SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (April 4, 2022) — In Defense of Animals’ Interfaith Vegan Coalition, Charter for Compassion, and Climate Healers invite everyone to focus on compassion for all animals from Monday, April 4 through April 21, leading up to Earth Day on April 22. The project partners will celebrate the first-ever Compassion for All Animals Day on Monday, April 4, host a live panel discussion on International Golden Rule Day on April 5, and present daily video inspirations from April 6 through April 21.

Most people who love their animal companions draw an arbitrary line between the animals who live with them and the animals who they eat. The Compassion for All Animals Campaign will broadcast videos featuring music, speakers, and animation that showcase the benefits of eating a plant-based diet for our planet, our own bodies, and our connection to animals.

Susan Soleil, with the Charter for Compassion, said, “Albert Schweitzer eloquently expresses why this topic deserves our time and urgent attention: ‘Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace.’ Thus, the Charter is focusing on compassion for all animals, both for them and for ourselves.”

Compassion for All Animals Day and the following campaign will help people expand their compassion for animals beyond their animal companions to include all animals by examining our diets and exploring ways to avoid harming other animals. The webinar on April 4 and the daily video inspirations from April 6 through April 21 will feature videos with prayers for animals, songs about animals, and stories from animal rescues, along with resources to support plant-based eating and vegan lifestyle choices. Participants can sign the Compassion for All Animals Pledge not to eat animals or animal products — for a few days or weeks, a month, a year, or for life.

“In Defense of Animals’ Interfaith Vegan Coalition is honored to partner with the Charter for Compassion and Climate Healers to launch the first-ever Compassion for All Animals Day,” said Lisa Levinson, Co-founder of the Interfaith Vegan Coalition and Campaigns Director for In Defense of Animals. “We will share this message of compassion for all animals and for the Earth far and wide. We hope many people will join our celebrations to connect the dots between the compassion in their hearts and compassion on their plates.” 

Our growth-at-all-costs economic system drives human population growth and animal agriculture, which are the greatest contributors to the environmental crisis and threaten all life on Earth. In an effort to address this, the Compassion for All Animals Campaign partners are among many individuals and organizations urging world leaders to adopt the Plant Based Treaty as a companion to the Paris Agreement to stop animal agriculture from causing further devastation.

“I’m thrilled that the venerable Charter for Compassion, founded by Dr. Karen Armstrong, is creating a series of events focused on compassion for non-human animals between Golden Rule Day and Earth Day, and now with Compassion for All Animals Day,” said Dr. Sailesh Rao, Founder and Executive Director of Climate Healers. “This is a clear sign that the vegan movement, the fastest-growing social justice movement in the world, is now sweeping through our mainstream culture.” 

Calendar

April 4 – Compassion for All Animals Day webinar (register)

April 5 – Golden Rule Day live “Compassion for All Animals” panel at 10 a.m. PT 

April 6-21 – Videos released daily at 7 a.m. PT

April 22 – Earth Day

All events will be livestreamed on the Charter for Compassion Facebook page.

Register here for the free kick-off webinar on the first-ever Compassion for All Animals Day on April 4. 

Find the full schedule and event details on the Compassion for All Animals event webpage. 

In Defense of Animals started the Interfaith Vegan Coalition to help animal activists and spiritual leaders bring vegan values to spiritual, ethical, and religious communities. The coalition provides faith-based tools to help all faith and secular wisdom traditions practice the ideals of nonviolence, lovingkindness, and harmlessness toward all animals. The coalition is composed of 34 member organizations, 2 allied organizations, and one partner organization Animal Interfaith Alliance comprising 17 organizations, all working in harmony for a common cause.

Contacts:

In Defense of Animals, Interfaith Vegan Coalition, Lisa Levinson, lisa@idausa.org, (215) 620-2130
Charter for Compassion, Susan Soleil, susan@charterforcompassion.org, (801) 554-9495
Climate Healers, Dr. Sailesh Rao, srao@climatehealers.org, (732) 809-3526 
 

In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization with over 250,000 supporters and a 38-year history of fighting for animals, people, and the environment through education and campaigns, as well as hands-on rescue facilities in India, South Korea, and rural Mississippi. www.idausa.org

The Interfaith Vegan Coalition helps animal activists and spiritual leaders bring vegan values to spiritual, ethical, and religious communities. The coalition provides tools to help all faith and secular wisdom traditions practice the ideals of nonviolence, lovingkindness, and harmlessness toward all animals. www.interfaithvegancoalition.org

The Charter for Compassion promotes and cultivates the principle of compassion and the Compassionate Way of Life, as articulated by the Charter for Compassion, so that compassion characterizes all human society and all relationships. www.charterforcompassion.org

Climate Healers is a non-profit organization dedicated to healing the Earth’s climate by implementing systemic solutions for human, Earth and animal liberation, founded on compassionate science. www.climatehealers.org

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