Let Live Foundation

The written word is a powerful tool activist-consumers can use to effect change.  Join us for a letter writing party targeting Nordstrom and its business practice of carrying designer clothing lines that feature fur.  As a family-owned store, Nordstrom prides itself on its responsiveness to the demands of its customers.  Help us bring attention to this important issue and demand Nordstrom eliminate fur from its stores.  Letter templates and information about fur will be available to help get you started.  Don’t want to write to Nordstrom?  No problem – work on a Letter to the Editor or anything that inspires you.  Bring an appetizer/light dish to share, connect with other activists and get the word out!

Please join us at the Matt Dishman Community Center (77 Northeast Knott Street) on Sunday, Febraury 21, 2010, at 1:15pm.

PS. Please RSVP at our Facebook page, thanks.

The Let Live Series Presents Change One Mile at a Time: Lisa Shannon and the Run for Congo Women

As you read these words, the deadliest conflict since World War II is raging in the Democratic Republic of Congo. To date, the death toll is estimated to be over 5 million people – more than Iraq, Afghanistan and Darfur combined. This war is not only brutal in its intensity but also in its tactics aimed at destroying the center of the Congolese community: women.

It was a story about the violent war against Congolese women that inspired vegan activist Lisa Shannon to get off the couch and begin training to run the rugged forest of Portland’s Wildwood Trail – over 30 miles – in hopes of raising enough money to sponsor 31 women through Women for Women International, a program that supports women in war-torn regions with financial and emotional aid and education. What started as a lone run in 2005 has since blossomed into a global movement with runs in 10 states and 4 countries.

Fresh from her appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Shannon will share her thoughts on the intersection between veganism and human rights, the power of grassroots movement, uniting against oppression and how one person can make a difference.

The Change One Mile at a Time: Lisa Shannon and the Run for Congo Women presentation will be held on Sunday, October 25, 2009, at 1p.m. at Dishman Community Center, 77 NE Knott Street in Portland, Oregon. Admission is FREE.

The Let Live Series is a monthly series of speakers, workshops and social events dedicated to promoting animal rights activism and education in Portland, Oregon. Sponsored by the Let Live Foundation.

For more information, please visit:

http://www.runforcongowomen.org
http://www.womenforwomen.org

From last weekend’s Let Live Series event, “Sanctuary Stories: Tales of Hope”, enjoy.

The Let Live Foundation Presents The Anatomy of High Impact Direct Action: Strategies For Animal Liberation With Peter Young

Portland, OR, March 29, 2009— For the past 30 years, anonymous members of the Animal Liberation Front have carried out over 1,000 covert actions around the world in the name of animal liberation.  Working outside of the confines of the law, these activists achieve results not by traditional methods of leafleting and protesting, but by freeing animals from cages, disassembling machinery used in the exploitation of animals and destroying inhumane facilities used to house animals for commercial use.  

This talk features a critical look at the role of direct action in the animal liberation movement with veteran activist Peter Young.  Exploring the nuances of direct action through case studies, Young will discuss the value of high impact action such as the only successful tactic to drive vivisectors out of the profession and why targeting a “weak link” can be more effective than a “soft target.”  Learn how to effectively value the risk of action and why breaking a window carries more risk than releasing 1,000 animals.  

Peter Young is an animal rights activists and former animal liberation prisoner.  Sentenced to 2 years in prison for the release and conspiracy to release thousands of mink from fur farms across the Midwest, Young brings life to stories of animal liberation, political repression and sacrifice in the name of animal liberation.

The Anatomy of High Impact Direct Action presentation featuring Peter Young will be held on March 29, 2009, at 2p.m. at Portland State University in Room 238 of the Smith Memorial Union Building.  Admission is free.

The Let Live Series is a monthly series of speakers, workshops and social events dedicated to promoting animal rights activism and education in Portland, Oregon.  Sponsored by the Let Live Foundation, Vegans for Animal Advocacy, Food Fight Grocery and Herbivore Magazine.

Justin Goodman is a long time activist who has worked on a diverse group of campaigns. Specifically while at the University of Connecticut he spearheaded the UConn Animal Rights Collective’s campaign against the primate lab there. He currently works with PETA on vivisection issues.

Come meet and chat with Justin about his experiences Monday night at 8pm at Sweetpea Bakery. We hope to have a good discussion about successes, failures, strategy, researching issues, and tactics so please bring your own experiences and questions.

The Let Live Series Presents Confronting Classroom Cruelty: How to Help Animals and Create an Ethical and Inclusive Learning Environment With Justin Goodman 

Portland, OR, February 22, 2009— Did you know cats are one of the most frequently dissected animals in student laboratories in the United States? It is estimated over 100,000 cats are dissected in high school classrooms each year, and many more being used in colleges and universities across the country. 

Classroom dissection, once considered the practice tool of choice for learning anatomy, physiology and the theory of evolution, has exposed greater questions of ethics and cruelty in the classroom. With a notable scientific shift to studying animals in their natural environment, and the advent of sophisticated learning tools, many question: how can we stop dissection in schools? 

Justin Goodman, Research Associate Supervisor in the Laboratory Investigations Department at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), will explore these questions and more. As a graduate student, Goodman was instrumental in the campaign to end the use of primate experimentation at the University of Connecticut Health Center. At PETA, Goodman’s focus is on the use of animals in education. Through his efforts, many schools and medical centers across the country have successfully adopted humane, non-animal learning methods. 

The Confronting Classroom Cruelty presentation featuring Justin Goodman will be held on February 22, 2009, at 2p.m. at Portland State University in Room 238 of the Smith Memorial Union Building. Admission is free. The Let Live Series is a monthly series of speakers, workshops and social events dedicated to promoting animal rights activism and education in Portland, Oregon. Sponsored by the Let Live Foundation, Vegans for Animal Advocacy, Food Fight Grocery and Herbivore Magazine. Questions? Visit our website www.letlivefoundation.org or feel free to send us a message at info@letlivefoundation.org Thanks!

The Let Live Foundation is excited to announce its formation as a non-profit organization. With this exciting news in mind, we are now planning the 2009 Let Live Conference. The conference will be held June 26-28th with the theme “Discovering Your Activist Qualities.” The conference presentations will cover specific topics geared towards helping activists and aspiring activists discover their talents and how to apply it to the movement. However, we will be including workshops aimed towards new activists with a special 101 Room.

The Let Live Foundation feels strong ties to the Portland activist community and our goal for the conference has always been to provide a local feel. In order to maintain this, we are extending an invitation to Portland-based groups and interested individuals to attend a special meeting on Feb 7th at 2pm on campus in the PSU Smith Memorial Student Union Room 237 to discuss any concerns, questions and suggestions you may have for the conference. If you are unable to attend the meeting, feel free to email your feedback to info@letlivefoundation.org.

We hope to see you at the meeting,
Let Live

PS. We are also ready to start doing some fundraising, our first step is a bank account with an attached PayPal account. We would absolutely love you to death if you could spare $5-$10 to help kick start things, it’d really go a long way for us to keep doing what we do. PayPal whatever you feel comfortable with to: donate@letlivefoundation.org. If you can’t spare it, no sweat, just thought we’d ask.

PPS. Don’t forget “Why Farm Animals Matter” on Feb 3rd. Check our site for all the details.

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Author and animal rights activist Erin Williams will discuss humane, sustainable food choices and recent changes to the factory farming industry

Location: Portland State University, Smith Memorial Student Union (1825 SW Broadway), Room 101

Admission: Free

Erin Williams, co-author of “Why Animals Matter: The Case for Animal Protection,” will be signing copies of her book and giving a presentation called “Why Farm Animals Matter.” Her talk will address the importance of making humane, sustainable food choices, as well as provide information on some of the exciting recent advancements for farm animals in the United States. 

Co-authored with Margo DeMello, “Why Animals Matter” examines how people abuse animals, gives suggestions on how to take action, and connects animal protection, environmental and social justice issues. Publishers Weekly praised the book as “a tough but fair-minded revelation of how mass production of animals for food and other purposes results in cruelty that usually remains hidden from sight.”

This event is co-sponsored by the Portland State University club, Vegans for Animal Advocacy, as well as two community organizations, Northwest VEG and the Let Live Foundation. 

For more information about the book, visit www.whyanimalsmatter.com.

Communication has never been easier than it is right now. The Internet has made it possible to research, collect, and spread information to millions of people at little to no cost to activists and groups. Utilizing these new tools can be a very effective way to advocate for animal issues as well as other social justice issues.

Topics covered in this presentation will include making a website, using social networking sites, e-newsletters, and other relevant online tools. If you already use these tools in your activism, please join us and share your knowledge with others.

Our guest speaker will be Glenn Gaetz. Glenn heads up Liberation B.C. (http://liberationbc.org/) Glenn has been involved as an activist ever since he moved to Vancouver, about 4 years ago. He has participated in numerous protests, leafleting, and other outreach activities. His day job involves graphic design and web development for non-profit clients, and he uses the skills he’s learned there to provide Liberation BC with an inexpensive and easy-to manage website, as well as the ability to send out html emails to their mailing list. He is very interested in providing non-profits and activists with low-cost or free tools to aid in their efforts to make the world a better place.

Join us to learn, share, and grow as activists. Thank you.

Skin Trade with Shannon Keith
When: 11/23, 1 pm
Where: PSU, Smith Memorial Union, Room 238

With colder weather comes fur season. It starts appearing on racks in stores and on peoples backs around town. Most people don’t know what cruelty goes into their clothes as even fakes are often real dog and cat fur. With this in mind, and with the annual Fur Free Friday demonstrations coming up fast, we welcome acclaimed activist and director Shannon Keith who will be sharing segments of her new film Skin Trade, which is in production. Shannon is an animal and civil rights attorney, and the director of the award winning film, Behind the Mask. She is a regular speaker at animal rights conferences around the country and will be discussing the fur industry, her film, and leading a discussion about what we can all do to combat this cruel fashion. This discussion will cover audience member questions as well as how to combat industry arguments, outreach and education tips, and online activism options, amongst other topics.

Please come and help make this event a success.