Table Of ContentPERSONAL STORIES SERVE AS LIVING PROOF THAT CHANGE IS POSSIBLE:
A THREE PART WORKSHOP SERIES GEARED TOWARD SUPPORTING ADULTS
THROUGH A TRANSITION TOWARD VEGANISM
An Independent Learning Project Presented by
Wendy S. Gilmore
To
Melissa Feldman
Professor and Faculty Advisor
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for
the degree of Master of Education
with a concentration in humane education.
Cambridge College
Cambridge, Massachusetts
August 2011
This is an unpublished Independent Learning Project
In which copyright subsists
©Copyright by Wendy S. Gilmore
August 2011
All Rights Reserved
This copy is not intended for distribution to the public.
i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank a few of the individuals who have played a role in supporting my
own transition toward veganism. First is my middle school friend Laura, who showed me how
enjoyable a vegetarian lifestyle could be. Next are my parents, who were supportive in allowing
me to make my own food choices from a young age. Finally, “Vegan Mike,” a college friend
who shared a wealth of knowledge and support about living a life that is healthy, compassionate,
and environmentally conscious.
Additionally, I would like to thank my partner Liane for her encouragement and superb
editing skills, as well as the faculty and staff of the Institute for Humane Education whose vision
for a humane world has been inspiring. Finally, a very special thank you to Melissa Feldman,
whose unwavering guidance and support has helped me in creating the following Independent
Learning Project.
ii
ABSTRACT
Changing one’s actions can feel like an arduous, if not impossible, journey. With a belief
that personal stories serve as living proof that change is possible, this Independent Learning
Project (ILP) aims to support adults seeking to make a transition toward veganism. The problem
addressed through this project is the lack of background knowledge regarding the obstacles
everyday people have overcome to achieve their personal goals. Research on the process of
personal change, best practices in supporting adults through change, and the power of personal
stories supported the creation of a three-part workshop series geared toward supporting
individuals through a successful personal journey toward veganism.
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Rationale 1
Goals 5
Problem Statement 7
Population 8
Methodology 9
Chapter 2
Introduction 11
Process of Personal Change 11
Best Practices: Supporting Adults Through Personal Change 18
The Power of Personal Stories 21
Chapter 3
Title Page 26
Table of Contents 27
Introduction to Facilitator’s Guide 29
Goals 32
Background Research 34
Humane Education 37
Workshops 39
Assessment 95
Resources 97
About the Author 101
iv
References 102
Appendices 103
Chapter IV
Summary 113
Conclusions 115
References 118
Resume 121
v
1
Chapter 1
Rationale
The field of humane education strives to draw connections between all forms of social
justice through intentional and experiential learning opportunities, both inside and outside of the
classroom. Focus areas include human rights, environmental ethics, animal protection, and
culture and change. While some humane educators are teachers by profession, others are
everyday role models, mentors, and coaches with an exceptional ability to encourage and inspire
growth and change in others.
Humane educators strive to help individuals build a solid foundation for knowledge,
awareness, and information gathering skills (Weil, 2004). Most humane educators follow the
Four Elements of Humane Education:
1. Providing accurate information so participants understand the consequences of their
decisions as consumers and citizens.
2. Fostering the 3 Cs of Curiosity, Creativity, and Critical Thinking so participants can
evaluate information and solve problems.
3. Instilling the 3 Rs: Reverence, Respect, and Responsibility so participants will act
with kindness and integrity.
4. Offering positive choices that benefit oneself, other people, the Earth, and animals so
participants feel empowered to help create a more humane world. (Weil, 2004, p. 20)
With knowledge comes responsibility, and one of the major challenges a humane
educator will face are the cautious individuals who seek to avoid exposure to information that
may upset or threaten the way they interact with the world. Many people have shared with me
2
that they would rather not learn of the reasons for a transition toward veganism, as they might
feel obligated to make a change that they are not yet ready to consider. In Why We Love Dogs,
Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows, Joy (2010) suggested that our culture of comfort resists this
knowledge because it hurts. Pain should be avoided, and ignorance is bliss (p. 142).
With Eknath Easwaran’s (1992) book, Your Life is Your Message, in mind, the workshop
series designed for chapter three of this independent learning project (ILP) will highlight stories
of individuals who not only have overcome great obstacles to make a change toward veganism,
but who have later gone on to support others seeking to make a similar change. While there is
much value in being introduced to person’s successful completion of a goal, it can be a real
challenge to emulate such actions without an opportunity to gain awareness of their process
toward change. What inspires change? What obstacles might one encounter along the way, and
how might these obstacles be overcome? What advice can a changed person offer to others?
Equipped with a realistic understanding of what to expect, I believe many individuals will be
better prepared to reach their goal of a change toward veganism.
Changing one’s own actions can feel like an arduous, if not impossible, journey. While
my transition toward a vegetarian diet at the age of thirteen was relatively smooth, I never
imagined going so far as to giving up all animal-derived products. At the time, a vegan lifestyle
seemed too extreme for me. I didn’t understand why a vegan would not eat or use animal-
derived products, such as cow’s milk or sheep’s wool if they were not being slaughtered to
produce these products. I rationalized how we shared a symbiotic relationship, where cows
needed to be milked and sheep needed to have their hair cut. I assumed theses cows and sheep
were the lucky ones who were able to live throughout the production process.
3
Over time, I came to realize that a more complex system was in place. These animals
were being used as if they were equipment, whose sole purpose in life was to manufacture profit
bearing consumer products. I no longer wanted to be a part of the systematic confinement,
isolation, illness, and ultimately slaughter just like the other animals that were being raised for
food were experiencing.
At first, I couldn’t fathom what I would do without milk in my cereal, or cheese on my
pizza. I had just discovered café lattes, and was not ready to give those up either. Where and
how would I begin to think about a life without cow’s milk? Fortunately, while in college I
forged a good relationship with someone who was living a vegan lifestyle and the meals we
shared were solely plant-based. Having found a strong vegan role model and mentor, I began to
learn more about the many benefits of veganism and the transition toward this way of life
seemed less daunting.
For many individuals, the idea of change is quite intimidating. To do so requires a belief
that you as an individual can make a difference (Shields, 1994). In Free the Children, Craig
Kielburger (1998) wrote:
Every struggle to end injustice seems at first overwhelming and impossible. People who
campaigned to end the slave trade across the Atlantic met enormous opposition and were
told they could never succeed. Women who called for the right to vote were laughed at.
When Rosa Parks refused to sit at the back of an Alabama bus in the Southern United
States, she started a fight for racial equality that most people said she could never win.
4
These people, though few in number, and frequently the targets of cynicism and
sometimes violence, refused to give up their dream of justice. The world is a better place
because of them.
Advances in human rights have always been one by people who are bold enough to
believe they can make a difference. They refuse to give up when the rest of the world
tells them: It’s not possible; you’re being unrealistic; It’s far more complicated than you
think; These things can’t be changed; There will always be injustice: Give up. (p. 319)
While motivated to take a stand for change, I imagine the folks Kielburger speaks of
could not have fathomed how deep of a mark their passionate actions would make throughout
history, not to mention the sheer volume of other individuals whose passions they helped to
ignite. These were everyday people who made a commitment to be true to their beliefs and
values, and who made a commitment to initiate change.
For some, a common and disempowering belief is the “tyranny of the idea of being the
expert” (Shields, 1994, p. 16). We need not know everything about a topic, but rather it is more
important that we first begin. Even after following a vegan diet for years, I had reservations
about sharing my own recipes with other vegans. What if I was using the wrong ingredients? I
didn’t want to misinform anyone. Then I realized how much I do have to offer and began
leading cooking workshops and tastings throughout my community. Equipped with a collection
of ingredient lists and personal disclaimers that I was not an expert, I began to help others initiate
their own journey toward veganism by sharing my own story with them.
