Food Policy at SOS
On the online registration form, you will have noticed that there are several options for dietary requirements, including one for people with an omnivore’s diet. The omnivore’s diet includes products taken from animals, e.g. eggs, cows milk and what some people might call meat, although other people consider it as animal flesh.
There have been ongoing discussions within the organising collective and grievance team about the need to make diverse groups of people feel welcome at our SOS and Training Camp conferences. Animal meat and other products taken from animals will be served at our conferences because we have been asked to meet the dietary and cultural requests of many valued attendees. In the past, products and meat of animals and were not provided, which resulted in some people feeling ignored and alienated from the organisation, and by extension, the environmental movement. This issue is not new to ASEN; for several years requests for animal meat, dairy and eggs to be served were denied, and it is largely due to the continued efforts of people of colour and First Nations people that we are currently diversifying the food being served. Unfortunately this has resulted in the feeling of some people feeling ignored and alienated from the movement who identify as animal allies.
We want to reiterate that the ticket price and food budget is going towards attempting to make this conference accessible for everyone, no matter their dietary choices. The food being served is attempting to make everyone feel included. What this means differs person to person.
Many activists choose to eat a vegetarian or vegan diet, but definitely not all. On the topic of animal meat and things taken from animals, we acknowledge that historically many cultures hunted and harvested animals and that this practice continues to play an important role in countless communities around the world. Likewise, we want to thank vegan activists for their continual efforts in an attempt to end animal oppression and for raising this issue in mainstream society. Industrialised animal agriculture plays a huge part in environmental degradation and resource use. We encourage vegans to also examine the class and racial realities of the movement in order to drive it in a more intersectional direction.
ASEN is aware that at SOS we are bringing together groups of people that have polar opposite stances on the issue of animal oppression. You may find yourself sharing space with someone you disagree with. Conversation about this issue is inevitable (and encouraged!). However, know your limits and walk away if you cannot engage respectfully. Neither aggression nor shaming other people for their food choices will be tolerated on either side of the discussion. We encourage attendees to be mindful of the complexities surrounding plant-based consumption - for example, that not all vegetables and plant-based products are ethically sourced, that not everyone can financially afford to try all types of vegan diets, and that veganism is extremely hard for some people with severe food allergies.
To this end, ASEN does not have a ‘perfect answer’ to this issue. Even within the organising collective there is a large diversity of opinion on this topic. We ask that everyone take the time to listen and read more about this complex issue. For further information, we recommend reading the zines ‘Tofu Is Not Vegetarian’ (vols I and II), ‘Tofu Can Be Vegetarian’ and ‘My Vegan Edge Is Anything But White’ as well as other resources.
(The collective care crew are happy to chat and answer any questions you may have about what this topic, so please don’t hesitate to ask at the conference, or now via our email sosmelb2018@gmail.com)
A Workshops Only/No-Food ticket is also available for people who don’t want to purchase a regular ticket. A regular tickets price partially goes towards food costs which includes the purchasing animal meat and dairy. The Workshops Only/No-Food ticket is a great option for people who want to avoid those costs for ethical reasons, which means that you could BYO food.
To request a Workshops Only/No Food Ticket please email the request with your details to sos@asen.org.au
On the online registration form, you will have noticed that there are several options for dietary requirements, including one for people with an omnivore’s diet. The omnivore’s diet includes products taken from animals, e.g. eggs, cows milk and what some people might call meat, although other people consider it as animal flesh.
There have been ongoing discussions within the organising collective and grievance team about the need to make diverse groups of people feel welcome at our SOS and Training Camp conferences. Animal meat and other products taken from animals will be served at our conferences because we have been asked to meet the dietary and cultural requests of many valued attendees. In the past, products and meat of animals and were not provided, which resulted in some people feeling ignored and alienated from the organisation, and by extension, the environmental movement. This issue is not new to ASEN; for several years requests for animal meat, dairy and eggs to be served were denied, and it is largely due to the continued efforts of people of colour and First Nations people that we are currently diversifying the food being served. Unfortunately this has resulted in the feeling of some people feeling ignored and alienated from the movement who identify as animal allies.
We want to reiterate that the ticket price and food budget is going towards attempting to make this conference accessible for everyone, no matter their dietary choices. The food being served is attempting to make everyone feel included. What this means differs person to person.
Many activists choose to eat a vegetarian or vegan diet, but definitely not all. On the topic of animal meat and things taken from animals, we acknowledge that historically many cultures hunted and harvested animals and that this practice continues to play an important role in countless communities around the world. Likewise, we want to thank vegan activists for their continual efforts in an attempt to end animal oppression and for raising this issue in mainstream society. Industrialised animal agriculture plays a huge part in environmental degradation and resource use. We encourage vegans to also examine the class and racial realities of the movement in order to drive it in a more intersectional direction.
ASEN is aware that at SOS we are bringing together groups of people that have polar opposite stances on the issue of animal oppression. You may find yourself sharing space with someone you disagree with. Conversation about this issue is inevitable (and encouraged!). However, know your limits and walk away if you cannot engage respectfully. Neither aggression nor shaming other people for their food choices will be tolerated on either side of the discussion. We encourage attendees to be mindful of the complexities surrounding plant-based consumption - for example, that not all vegetables and plant-based products are ethically sourced, that not everyone can financially afford to try all types of vegan diets, and that veganism is extremely hard for some people with severe food allergies.
To this end, ASEN does not have a ‘perfect answer’ to this issue. Even within the organising collective there is a large diversity of opinion on this topic. We ask that everyone take the time to listen and read more about this complex issue. For further information, we recommend reading the zines ‘Tofu Is Not Vegetarian’ (vols I and II), ‘Tofu Can Be Vegetarian’ and ‘My Vegan Edge Is Anything But White’ as well as other resources.
(The collective care crew are happy to chat and answer any questions you may have about what this topic, so please don’t hesitate to ask at the conference, or now via our email sosmelb2018@gmail.com)
A Workshops Only/No-Food ticket is also available for people who don’t want to purchase a regular ticket. A regular tickets price partially goes towards food costs which includes the purchasing animal meat and dairy. The Workshops Only/No-Food ticket is a great option for people who want to avoid those costs for ethical reasons, which means that you could BYO food.
To request a Workshops Only/No Food Ticket please email the request with your details to sos@asen.org.au
