Detailed information
Early Intervention Network English talk by Jens Tuider, M.A., Kristin Höhlig (Germany)
Don Bosco Saal: Main hall, ground floor
Striking at the Roots of Animal Exploitation
This presentation argues the case for what I term Early Intervention (EI). Early Intervention comprises all forms of animal advocacy and vegan activism directed at children's attitudes and behaviours towards animals – from explicit moral appeals to attempts at creating a more veg-friendly environment for children to grow up in. EI is an essential complement to existing forms of animal advocacy as it addresses the root cause of animal exploitation rather than only its effects - and rather than tearing down barriers to veganism, it aims to prevent them from being erected in the first place. Because adults' attitudes and behaviours towards animals don't just fall out of the sky but are mostly the result of a long process of learning and habituation, which starts early on in life.
This fact is still hugely underrepresented in the animal movement. To address this issue, I introduce the Early Intervention Network (EIN). The Early Intervention Network is dedicated to promoting, networking and professionalising existing forms of EI activism, aiming to make them more effective and sustainable, as well as identifying needs, coordinating efforts to meet them and lobbying on various levels.