Thinking of my first topic was a difficult one. Where to start? With everything that is going on, there is so much to say and do. It feels like there is not enough time to defend those that are persecuted and seek justice for everyone. However, one has to start somewhere. My inauguration into activism was through voicing my concerns on animal rights, so I feel it is only fitting to begin with the most exploited land animal in the world. Chickens. A chicken’s life on a factory farm Back in June, I went to my first vigil. For those who are unfamiliar, vigils are when people go to bear witness to animals in their final moments before going into a slaughterhouse. For the first time, I was seeing with my own eyes, the forgotten victims behind the nugget, drumstick or burger I used to eat - I was seeing the chicken thigh attached to a body, with feathers, a head and tired, scared eyes looking back at me. This was at the last working slaughter house in London, Kedassia Poultry Ltd, wher...

Hi! I’m Flora, an activist for the freedom of animals, human and non-human. If you are anything like me, you may feel like the world is an overwhelming and scary place right now. As a result, it's natural to feel a sense of despair and powerlessness. However, t hrough belief in our power as citizens with agency to come together as a community, a kinder world is possible. I believe that society is capable of evolving to be a more compassionate place for all beings. My aim is to highlight the problems we as a collective currently face and provide manageable actions everyone can take to transform the power systems that propagate injustice. The universe is on the side of justice. In the words of George Monbiot: “In motivating people to love and defend the natural world, an ounce of hope is worth a ton of despair.” This rings true for all movements aiming to make the world a better place. In the spirit of hope, here are some pictures of happy non-human animals that I visited at a sanc...