ambassadors for animal advocacy, creating a positive view of the vegetarian and vegan lifestyle, and breaking down negative stereotypes on all sides of the debate. It is the hope that each attendee, speaker, sponsor, volunteer, and donor was able to gain new insight into the animal advocacy movement so that the importance of animals rights is recognized as a priority within our society.

A final thank you to the University of Minnesota for allowing CAA to utilize their facilities for the event. CAA appreciates the University's continued support.