We’re a grassroots volunteer collective based in Magandjin/Brisbane, working to take action for animals and support others doing the same. We organise regular in-person activism and community events, including the annual Action for Animals Community Forum.
We’re also building tools and spaces to support animal advocacy wherever people are, beyond just our local area. Our focus is always on community, compassion and collaboration – for the animals.
How it started
The Action for Animals Community was created by Cat and Cam – two longterm activists for a kinder world wanting to support the movement by creating space for learning, sharing and collective action.
Back in 2018, we were planning our first event and tossing around names. What we kept coming back to was simple: action for animals, as that’s the goal. We added “community” because we are a network of people doing this together, not a top-down organisation that we run.
Cameron’s introduction
I went vegan just before the turn of the millennium in late 1999, and I have been doing some form of activism, mostly for animals and the environment, on and off from around that time. I have volunteered for many organisations, from those supporting animals, to environmental and human rights organisations. For the animals I have done many stalls, street outreaches, volunteer organising, marches, events and made thousands of badges :) I started and organised the current London Vegan Meetup and have been the main co-ordinator of the Brisbane Vegan Meetup (also on Facebook). If you want to know more I have my personal website E.A.R.T.H. with articles, audio and video, and I also have the fun project Vegan Bingo.
Ahimsa, Cam
Cat’s introduction
Hi, I’m Cat, a committed defender of all sentient beings and the world we share. After going veg at the age of nine, I made the vegan connection in 2002 and gradually became more active, often inspired by like minds I met through the vegan community – including Cam, via London Vegan Meetup. I’ve always tried to help animals and the Earth through my work and volunteering, which has ranged from co-organising a month-long vegan pledge program in London to nonprofit and for-profit efforts here in Australia focused on mainstreaming plant-based living and driving institutional change. Most of this has focused on content creation and events, with a mix of campaigning and research thrown in. I’m inspired every day by this movement that prefigures and works to build a world free from oppression and violence.
Principles
With all of our events and work we try to champion non-violence and inclusion. We actively promote respect, and challenge all forms of discrimination. We welcome discussion on diverse approaches to animal advocacy.
The change we hope to see in the world is most likely to come out from a movement unified in core principles, even as we celebrate diverse approaches to achieving those principles. A unified movement starts at a person-to-person level, of working to embody the compassion we are trying to foster in the world. The righteousness of our cause is not enough, our movement must make people’s lives better when they are part of it. Only bringing our best selves forth, together, can we do this great urgent task before us.
For the animals.