Strategic Action for Animals: A Handbook on Strategic Movement Building, Organizing, and Activism for Animal Liberation

The animal liberation movement is growing in size and strength, but so are the industries that exploit animals. These industries have vastly more resources at their disposal than activists do. Given this tremendous power differential, how can activists hope to compete? The good news is that there is a way to shift the balance of power in favor of the movement. And strategy is the way. In Strategic Action for Animals, Melanie Joy explains how to use strategy to exponentially increase the effectiveness of activism for animals. Drawing on diverse movements and sources, she offers tried and true tactics based on well-established principles and practices. She also explains how to address the most common problems that weaken the movement, such as dissidence among organizations and activists, inefficient campaigns, wasted resources, and high rates of burnout. Whether you are working alone or with a group, whether you are a seasoned activist or new to the movement, Strategic Action for Animals, can help you make the most of your efforts to make the world a better place for animals.

Melanie Joy, PhD is a psychologist, international speaker, and longtime vegan and social justice advocate. She is the award-winning author of six books, including Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows: An Introduction to Carnism; Beyond Beliefs: A Guide to Improving Relationships and Communication for Vegans, Vegetarians, and Meat Eaters; Powerarchy: Understanding the Psychology of Oppression for Social Transformation; and Getting Relationships Right. Joy taught courses on privilege and oppression at the University of Massachusetts, Boston for over a decade, and she is the eighth recipient of the Ahimsa Award―previously given to the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela―for her work on global nonviolence. Her work has been featured in major media outlets around the world, and she is the founding president of Beyond Carnism. You can learn more about her at beyondcarnism.org.