The “Living Free” Campaign – An Exclusive Report of an Ongoing Nation-wide Animal Rights Campaign!
Report by Richa Thapliyal, “Living Free” Campaign Manager
How many of you have heard about Mr. Jon Camp, the vegan outreach volunteer who reached out to one million people with educational booklets over a period of eleven years?! In his many interviews, Mr. Camp has described the feeling of thrill he experiences each time somebody tells him that they have turned vegan or vegetarian after reading his booklet. And why not – to realize one’s individual power to change the world can be exhilarating!
I have experienced this power and so have many of you who are reading this now; I take the opportunity to share with all our experience of the India-wide Living Free campaign – a campaign to spread the essence of compassion in the world.
Who doesn’t want to live free? What is the Living Free campaign?
Living Free is a positive outreach program to sensitize society about the impact of its lifestyle choices – on oneself, the animals, the environment, and the Planet. Living Free aims to empower individuals with knowledge; and this knowledge is envisioned to help them examine existing notions and subsequently make informed choices.
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| Living Free campaign stall at a metro mall |
Informed choices are more likely to have positive outcomes for everyone. People are inspired to stop or reduce the consumption of animal products at an individual level, thereby setting off a chain reaction of kindness to self and the animals.
For more information on the Living Free campaign, please click this link.
Who leads the Living Free campaign?
The Living Free campaign was launched by the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organizations (FIAPO), a collective voice of the animal protection movement in India. FIAPO comprises 52 members and over 200 supporting organizations; it works to protect the rights of animals at the local and national levels – through education, research, lobbying, mobilization, training, and direct action.
Under the aegis of FIAPO, the Living Free campaign is led by volunteers from all walks of life. These volunteers reach out to people with well-designed, well-written 10-page educational booklets and a variety of creative techniques.
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| Outreach with Living Free booklets and talk at a school |
When was the Living Free campaign launched?
The campaign was launched on April 12, 2014 in five cities, namely Chennai, Pune, Bangalore, Jaipur, and Trivandrum. This follows a year-long pilot over the most of 2013 in which research and impact measurement was conducted, different outreach techniques were tried out, and results were collated so that we could confidently take the project to the national level in 2014!
Campaign outcome
It is now my pleasure to share the outcome of the campaign with you after three months of its launch! The campaign is in full swing in Bangalore, Bhopal, Coimbatore, Chennai, Delhi, Hissar, Pune, Jaipur, Jammu, Kanjiwaram, Manipal, Surat, and Trivandrum. Several thousands of people have been outreached so far and we are expecting that by April 2015, more than a lakh people would have been outreached.
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| Some creative Living Free volunteers |
The creativity and hard work of volunteers have been instrumental in contributing to the campaign outcome. There have been outreach by doctors to their patients, outreach on trekking trips, in schools, in colleges, in the gym, in the park, on the beach, while walking dogs, while on the bus…. there have been stalls, presentations, speeches, leafleting, movie screenings, distribution of animal-friendly products such as soy milk, and so much more!
Do you want to be part of the Living Free campaign?
Do you want to participate in the Living Free, cruelty-free movement that is sweeping over the country? Do you want to help humankind achieve its compassionate potential? Yes? Wherever you are in India, get in touch with us today! We will be more than happy to mail you leaflets; we will also be happy to provide support in the form of mentorship, small grants to fund outreach, and any other support that you might need. You can email at [email protected] or contact us through the Living Free page on Facebook.
Together we can and we will make this world a better place!
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| Outreach with Living Free booklets at public places |
About the writer:
Richa Thapliyal is the FIAPO Living Free campaign manager at the national level. She is a Bachelor’s degree holder in Agriculture Sciences and a Master’s degree holder in Business Administration. She has always been an animal lover and became an activist nearly five years ago when she discovered veganism. She has volunteered in various capacities with organizations such as BC SPCA, STOP UBC Animal Research, and Liberation BC. She has also worked with Latika Roy Foundation and The Centre for Child Development, non-profit organizations working for children with disabilities.
