SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (April 28, 2022) — In Defense of Animals’ Interfaith Vegan Coalition has announced the winners of its prestigious Homo Ahimsa Award. Two Australian philanthropists, Philip and Trix Wollen, will be honored for their nonviolent activism at an award ceremony on Sunday, May 1.

Ahimsa is the Sanskrit word for non-harm and nonviolence. Venerated champions of the teaching include Mahatma Gandhi, who took a vow of Ahimsa that informed his life and his activism. Homo Ahimsa refers to the new human that we are becoming as we leave behind Homo Sapien's dominator worldview and live from our true nature as loving partners with all life.

“The Homo Ahimsa Award honors those who live in nonviolent, respectful, and ahimsa partnership with all life,” said Judy Carman, co-founder of the Interfaith Vegan Coalition and author of Peace to All Beings and Homo Ahimsa.

“In today’s world, it is a truly heroic act every time we express nonviolence or ‘ahimsa’ through our actions, thoughts, and words,” said Lisa Levinson, of In Defense of Animals and co-founder of the Interfaith Vegan Coalition. “Our recognition of this inspiring couple as the recipients of the Homo Ahimsa Award is a fitting tribute to their years of service in the cause of animal liberation and the transformation of humanity.”

The Interfaith Vegan Coalition grants the Homo Ahimsa Award to those who embody the Homo Ahimsa qualities of nonviolence and compassion for all beings. Homo Ahimsa Award recipients demonstrate how vegan living can co-create a world of peace, partnership, and loving kindness by ending violence and domination to people, animals, and the Earth.

The Homo Ahimsa Award was established by In Defense of Animals’ Interfaith Vegan Coalition and is given to honor those who exemplify the qualities of Homo Ahimsa in outstanding ways. The award is named after the book, Homo Ahimsa: Who We Really Are and How We’re Going to Save the World, by the Interfaith Vegan Coalition’s co-founder Judy Carman, who coined the term.

Carman added, “We can stop violence to animals, people, and the Earth caused by our species, Homo sapiens, by making a personal commitment to nonviolence. Together we can evolve and become a kinder species: Homo Ahimsa.”

In response to receiving the Homo Ahimsa Award, Philip Wollen provided the following quote from his famous speech: 

“Veganism is the Swiss Army Knife of the future. One instrument solves our ethical, economic, environmental, water, health problems — and ends animal cruelty forever. The most beautiful word ever written in any country, in any language, at any time in human history came from India, 3,000 years ago. ‘Ahimsa’ — nonviolence to any living being. If this resonates with us — and if we say what we mean and mean what we say, by definition, we must be Vegan. Not because veganism describes our nationality, our politics, our religion, our diet or our lifestyle. But because it describes our character. It says we oppose violence wherever it occurs.” 

### NOTES ###

Sunday, May 1: Homo Ahimsa Award Ceremony

In Defense of Animals’ Interfaith Vegan Coalition will bestow its second annual Homo Ahimsa Award to Australian philanthropists Philip and Trix Wollen of the Winsome Constance Kindness Trust (see bios below). Together, they’re furthering the cause of animal liberation and the transformation of humanity. 

Please use this link to join the online Homo Ahimsa Award Ceremony during V-COP 9 on May 1, 5:30 pm PT.

Discover more on the Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/388787786482531/

 Biographies of Homo Ahimsa Award 2022 Recipients

Mr. Philip and Trix Wollen are Australian philanthropists who plan to donate all of their wealth to liberate animals. Philip was the Vice-President of Citibank and General Manager at Citicorp. Now he supports hundreds of cause-related passion projects around the world for children, animals, and the environment.

The Wollens started Kindness House in Melbourne, Australia to house and support animal activists. Their Constance Winsome Kindness Trust supports over 400 projects in over 40 countries, including Sea Shepherd, schools, orphanages, animal sanctuaries, and lion parks.

Philip Wollen describes “Ahimsa” as the most beautiful word ever spoken in any language because it describes our character, not our characteristic. He proudly calls himself an “Ahimsan.”

Philip Wollen Awards Received

• The Order of Australia Medal in The Queen’s Birthday Honours
• Australian of the Year (Victoria)
• Honorary Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, UK
• Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Adelaide
• Australian Humanitarian Award, Australia
• Supreme Master Shining World Hero Award, Asia
• Cottonian of Eminence Award, India
• Humanitarian Award McKee Project, Costa Rica
• Sea Shepherd Volunteer of the Decade, Australia
• The Albert Schweitzer Award, USA
• The Peter Singer Prize and Medal, Berlin, Germany

Philip Wollen Videos

Golden Rule Day: https://youtu.be/zDuJFsRmWSw

Famous Animal Rights Speech: https://youtu.be/uQCe4qEexjc

AHIMSA Acrostic 

Ahimsa is the compassionate way to inner peace and world peace through non-killing, non-injuring, non-harming, and nonviolence. 

A: Abstinence from animal products

H: Harmlessness with reverence for life

I: Integrity of thought, word, and deed

M: Mastery over oneself

S: Service to humanity, nature, and creation

A: Advancement of understanding and truth

Acrostic credit: Jay Dinshah, of American Vegan Society (AVS). AVS is a member of the Interfaith Vegan Coalition.

Images: ​​https://bit.ly/WollenPix

Contacts:

• In Defense of Animals, Interfaith Vegan Coalition co-founder, Lisa Levinson, lisa@idausa.org, 215-620-2130
• Interfaith Vegan Coalition co-founder, Judy Carman, judycarman@ymail.com, 785-760-2446 
• Constance Winsome Kindness Trust founder, Philip Wollen, philip@kindnesstrust.com 

In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization with over 250,000 supporters and a 39-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 (IVC) helps animal activists and spiritual leaders bring vegan values to spiritual, ethical, and religious communities. The IVC provides tools to help all faith and secular wisdom traditions practice the ideals of nonviolence, lovingkindness, and harmlessness toward all animals. www.interfaithvegancoalition.org

 ### ENDS ###