The strategy of conversion is focused on consumption, while the social movement strategy is focused on political opinions and the creation of new norms. (For this last strategy see the article Societal change)
We want to live in a society where there is a norm stating that killing animals is forbidden. To have that society, we must express the claim that killing animals must be forbidden.
In our speciesist societies, there is a criminal offense which was created before Darwin, that prohibits the killing of humans. Now, we are after Darwin, we know that other animals have emotions as well. They have an interest in living the longest and happiest life possible. Our society has to respect their interest and create a new criminal offense prohibiting the killing of animals.
The more people will express the claim that killing animals has to be forbidden, the more it will create a discussion regarding this new norm and will push us forward the society where this norm exist. First there is the expression of the claim, then the discussion and finally the norm.
I believe that the social movement strategy is the most efficient. I believe also that in the social movement strategy the most efficient claim-making is the one that demands the prohibition of the killing of animals.
Expressing this claim creates a cultural change. The murder of humans is a taboo. The fact that we murder animals and not humans is a much bigger taboo. The act of saying that killing of animals has to be forbidden challenges this last taboo and creates cultural change.
All animal rights activists become so because one day or another they thought about speciesism. So questioning speciesism is very important. In our cultural framework, the claim which expression challenges the most speciesism is the claim that killing of animals has to be forbidden.
Let’s talk for the animals and express in our comlunications that killing them has to be forbidden. One day it will be. Because you did it.
Anoushavan Sarukhanyan
