Why did president of Temple University Peers for Animal Welfare go vegan?
Veganism is defined as the practice of not eating or using any animal products, including meat, milk, leather, wool, and more.
Although I’m not vegan, I’ve been trying to cut back on the amount of animal by-products I eat and use.
Here’s what Robyn Kerachsky, the president of the Temple University Peers for Animal Welfare organization has to say about her experience being vegan.
1. What pushed you to go vegan?
Learning about how nonhuman animals are exploited and their suffering.
2. How did you begin to go vegan?
After learning about the environmental implications of the agriculture industry, I went vegetarian. Then a little less than a year later, I went vegan after watching a documentary. I took it slow to start out though; making a lifestyle change like this is a big step so it’s really important to do it in a way that works for both the body and the mind. So if I gave into some kind of social pressure, or accidentally ate something with eggs or dairy, I was never too hard on myself about it.
3. Are you still learning about veganism?
Yeah definitely! Animal exploitation is foundational to so many things in our lives, but we’ve been conditioned to see it all as normal. Because of this, it’s virtually impossible to know or understand everything – we can just do our best to keep educating ourselves!
4. What makes you the angriest about being vegan?
Probably just closed-mindedness. Learning more about the agriculture industry and animal welfare kind of opens up a whole new perspective on the world and goes against some of the knowledge we were raised with, so it can be a lot to grasp at first. I think some people can find more comfort in ignoring it or criticizing the lifestyle as to justify their own belief systems or behaviors.
5. What is animal welfare?
On a global scale, we’ve labeled nonhuman animals as ‘other’ – and have come to exploit and turn a blind eye to so much suffering around us: in the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the research we conduct, in some forms of entertainment, and more. We justify this by claiming lower levels of intelligence and emotional capacity. But there is so much research that proves how many species have high levels of sentience – they are suffering to great extents both emotionally and physically. The way I see it, animal welfare means becoming conscious to this suffering, truly acknowledging other animals as living beings, and doing our best as humans to reduce the exploitation and raise awareness for billions of voiceless and powerless beings.
6. What is your favorite vegan dish and restaurant?
There’s a falafel wrap with tomato relish and pickled vegetables at a restaurant I used to work at that’s probably the best thing I’ve ever eaten. But right now, I’m loving making lentil sweet potato curry. And then for the restaurant, either Monster Vegan or Luhv Vegan Deli in Reading Terminal!
7. What is your favorite thing about Temple University Peers for Animal Welfare a.k.a. TUPAW?
The people I’ve gotten to know!! I’ve really wanted to meet some like-minded people and TUPAW has been the perfect place for that. Everyone’s been sharing their ideas and perspectives and I think it’s been a learning experience for us all. And my friends have been super supportive helping out!!
8. What is the biggest piece of advice you have for someone who is starting to become vegan?
Nourish yourself first – it’s really amazing if you’re thinking of changing your lifestyle, but make sure you do it in a way that feels healthy both physically and mentally. Food in particular has very significant cultural and emotional value for many people. So again, don’t limit your diet in a way that’s harmful to you, and don’t be too hard on yourself!
To many, becoming vegan seems like the end of the world and an extremely difficult thing to do. Robyn shows that with some confidence, not being too hard on yourself, and care for nonhuman animals, you can start your journey to veganism.