Freedom of Species

 For our episode this week Claire interviews Diaa from Free Palestine Bendigo.  Topics covered: How he came to be involved in Free Palestine activismWho Free Palestine Bendigo is and what they do. What some of the highlights of the Free Palestine Bendigo activities so far have been. What some of the challenges of regional organising for Palestine are. Advice for people wanting to start a similar g...

 On this show we play some of the speeches from The Big Pig Vigil hosted by Farm Transparency Project and held outside Diamond Valley Pork in Laverton, Victoria on October 22, 2023. The peaceful 24-hour vigil was held outside the facility, which is one of the largest pig slaughterhouses in Australia. The speakers include: Ally Roberts (environmental and animal activist), Catriona Marshall (FTP Out...

This Summer Special covers anti-capitalist alternatives, with a focus on socialism and anarchism. It is hosted by Freedom of Species hosts Meg and Nick, as well as regular FoS guest Lottie.   Additional resources: Free Women of Spain: Anarchism and the struggle for the emancipation of women by Martha Ackelsberg. Library Socialism & Usufruct by Srsly Wrong podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/...

Dilan Fernando and Harley McDonald-Eckersall discuss their time in Palestine and the work of the Palestinian Animal League. They explain the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land and how this influences animal activism. This show originally aired on March 31, 2019.  A reminder about the rest of our Summer Programming Schedule: 7 January: Freedom of Species replay on the documentary Stray. 14 Janu...

 On this Summer Special, Freedom of Species presenters Claire and Nick talk hockey and social justice. We cover: how we got into ice hockey; Indigenous advocacy in hockey including calls for the Chicago team to change their name and logo; the Black Lives Matter movement; and police and military involvement in hockey.  Nick and Claire continue this discussion on hockey and politics, as well as brin...

For our episode this week Claire, Caroline, Nick and Trev discuss many things Christmas including: How we feel about celebrating in the context of Christmas being cancelled in Palestine? What it’s like being a vegan at ChristmasSome of our favourite recipes and productsHow to negotiate the ethics of gift giving in a consumerist society Links:There's no Christmas in Bethlehem this year. With war in...

 Our guest is total liberation activist Betty Melon and we play a section of Betty's speech from the 2019 Animal Rights Forum in Naarm/Melbourne that specifically covered racism and animalisation. The speech was entitled Forming Alliances with Other Movemements and focuses on how we can building solidarity with other social justice movements and doing so through a lens of consistent anti-oppressio...

This show covers why vegans should show solidarity with Palestine, understanding the oppression of Palestinian people today and historically, and actions for solidarity. These issues are covered in a discussion between Leila Dehghan and Laura Schleifer, who is an American Jew and lifelong activist. You can watch a video of this discussion on Leila Dehgan’s Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/...

Davita and Trev present the audio of Harley McDonald-Eckersall's presentation on the Palestinian Animal League, an organisation that operates in occupied Palestine. This talk is from a conference in 2019, where Harley shares what she learnt by visiting the Palestine Animal League and doing their tour. She discusses some of the aspects of their work, how it can be relevant to our local campaigns, a...

  This week's episode is all about the Veganuary campaign which has inspired and supported millions of people all over the world to try vegan since 2014. Our guest is Jacqui, Veganuary campaign coordinator in Australia.  We talk to her about the concept of Veganuary, it's origins and impacts, and how to sign up and be supported in your new year's resolution to try a vegan lifestyle!  Helpful Links...

Our episode this week Claire is joined by Caroline for a discussion of the book Pollution is Colonialism by Red River Métis/Michif Associate Professor of Geography at Memorial University Max Liboiron (they/them). Topics discussed: What really stood out for us from this book and why was it of interest. What challenged us most from this book. Useful links:https://maxliboiron.comCivic Laboratory for...

  Content warning: we discuss genocide, violence and oppression in this show. We express our deep sorrow and grief as events unolding in Palestine, and our unwavering solidarity. In this show we talk about total liberation and why we think it's very important to stand against colonalism and genocide whenever and wherever it appears. We discuss the connections between forms of oppression such as ra...

  Come along with us as we explore the history of World Vegan Day around the world and right here in Melbourne. World Vegan Day was founded by the UK Vegan Society in 1994 to mark the 50th anniversary of the inception of The Vegan Society. Today World Vegan Day (November 1st) is celebrated around the world with a variety of events and activities.  We are joined by our guest Malia Donovan, a long t...

 We discuss the documentary film Stray that follows dogs on the streets of Istanbul, Turkey and examines their daily lives and their search for food, shelter and at times, company. The dogs are not defined by relationships with people, yet their lives often intersect with a group of teenagers who are refugees from Syria. Turkey is one of the few countries that prohibits killing stray dogs. Stray |...

  Join us as we delve into the dodgy 'sport' of horse racing and the infamous Melbourne Cup. In this episode we talk to the founder of The Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses and long term animal activist Elio Celotto about his introduction to animal activism, the highly successful Nup to the Cup campaign and the horse racing industry in general. Nup to the Cup official websitehttps://nupto...

Our guest this week is Davita Coronel, a PhD student at Deakin University with an interest in cultural relationships with animals on colonised lands. Her work explores what it takes to learn to live with flying-foxes in an anthropocentric and settler-colonial society.  Topics include: How Davita chose her PhD topic of a feminist and Indigneous ethics of care for living with flying foxes. What rese...

 Ondine Sherman is a life-long animal advocate, and is passionate about promoting respect and compassion for all creatures. She is the author of Vegan Living; A simple guide to cruelty-free, healthy plant-based life (2020), and Young Adult fiction, the Animal Allies series: Sky (2019), Snow (2019), and Star (2021). Ondine’s memoir, The Miracle of Love (2013) recounts her journey with her identical...

How easy is it to source ethical safety equipment? What about the good old Bunnings tradie breakfasts? What do your workmates think of your vegan lifestyle? Has anything changed over time? We speak with studio guest Michael, a land surveyor, and hear from people across Australia about their experiences working in the trades and industrial sectors as a vegan.  Plus we have some good old working cla...

Hayden and Lottie choose their dream menu in our vegan version of the foodie podcast Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster. We discuss our favourite foods as we imagine a better world for humans and other animals alike.  The following episodes of Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster feature vegan guests: Simon Amstell (episode 112), Romesh Ranganathan (episode 65) and Lou Sanders (episode...

Our guest this week is long-term socialist and ant-fascist activist Daniel Dadich. Daniel is a second generation migrant, a union delegate, a social worker and a proud socialist. He's lived in Melbourne his whole life and have experienced racist policing and harassment first-hand. He's been involved in political campaigns in Melbourne for more than 15 years and has been a candidate for the Victori...

  Over recent years technology has progressed in leaps and bounds, and our ability to understand our world through this lense has dramatically advanced.  But what does this mean for our animal friends? How might this technology be used? And if we are able to develop an animal version of Google Translate, will we even listen to what they have to say? Music KSHMR and Tigerlily - Invisible Children h...

 Our guest is world renowned conservationist Saengduean 'Lek' Chailert who is recognised for her unwavering commitment to the welfare and conservation of Asian elephants. Lek's work spans more than three decades and her tireless efforts have earned her many accolades, including the esteemed Legion of Honor award. Lek has been instrumental in improving the lives of hundreds of elephants in Asia thr...

 We are joined by Dr Jed Goodfellow, Co-Founder and Director, Policy and Government Relations at the Australian Alliance for Animals. The Alliance for Animals is a national charity leading a strategic alliance of Australia's key animal protection organisations and operating as a conduit between community support for change for animals and government.  Jed has over 20 years experience in animal wel...

 The Orca Revolution: Why are orcas attacking boats off the Iberian Peninsula? Come with us on a journey of discovery as we delve into the unprecedented phenomena of orcas attacking ships off the Iberian Coast and speculate just what in the ocean is happening!  What are their motives? Is there a ring leader? What do scientists think? What do YOU think? Music: Counting Backwards https://countingbac...

Lottie and Nick discuss post-veganism, which focuses on bringing about change for animals in other ways beyond individual consumption choices. This concept was discussed on a recent episode of Total Liberation podcast: https://totalliberationpodcast.com/96-post-veganism-beyond-the-diet-w-ash/  Additional links: Global Animal Slaughter Statistics & Charts: 2022 Update from Faunalytics: https://faun...