The last few days have offered an embarrassment of riches for the thinking vegan. Three examples really caught my eye as being especially sexy. I hope you have a chance to read or listen to these outstanding examples of thoughtful veganism in action.

1) Melanie Joy has a new essay out. It’s called “Speaking Truth to Power.”  It begins:

As vegans, our goal is not simply to get people to stop eating animals; we aim to bring about a revolutionary shift in social consciousness to transform a culture of violence and oppression to one of nonviolence and liberation. Our goal is to catalyze a revolution to change the course of history.

History is shaped not by weapons, or tyrants, or rebellions. History is shaped bystories. Beneath every oppression and every revolution are narratives that guide them: we cannot invade and take up arms against another without first believing the story that the other is our enemy who must be conquered, just as we cannot stand together in protest of violent invasions without believing the story that the war is unjust.

Read more.

2) ARZone has an exciting series of brief interviews with a who’s who list of animal rights activists. Find it here. The list includes:

Tom Regan, who began teaching college in 1967, is the moral philosopher whose ground-breaking book “The Case for Animal Rights” (1983) is widely regarded as the definitive argument for a rights-based theory of animal ethics. Prof. Regan is on the web at http://www.animalsvoice.com/regan/.

Nick Cooney, Compassionate Communities Campaign manager for Farm Sanctuary and author of “Change of Heart: What Psychology Can Teach Us About Spreading Social Change” (2010).

Will Tuttle, tireless traveling lecturer, educator, and author of “The World Peace Diet” (2005).

David Cantor, founder and Executive Director of Responsible Policies for Animals.

Shannon Keith, animal rights lawyer, producer/director of the films “Skin Trade” (2010) and “Behind the Mask” (2006).

Brad King, founder and director of Farm Animal Rescue Australia in Queensland Australia.

Ronnie Lee, a British animal rights activist and vegan educator who founded the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) in 1976.

Priscilla Cohn, philosopher, Associate Director of the Ferrater Mora Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, and co-editor of the Journal of Animal Ethics.

Dan Mathews, Senior Vice President of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA).

David Pearce, British philosopher, transhumanist, vegan, co-founder of Humanity+ and The Abolitionist Project.

Matt Ball, co-founder and Executive Director of Vegan Outreach.

Kathy Divine, from Sydney Australia, the author of two books, “Forever 21” (2011) and “Vegans Are Cool” (2011) can be found on the web at KathyDivine.com.

Harold Brown, founder of Farm Kind, an advocate for animals’ rights; veganism; sustainable, independ4ent family farms; and environmental and social justice.

Dean Bracher, grassroots animal activist in the UK, focusing on educating children and young adults.

Kari Bagnall, founder and director of Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary in Gainesville, FL.

Robert Garner, professor of political theory in the UK and author of Animal Ethics (2005), and Animals, Politics and Morality (2004).

Bruce Friedrich, senior director for strategic initiatives at Farm Sanctuary, producer of the film “Meet your Meat” (2002).

Cameron Blewett, an outspoken vegan advocate and blogger (AusVegan.com) in Brisbane, Australia.

Gary Smith, founder of TheThinkingVegan.com and the public relations firm Evolutus PR.

Ruby Roth, author of two children’s books, “That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals” (2009) and her latest “Vegan is Love: Having Heart and Taking Action” (2012).

Anthony Marr, recipient in 2010 of the Henry Spira Grassroots Activist Award, noted environmentalist, conservationist, author and public speaker.

Dino Sarma, author of “Alternative Vegan: International Vegan Fare Straight From the Produce Aisle” (2011).

Mary Martin, vegan, runner, meditator, atheist, mother, author, blogger (AnimalPerson.net).

David Sztybel, philosopher and Canadian scholar specialising in animal ethics.

Oscar Horta, professor of moral philosophy and antispeciesist activist working in Spain and Latin America.

Steven Wise, “‘America’s best-known animal lawyer”, founder and director of the NonHuman Rights Project, author of “Rattling the Cage:Toward Legal Rights For Animals” (2001).

Jonathan Balcombe, ethologist, public speaker, Chair of the Animal Studies Department with the Humane Society University and author of numerous books including “Pleasurable Kingdom: Animals and the Nature of Feeling Good” (2007).

Karol Orzechowski, producer/director of “Maximum Tolerated Dose” (2012), a documentary focusing on the lives affected by vivisection.

David Nibert, Professor of Sociology, author of “Animal Rights/Human Rights: Entanglements of Oppression and Liberation” (2002).

Robin Lane, an advocate and activist for three decades, organiser since 1998 of the London Vegan Festival.

Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, the ‘Compassionate Cook’, public speaker, activist and author of many books including The 30-Day Vegan Challenge: The Ultimate Guide to Eating Cleaner, Getting Leaner, and Living Compassionately (2011).

Anthony Nocella II, educator, community organizer, and author/editor - most recently of “Earth, Animal, and Disability Liberation: The Rise of the Eco-Ability Movement” (2012).

Marc Bekoff, a recognized expert in the study of animal emotions and behavior, a prolific author whose work includes the 3 volume “Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior” (2004).

Melanie Joy, social psychologist and author of “Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows” (2011) and “Strategic Action for Animals” (2008).

Peter Singer, often called one of the world’s best known and most read philosophers, Prof. Singer is widely credited with rekindling the modern advocacy movement for other animals with the publication of his book “Animal Liberation” in 1975.