a vegan collective/project/site worth many looks

Living Opposed to Violence and Exploitation

Mission: L.O.V.E. works to promote the understanding of speciesism as a form of oppression and veganism as a positive, effective response to eliminating speciesism and achieving the liberation of animals oppressed by speciesism.

Vision: L.O.V.E. seeks to accomplish the elimination of speciesism through the following means:

• Promoting a veganism that is accessible to all as a response to speciesism to its members and the general public.
• Fostering positive discussion amongst activists and the community about veganism and speciesism.
• Offering tools, resources and support for members to promote veganism to the public.
• Acknowledging that speciesism is a form of oppression amongst many, that all forms of oppression are intertwined, and that no oppression is tolerable.

Values: L.O.V.E. promotes the following values amongst our members:

• Positive, constructive outreach creates positive, effective activists.
• L.O.V.E. serves as a safe-haven (see below) for discussion, growth, and change.
• Collectively, we honor a commitment to local, community-based activism and a pledge to support local activities to the best of our abilities.
• Members strive for honest and open communication, including an understanding that challenge and criticism are a welcome opportunity to grow as activists.

Safe Haven Statement: L.O.V.E. is committed to:

• Always attempting to understand and discuss new ideas when they are presented
• Never stonewalling anybody (“You’re wrong, and nothing more will be said about it”)
• Respecting everyone’s opinions and giving people equal consideration, fostering individual and community growth
• Promoting dialogue and acknowledging when change is appropriate
• Operating as a collective and not a hierarchy
• Striving for effective communication (more clearly defined: direct, truthful, and kind)
• Facing conflict early and seeking resolutions that target the cause, not the symptom
• Valuing challenges and disagreements as opportunities to grow as activists
• Acknowledging that a community is only as healthy as its individual members; lending support to people; discussing and resolving conflicts in a fair and healthy way

Activism Statement: L.O.V.E. encourages our members to participate in any actions, conducted without hatred, that promote veganism, work to eliminate speciesism, and generate awareness about these issues among the general public. L.O.V.E. does not condone activities that are in any way oppressive to human or non-human animals.

it's pretty perfect.

-- first saw this project/site mentioned @ flip flopping joy via The Vegan Ideal and then (in one of those weird serendipitous coincidence moments - long story) stumbled upon it independently too! i've only just begun looking around the site, but there's lots to... love.

see also The Vegan Ideal's "How to Prevent Social Change: Lesson 1. Limit Your Vision", also quite excellent.