It’s All About Food- Jeanette Rowley, PhD; Astrid Prevost; Tamara Bedić, Esq., Vegan Discrimination Cases, Part 2

Dr. Jeanette Rowley holds a PhD in Law and has a special interest in veganism and human rights. She has published widely and presented globally on the subject of legal protection for vegans. She founded and chaired The Vegan Society’s International Rights Network. Last year, she and Dr. Carlo Prisco edited Law and Veganism: International Perspectives on the Human Right to Freedom of Conscience (2022). Dr. Rowley is the driving force behind a decade of symposiums on vegan rights. She has given evidence in Mr. Casamitjana’s case and gave oral evidence for Canadian firefighter Adam Knauff.

Astrid Prevost is an ethical vegan and aspiring dietician. She battled bulimia for several years, until veganism gave Astrid the strength to create boundaries; to reject what she didn’t want; to say “no.” In respecting other animals, she found self-respect. Those boundaries are being tested now, by a cooking class that demands Astrid use animal products or risk failing. Astrid offered to substitute animal ingredients with vegan ones and submitted a doctor’s note. When both were rejected, she initiated a lawsuit in France for discrimination.

Tamara Bedić, is an ethical vegan, animal rescuer, employment attorney. Tamara is a past-President of the National Lawyers Guild, NYC chapter. She is chair of the Animal Rights Committee. When she’s not championing the rights of women in the workplace, she is organizing webinars or rescuing birds in distress. She is ‘Mom’ to two FIV+ tom cats.
 
 
Links mentioned in the podcast:

1. FREE WEBINAR: Expanding Vegan Rights, Tuesday, October 17, 2023, 12 – 1pm EDT

Four plaintiffs and three lawyers will discuss vegan discrimination cases in the U.S., UK, Canada and France. The laws of these countries differ, but the common goal is having ethical veganism recognized as a “creed” or “ethical belief” worthy of protection from discrimination. The ethical vegans who will be speaking about their individual cases are: Jerold Friedman, Jordi Casamitjana, Adam Knauff and Astrid Prevost.

2. Crowdfunding for Mathias, who will also speak on the above October 17th webinar: https://www.ulule.com/droit-detre-vegane/

Astrid shares this message with us:

I’d like to take this opportunity to let you know about this existential project supported by the AVF: in many collective catering places, vegans are prevented from eating according to their philosophy, and attempts are made to force them to consume animal products.

This is what happened to Mathias during a preventive incarceration. He was left with no access to vegan meals during 11 months, and sometimes could not eat anything for days as all dishes were cooked with dairy or eggs. Although he was in perfect health before being held in custody, he came out of detention malnourished and with several nutrient deficiencies.

Today, Mathias and his lawyer are taking the case to the European Court of Human Rights: if they win, this will have consequences in all 46 member countries of the Council of Europe. Beyond the prison setting, access to vegan meals will be recognized as a fundamental right.

We need your help to turn our right into a reality : we have a crowdfunding going on to finance Maître Olivier Peter’s work, a lawyer specializing in European and international law.

Every euro counts: please support us, and spread the word!

His lawyer, Olivier Peter, defended a lot of antispeciest and does it pro bono in front of national courts, but going to an international court like the ECHR requires a lot more work, and that’s why there is this crowdfunding.