Each
year, more than 55 billion sentient
beings are brutalized and killed in the world's
factory farms and slaughterhouses. On World Farm
Animals Day, caring people across the globe take
action to speak out on behalf of these innocent animals.
Popular activities include leafleting, information
tables, lectures, marches, walks, fasts, and memorial
services. For a more dramatic effect, stage a die-in, hold
a vigil or protest, have a cage-in or video screening in a public place, or include civil disobedience as part of your observance.
Don't miss this chance to be part of an international day of action to raise awareness about the moral injustices, environmental devastation, and public health hazards that result from animal agriculture!
You can also spread the word online by adding FARM/WFAD
as a friend on Facebook, MySpace,
and Twitter and
placing a WFAD
banner on your website.
Register your event today. Even if you haven't finalized your activities, let us know your interest. You can update your plans as the details unfold. You can register online or by calling 888-FARM-USA (327-6872)
Benefits of registering with
us:
- Publicizes your activities to local activists and media
- Inspires other activists with your example
- Allows you to request an Event Pack, with a
banner, colorful posters, handout materials, and
stickers, and directs you to the Action Guide
Each event should be designed to draw maximum public and media attention to animal suffering through content, location, drama, and timing.
Basic materials for
this observance include posters, stickers, and handouts
included in the WFAD
Event Pack, which is available for free when you register
your event.
Location is crucial. Choose places
with large concentrations of people, such as fast
food outlets, shopping centers, downtown plazas,
or student unions. City and state capitals tend
to be downtown, get lots of foot traffic, and make
for great photo-ops. Slaughterhouses provide dramatic
backdrops; while they are not ideal for
vegan outreach because they are often not easily
accessible to the public or the media, a protest
or vigil in front of a slaughterhouse can send a
powerful message.
The dramatic element may be inherent
in the type of event, as is the case with street
theatre, banner drops, vigils, and civil disobedience.
Posters, signs, and banners provided
by FARM, as well as costumes, cages, balloons,
and funeral props, can also be used to achieve this
effect.
Timing the event involves balancing
volunteer availability (evenings and weekends) with
maximizing passerby traffic (weekday morning or evening
commuting rush or lunch hour) and meeting media
deadlines (before 3 pm). A weekday lunch hour generally
provides a good compromise. Although the official
date of WFAD is October 2, your events can be scheduled
anytime throughout October to better suit your schedule.
Find out more about planning
your event.
Cage-ins are
an excellent way to bring attention to the plight
of animals raised and killed for food. They are highly
effective in conjunction with videos and can attract
a media attention. Click
here for
details.
Die-ins are
a visually powerful and symbolic form of protest
where activists lie motionless in a public area.
They have traditionally been used to protest nuclear
proliferation and, more recently, the war in Iraq.
World Farm Animals Day die-ins take a stand for animals
raised for food, whose suffering is invisible and
publicly denied. Click
here for details.
Playing
a video to expose standard farming and
slaughter practices is a sure way to simultaneously
grab attention and create awareness. Videos can
be added to nearly any other activity, such as
cage ins, protests, and information tables. Click
here to find out more about playing videos.
 Protests
and demonstrations are great ways to
express outrage towards society's disregard for
(or an establishment's treatment of) animals. If
you're already working on a campaign in your area,
consider incorporating it into World Farm Animals
Day.
Click here to find out more.
 Vigils
and memorial services are somber events
that focus attention on the losses suffered by each
of the more than 55 billion individuals animals murdered
by agribusiness each year. These events can be as
elaborate as funeral processions or as straightforward
as candlelight vigils.
Click
here to find out more.
.jpg)
A banner
drop involves
the placement of a large banner in a public area.
It's a quick way to spread your message to
the masses and can be done with just a few people.
Check out our guide to banner drops (coming soon),
and keep in mind that the legality varies by location.
Information about local laws and civil disobedience
will be coming soon.
.jpg) Information
tables require relatively little
planning and allow activists to engage the public
in meaningful, one-on-one dialogues. Pick a popular
location and busy time of day, get a permit (if
necessary), then show up with WFAD display
materials and handouts. Click
here for details.
Exhibits are basically
the unstaffed version of an information table, typically
ranging from one week to one month.
Libraries and student unions are popular locations
for exhibits, which tend to be more visual than information
tables. Display materials, including books, are usually
under protective glass cover, while handouts are
available to passersby. Click
here for details.
.jpg)
Feed-ins demonstrate the benefits of a cruelty-free diet through delicious vegan food. Offer samples of meat-alternatives at a busy downtown intersection, feed the needy, or conduct a workplace event for your co-workers. Offering food samples works well in conjunction with leafleting or an info table. Click
here for details.
.jpg) A great
resource is Vegfund.org. Veg
Fund provides funding for vegan food, serving
supplies and any table/booth fees. They also
provide ideas on venues, recipes, and educational
literature.
.jpg) Leafleting is
a simple activity, as it requires no permits, no
equipment, and little planning. Make the most of
your efforts by hitting high-traffic areas at the
busiest times. Popular
locations are fast food outlets at lunch time and
college campuses between classes, but any busy area
will do. Request special World
Farm Animals Day handouts when you register or
leaflet any occasion with your choice of the
postcard-sized available on FARM's
literature request page.
If you're new to leafleting and are nervous or intimidated, or if you just need some pointers, please see the helpful suggestions by Vegan Outreach.
If
you’re
short on time, simply drop our colorful WFAD handouts off
at various locations throughout your community. Locations
can include animal shelters, vet offices, libraries,
universities, health food stores, or anywhere else
you see fit.
Get Creative! Use your imagination
to raise awareness. Just a few ideas include human
meat package displays, a human slaughter exhibit,
interesting artwork with a message, or anything else
you think will be effective in capturing attention
for the cause. Check out FARM's
2007 Stages of Meat demo.
Support an ongoing campaign: You can theme your World Farm Animals Day activism around a national campaign, such as PETA's Kentucky Fried Cruelty demonstrations. Another option is to tie WFAD into a local campaign, such as an effort to veganize a school cafeteria. Making your campaign part of an international day of action makes it much more news-worthy.
 Ads and Billboards send a powerful message to thousands. Individuals and organizations that wish to contribute funds instead of
or in addition to their time, can sponsor newspaper
ads, bus cards, or billboards. Call 888-FARM-USA
for details.
Web banners: Help us publicize
the World Farm Animals Day message by posting a WFAD
banner on your website. Click
here to find out how.
Social Networks: WFAD has a presence
on Facebook and Myspace.
Regardless of how far away you are, you can invite
your friends to participate in World Farm Animals
Day observances.
We will also be updating our Twitter account with information about WFAD. Follow @FARMUSA for updates, and make sure you "tweet" about World Farm Animals Day with the hashtag #WFAD.
Donations: If you are unable to
hold an event of your own this year, please consider
supporting the efforts of other grassroots activists
by making a donation.
Sponsor a WFAD billboard! Click
here for details.
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