Arabella Swan
Community Care Lead
Biography
Arabella became Vegan after years of vegetarianism when her partner shared an Earthling Ed video with her; overcome with the realization of her hypocrisy, she committed to Veganism and shortly after started involving herself with local animal rights activists organization. Going to college in the heart of horse racing country lead her to get involved with anti-racing advocacy as well.
With an education background in sociology and a deep fascination with the human psyche, she applies the understanding to her animal activism to effect the most profound and lasting change within our current social system. She takes a trauma informed approach when navigating difficult conversations about animal rights.
A passion for human health lead her to become trained as a plant-based health coach to support those already committed to Veganism or looking to go Vegan who need guidance in how to live accordance to their moral values as well as the health of their physical body.
A natural communicator, she joins the team as the Community Care Lead to build up activist self-efficacy, foster a sense of community and belonging, navigate conflicts that arise, and look out for the social and mental well-being of all We The Free members.
I believe that We The Free represents the future of Vegan advocacy.
Every interaction beginning with a free-will choice to engage with a thought-provoking experience allows for more emotional vulnerabilities and truth to be exposed in outreach conversations. We as a society are in dire need of relational healing, which involves a willingness to provide space and validation for someone else’s difficult emotions (especially the guilt and shame often provoked by Vegan outreach). We can be most effective as animal-rights advocates when we allow our hearts rather than our egos to drive our interactions with others, and I believe it is our responsibility to hold a higher vision of what others are beyond their ego-based defense mechanisms rather than reacting with our own.
I feel blessed to work with an organization that puts so much care into the emotional and psychological wellbeing of all their activists, which creates a close and strong community of animal advocates less susceptible to burnout. We need well adjusted and emotionally healthy leaders to co-create a Vegan future.
Arabella Swan
Community Care Lead
