A lesson in turning adversaries into allies
1,794,215 views |
Leah Garcés |
TEDxSeattle
• November 2019
When you're on opposite sides of an issue, how do you broker peace with your adversaries and work together to solve a problem? Follow along as animal rights activist Leah Garcés recounts three lessons she learned in hatching an ambitious plan to end chicken factory farming with the last person she expected: a chicken farmer.
When you're on opposite sides of an issue, how do you broker peace with your adversaries and work together to solve a problem? Follow along as animal rights activist Leah Garcés recounts three lessons she learned in hatching an ambitious plan to end chicken factory farming with the last person she expected: a chicken farmer.
This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxSeattle, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.
Read more about TEDx.Donate to Mercy For Animals to help build a compassionate food system.
Learn about "Transfarmation," a project from Mercy For Animals.
About the speaker
Leah Garces fights to end animal exploitation.
John Lewis and Mike D'Orso | Harvest Books, 1999 | Book
Walking With the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement
John Lewis was my representative in congress, and he greatly influenced my philosophy about how we should approach social justice work, especially with regard to collaborating with those who hate or resist our efforts. He writes: "Hold only love, only peace in your heart, knowing that the battle of good to overcome evil is already won. Choose confrontation wisely, but when it is your time don't be afraid to stand up, speak up, and speak out against injustice."
Maryn McKenna | National Geographic, 2017 | Book
Big Chicken: The Incredible Story of How Antibiotics Created Modern Agriculture and Changed the Way the World Eats
Maryn McKenna's work to expose the dirty underside of our food system has inspired me at many moments along my journey to do the same. This book is about so much more than chickens — it's an exploration of how corporate powers wield the food industry as a weapon against public health and the environment.
Jonathan Safran Foer | Back Bay Books, 2010 | Book
Eating Animals
Few writers have as eloquently explored the ethical, environmental and societal dilemmas our species faces as we reckon with our consumption of other animals. This book is an enjoyable read and a great place to start for those interested in learning more about how to act and eat more ethically.
Frans De Waal | W. W. Norton & Company, 2017 | Book
Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?
Ever since I was a child observing resident ducks in my backyard in central Florida, I've been fascinated by the inner lives of animals. Their minds are, as De Waal so expertly illustrates, so much more complex than we humans can grasp. This book changed the way I see our fellow creatures and inspires me to consider them, always, as the thinking, feeling beings they are.
Philip Lymbery | Bloomsbury, 2014 | Book
Farmageddon: The True Cost of Cheap Meat
Philip Lymbery is a longtime mentor of mine, and reading his book about our food system's many failures inspired me consider the period of ecosystem collapse we are in and how it's specifically related to our food system.
Martin Luther King Jr. | 1963 | Article
"Letter from Birmingham Jail"
Like many social justice advocates, I am deeply inspired by the writing of Martin Luther King Jr., especially this letter. His framing of the ways in which we must engage with our so-called enemies is a foundation for my work to partner with those with whom I disagree.
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About TEDx
TEDx was created in the spirit of TED's mission, "ideas worth spreading." It supports independent organizers who want to create a TED-like event in their own community.
This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxSeattle, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.
Read more about TEDx.Donate to Mercy For Animals to help build a compassionate food system.
Learn about "Transfarmation," a project from Mercy For Animals.