I just returned from the 2014 Animal Rights National Conference in Los Angeles, and I’m feeling energized and inspired by what I experienced there. The movement is thriving and the community continues to grow. This expansion is evident in the size of the conference, this year’s being the largest ever with more than a thousand attendees.

While the conference offered a full plate of informative sessions and speakers, I most appreciated the opportunity to network with activists, all of whom are part of a global initiative to eliminate the exploitation of animals in every realm. The movement for strategic farmed animal advocacy is undeniably gaining momentum, and I feel encouraged to continue supporting that momentum through the work we do at CAA.

At the awards banquet, I was happy to see friend and colleague Jon Camp get into the Animal Rights Hall of Fame. Jon has worked with Vegan Outreach for many years. He recently hit the world record for handing out the most leaflets — one million! Vegan Outreach has been a leader in developing cogent strategy for the movement, and we’ve been following their lead. Over the last 15 years, CAA has distributed hundreds of thousands of their leaflets at our outreach events.

Perhaps the most moving of the sessions I attended included talks by former undercover investigators TJ Tumasse and Taylor Radig. TJ was the investigator at Christianson and Sparboe Farms in Minnesota. Their firsthand accounts of the abuse of animals on factory farms reminded me of why I do the work I do. We hope to bring TJ or Taylor to the Twin Cities at some point to share their powerful stories.

Our own visiting group from Compassionate Action for Animals included three staff members and six volunteers. As we return to the Twin Cities, I’m excited to think of how we can draw on all we learned and the connections we made to create a more animal-friendly community right here in our own backyard. For more information about upcoming events and volunteer opportunities with CAA, visit exploreveg.org.

For the animals,

Unny Nambudiripad