Melanie Joy is a social psychologist and vegan activist, primarily notable for coining the term ‘carnism’, popularised by her book Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows. Melanie, who is also co-founder of ProVeg International, a global food awareness organisation, co-hosts the Centre for Effective Vegan Advocacy (CEVA) training with Vegan Strategist Tobias Leenaert. CEVA is a two-day workshop aimed at providing vegans with the tools they need to communicate more effectively.
I have had the privilege of getting to know Melanie and her work over the past few months and, after getting past the star struck introduction, I have really assessed the impact she has on me and the wider vegan movement. Melanie is a well-practiced speaker, having been involved in activism since the ‘80s. Flawless in her delivery, she has a strength and power that has inspired me in my everyday activism. Melanie’s work and her involvement in the CEVA training is always centred around moving forward, always listening to the direction of the movement and acting accordingly. We have to have a united movement in order to influence the carnistic behaviour we see every day and the training and Melanie’s work provides the tools to communicate this effectively.
What has been the most significant shift you have seen happen within the vegan movement since you have been active?