SAVT at WU (an abbreviation from German “Studentische Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Veganismus und Tierrechte”) is a student working group promoting discourse on animal ethics at our university. Initiated by Doris Schneeberger from the Institute for Change Management and Management Development,and who is a member of our intellectual community, the group seeks to ignite conversations around topics such as speciesism (i.e., discrimination against living beings because of their species membership), our impact on nonhumans, and how we, as a modern society, can make their needs and suffering visible.

In January 2020, a kickoff workshop on “Nonhuman animals as invisible stakeholders— empathy and justice for nonhuman animals” drew a considerable crowd. In May 2020, author and activist Christopher Sebastian McJetters gave a virtual lecture on the topic of “Oppression and discrimination—race, class, and species.” The agenda for future SAVT events includes public lectures on the environmental impact of our dietary choices, vegan cooking and baking classes, and a panel discussion exploring how professional athletes succeed on a wholesome plant-based diet.

The best way to follow SAVT at WU activities is via the group’s Facebook page.

Recommended resources:

• Alien thought experiment discussed in a kickoff event (YouTube video)

• Introduction by Christopher Sebastian (YouTube video)

• Introductory animated video on animal ethics (YouTube video)

• Casa de Carne (YouTube video)

• La Table Suisse (YouTube video)

• Extra Fresh (YouTube video)

• A talk by Dr. Kurt Schmidinger on how the production of animal products and pandemics are interlinked (YouTube video, in German)