by Nora Kramer

Once a year, Ben & Jerry’s celebrates Free Cone Day, where they give out free ice cream all day long. The line of people waiting for ice cream is around the block.

For years on that day, when I lived in San Francisco a few blocks from the Ben & Jerry’s on Haight Ashbury, a group of local vegan activists and I wheeled out a TV and VCR (yup) out front of the ice cream shop, showing all those people waiting for ice cream footage of the horrific cruelty happening to cows on dairy farms.

courtesy of FARM

A lot of us took the day off from work each year to do it.
We gave out hundreds of samples of delicious vegan ice cream we bought at the health food store down the street with our own money. (This was before the amazing VegFund came along to fund activists giving out vegan food samples).

We passed out leaflets about the benefits of vegan eating, and we got people to sign a petition (on pieces of paper that I mailed to Ben & Jerry’s corporate (this was years before the Change.org petition that got almost 30,000 people to sign) asking them to add vegan flavors.

Those days were inspiring but frustrating. People waiting in line were appalled by the mistreatment of the cows, loved the vegan samples, and agreed that Ben & Jerry’s should carry non-dairy ice cream, but they weren’t getting out of line for their free dairy ice cream either.

At the end of the day, we, a bunch of activists who called in sick to work to help animals and the environment by using our own money to buy hundreds of strangers vegan ice cream, spent hours on our feet out of our comfort zone talking to hordes of people who were in line for a leisurely ice cream, and we privately wondered if it made a difference.

For years, Ben & Jerry’s ignored activists’ efforts and people’s requests for a vegan option, ignoring all the data about how bad dairy is for the environment while disingenuously marketing itself as eco-friendly and as a wholesome small company, while it is in fact owned by massive multinational soap company Unilever.

Maybe we wasted all that time and effort and heart and money on free vegan ice cream?

Today I am reminded how change often happens.

Ben & Jerry’s is launching four incredible-looking flavors of vegan ice cream made from almond milk.

And so the world changes.

There were years of activists trying and trying, dealing with our frustrations about change not happening as fast as we’d like and the injustices and cruelties that continue in the meantime.

There was doubting whether things will ever change, giving ourselves and others pep talks to keep going, trying to stay positive and continue in our activism on this and lots of other causes.

Years of activists making sacrifices, not giving up (and of course there are those who did give up), and continuing to push for change — even in the simple way of getting a leading ice cream company to offer a vegan option that spares cows and has a much smaller ecological footprint — is what causes social change.

Of course, amazing cruelty-free pioneer vegan food companies like Tofutti and So Delicious Dairy Free led the way for the mainstream to follow, introducing all of us, including the people in line for a free ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s on Free Cone Day, how delicious vegan ice cream is and how unnecessary it is to involve cows in making our desserts.

And then years later, with no proximate or clearly direct relationship between each activist’s individual efforts and this result today, there’s a win.

“We’ve definitely had a large demand from our consumers to have a non-dairy offering,” Ben & Jerry’s spokesperson Lindsay Bumps said recently.

But she said it years after we spent hours giving out free vegan ice cream and mailing them hundreds of petitions. And then doing it again the next year and the year after that, and all the countless things we all did every day in between and before and since.

That’s because for years Ben & Jerry’s ignored us. And that’s what change sometimes looks like. A social change victory — whether in legalizing gay marriage or the right to vote or raising the minimum wage or a massive ice cream company adding some vegan ice cream flavors — is often like seeing light from a star that was emitted years ago and is no longer there. To mix metaphors, the fruits may come a long time after the labor.

I don’t mean to equate Ben & Jerry’s making vegan ice cream with some type of Berlin Wall coming down. But the massive impact of livestock production on the environment, animals, and human health make this a social justice issue, and expanding the accessibility of vegan items to bring them into the mainstream is critical to reducing our society’s near suicidal dependence on factory farming.

This win is part of a tipping point of related victories on this issue in recent years, even recent days — from dozens of companies implementing major animal welfare reforms in meat and egg production, to Hellman’s following Just Mayo‘s lead by offering a vegan mayo, to Target’s new line of vegan meats, to companies like Wendy’s and Subway incorporating new vegan options.

These wins are all the result of a massive accumulation of years of activists’ efforts. From handing out free vegan ice cream, to donating to nonprofit organizations advocating for corporate reforms, to choosing more vegan meals each day, to handing out leaflets, to giving presentations, to undercover investigations of the cruelties happening on factory farms, to so many other things dedicated people are doing to make a difference, we are cumulatively bringing about change on a massive issue.

It just sometimes takes a while to see the results of it.

As a summer camp for social change, YEA Camp trains young activists to make a difference on social justice issues they care about. We even have a session just for animal advocates. (You or the 12-17 year-old in your life can find out about it or register here.) I can tell you these passionate teens want to bring about change NOW.

It can be tough, but we emphasize the need for action amidst the need for patience and faith to keep at it even though change often takes a lot longer than we’d like, and we don’t always see the results of our efforts. It is a tough but important lesson.

To all the activists whose efforts are changing our food system, or any other element of social justice, we hope you’ll acknowledge and celebrate your accomplishments by trying out some delicious new vegan ice cream, now available, thanks to so many people’s efforts, at a supermarket near you.

The post What Vegan Ice Cream Can Teach Us About Changing the World appeared first on YEA Camp.

YEA Camp’s curriculum is focused on developing four key areas — knowledge, skills, confidence, and community — and we definitely did that!

Campers learned about all kinds of issues they didn’t know about before, like the many impacts of consumerism and how different social problems in the world are related to each other. Do you see how racism is related to environmental pollution, or how war is related to homelessness? We also looked at many different examples of young activists taking inspiring action to make a difference in their community. Check out some of the videos we watched about Brower Youth Awards winners!

We also did skill-building, including learning how to fundraise, start and run a school club, use art and media (traditional and social media) to spread awareness, plan a campaign, understand and participate in the political system, and communicate effectively with people who disagree with us.

Kristin and Alex (right) taught the “snowflake”-style of leadership within a school club, with the leader overseeing and helping other members of the club work on different tasks to help accomplish the club’s goals. You can check out this handout we gave the campers about effective school clubs.

We do SO many things designed to build confidence — and of course developing knowledge and skills builds confidence. On our first morning of camp, we show this inspiring video, “Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy,” and all gain confidence being a “lone nut” as well as in knowing that we don’t have to be the person in front to make a difference. One of the of our most inspiring activities, Show Off and Tell, gives campers a chance to inform us all on an issue of importance to them (what we call their “IOI”) and to “show off” about the activism that they have done, which inspires us all and for which they deserve to be appreciated for.

Another favorite confidence-building activity we call “IOI Blitz,” where campers get to practice a one-minute “elevator speech” about their IOI over and over and over again, getting better and better at articulating themselves about an issue they care about. Campers also learn from each other when they all “share about what they care about.”

We also try to teach some important experiential lessons that build confidence. For example, we invite campers to brush their teeth with their non-dominant hand throughout the week as practice for developing new habits and a reminder that doing even very simple things can be difficult at first but get much easier with practice. These four amazing boys, Jose, Ethan, Tommy, and Saul, were among those who took the challenge. Check out those new teeth-brushing skills!

We do so many things to build community at camp, from cute things like doing a thumb circle (this might be the largest thumb circle ever!) to more in-depth activities that involve taking some risks (like performing a silly poem in front of the group) and sharing the emotions we feel about the issues we care about and the injustice we see.

The love and connection YEA Campers developed for each other came through on the notes they wrote each other on their appreciation posters, the dance parties that spontaneously broke out at most meals, the group hugs that spontaneously broke out after most evening activities, the tears and hugs that could be seen in every corner of the room as we said goodbye on the final day, and the inspiring thank you notes campers wrote us.

We did a new culminating activity this year that will become a new YEA Camp tradition: our first ever Changemaker Olympics, where campers got to put into practice their new skills to win campaigns, like creating a plan to address bullying at their school and persuading (mean) Principal Leanne (who insists that bullying isn’t a problem at their school), and making clear demands and running a campaign to persuade Mayor Kyle to address homelessness in their community. (It took a lot of work and good acting by our staff to be just mean or difficult enough to be challenging and similar to what really happens when trying to persuade people who are unsupportive at first. See Leanne struggle to get into character, below.)

This was all great training for campers as they prepared their action plans, which they then presented to the group. It was so incredibly inspiring to hear everyone’s plans for after camp! And they hit the ground running right when they got home!

In the week since camp ended, one camper, Lamanh, went into school and talked with her school principal about launching composting in the cafeteria, and the principal was supportive and they are moving forward with this! Hani created this online petition on Change.org, Ofzerna is raising money to rescue a cow and launched Facebook page for Project July, the animal sanctuary she is working to start (she already has 80 likes), Lacey has been getting the word out about the proposed anti-animal King amendment to the farm bill (you can sign here!) and went to a community meeting with the Humane Society of the US to stop a museum that promotes hunting, Sage created a 3-week vegan meal calendar that her family is implementing, Melissa talked with the city council member she is interning with and will be working on improving environmental policies in her city, and so many other campers did so many more things!

This session has set a high bar for the sessions to come! We are so excited for the campers we will be meeting in Oregon and Massachusetts (a few spots are still available — check out www.yeacamp.org for details), and to be inspired by the many accomplishments of our campers for years to come!

P.S. If all this wasn’t enough for you, check out this blog post written by fabulous YEA Camper Lacey about her experience at YEA Camp!

The post First Session of YEA Camp 2013 a Huge Success! appeared first on YEA Camp.

Jasmine first flew in from Connecticut to attend YEA Camp in California in 2010 and then attended our first camp on the east coast in New Jersey in 2012, where she met YEA Camp staffer Nicole Green, the director of AnimaLearn, who then learned of Jasmine’s commitment to animals and became impressed with her efforts.

“After meeting Jasmine and reading the testimony that she provided to the Connecticut legislature, I knew that she was a clear choice as our 2012 Humane Student of the Year,” Nicole said.

We shared Jasmine’s full persuasive speech in a previous blog post, but see a portion of it below:

“There is no doubt that students should receive the best education possible, but they should not need to harm others or sacrifice their ethics in order to do so.  By giving students the chance to opt out of dissection, the lesson they learn may be far greater than whatever might be achieved through the dissection itself.  Over time, people will inevitably fail to remember everything they learned in a high school biology class, but holding true to their moral principles is something they will most certainly never forget.”

The $1000 prize money for the award will be used to purchase dissection-alternative software for Jasmine’s school district to use for years to come, which will not only save animals but also money if the school purchases fewer (or no) animals to be cut up and then disposed of for each student. Visit AnimaLearn’s site to learn more about dissection — both the reasons against it and alternatives to it.

In addition to Jasmine’s efforts on behalf of animals used in dissection, she has also interned with the farmed animal advocacy organization Compassion Over Killing, volunteers with the Connecticut state director for the Humane Society of the United States, worked to improve the vegan options at her school cafeteria, and so many other things to make the world a better place. Jasmine has also played a huge role in YEA Camp over the past three years. She has visited two potential venues on the east coast and helped select this year’s spot for YEA Camp 2013 in Massachusetts, she is developing YEA Camp’s tumblr page (stay tuned), and she even created an online fundraiser for YEA Camp asking her family and friends to donate to YEA instead of buying her Christmas presents. (FYI: you don’t have to know Jasmine to give her/YEA Camp a present!  We are thrilled that Jasmine is also interning with YEA Camp in 2013!

Congratulations, Jasmine! You are amazing!

If you are or know a teenager who wants to make the world a better place and meet other amazing teens like Jasmine, come to YEA Camp this summer! Visit www.yeacamp.org for dates, locations, and more information.

The post Longtime YEA Camper Receives 2012 Humane Student of the Year Award appeared first on YEA Camp.

For more than a decade, animal advocacy organizations such as Compassion Over Killing (COK), the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Mercy For Animals (MFA), and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have conducted dozens of undercover investigations revealing horrific cruelty to animals on factory farms. No federal laws provide protection to animals during their lives on farms, and if not for these investigations most people would be unaware that the meat, dairy, and eggs they eat has come from animals mutilated without painkillers, kept in cages so small they can barely turn around, and living in their own filth.

These investigations have earned an enormous amount of attention in the media, with stories in thousands of publications and TV stations, giving millions of people reason to reconsider their purchase of meat, dairy, and eggs. Some investigations have led to workers being convicted of animal cruelty, while another led to the largest beef recall in the country for food safety concerns exposed by the investigations.

This week, the state of Iowa passed a law to take a stand on this issue. Iowa is the largest producer of pork and eggs in the whole country, so this is a big deal. Does the law require better treatment of animals? Or further investigations of farms in the state? No, it most certainly does not. Nicknamed “ag gag,” the law makes it illegal to lie on a job application if applying for a job at a farm, making it illegal for an undercover investigator to get a job in Iowa, and making it next to impossible for consumers to learn what is happening on farms in Iowa.

There are many things we can do to oppose industries that profit from harming animals, the planet, or people. One thing we can do everyday is boycott them. Every time you choose a vegan meal, you can choose compassion over cruelty. You can also share some of the videos linked above on your Facebook so other people can become aware. By following the above organizations on Facebook and joining their email lists, you can be kept posted on their important work and help publicize their past and future investigations so more people can make informed choices about their food.

Comment below to let us know what you think of this law, the videos linked above, or how you want to help.

The post New Iowa Law Makes It Harder For Activists to Show What Truly Happens on Farms appeared first on YEA Camp.