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Tobias Leenaert

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Tobias Leenaert
Leenaert in 2014
Born (1973-08-03) 3 August 1973 (age 51)
Ghent, Belgium
Alma materGhent University
Occupation(s)Activist, author, educator
Known forAnimal rights and veganism activism
Notable workHow to Create a Vegan World: A Pragmatic Approach
Websitetobiasleenaert.be

Tobias Leenaert (Dutch: [ˈtoːbijɑs ˈleːnɑrt]; born 3 August 1973) is a Belgian animal rights and veganism activist, author, and educator. He promotes a pragmatic approach to activism. Leenaert has co-founded vegan and vegetarian advocacy organizations, including the Center for Effective Vegan Advocacy, ProVeg International and Ethical Vegetarian Alternative. He authored the book How to Create a Vegan World: A Pragmatic Approach in 2017 and writes the blog The Vegan Strategist.

Early life and education

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Tobias Leenaert was born in Ghent[1] on 3 August 1973.[2] He studied German studies at Ghent University.[1]

Activism

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Tobias Leenaert on the role of meat reducers (University of Basel)

In 2000, Leenaert co-founded Ethical Vegetarian Alternative (EVA), in Flanders, which he led until 2015.[1] He is the originator of Thursday Veggie Day in Ghent,[3] which was launched in 2009.[4] Leenaert is also the co-founder of the Center for Effective Vegan Advocacy, with Melanie Joy,[5] as well as ProVeg International.[6]

Leenaert advocates for a pragmatic approach to vegan activism, which doesn't rely on solely moral arguments.[7] In 2017, he published the book How to Create a Vegan World: A Pragmatic Approach. He also writes the blog The Vegan Strategist.[8] Leenaert's methods of advocacy has drawn criticism from abolitionist animal rights advocates, such as Roger Yates.[8]

Leenaert gives lectures and workshops on vegan advocacy around the world.[9][10] He has also written and spoken about wild-animal suffering, which he considers as important as the suffering of domesticated animals.[11][12]

Personal life

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Leenaert lives in Ghent with his partner, seven cats and two dogs.[13] He identifies as an effective altruist.[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Desmet, Lieven (2021-08-25). "'De kip is het meest mishandelde dier op deze planeet'" ['The chicken is the most abused animal on this planet']. De Morgen (in Flemish). Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  2. ^ "Interview Tobias Leenaert. 'Tegen radicale veganisten zeg ik: wees niet zo'n eikel'" [Interview Tobias Leenaert. "To radical vegans I say don't be such a jerk"]. Gemeente voor de Toekomst (in Dutch). 2017-08-25. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
  3. ^ "Go veggie and change the world". The Bulletin. 2011-08-16. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
  4. ^ Harrell, Eben (2009-05-27). "Where's the Beef? Ghent Goes Vegetarian". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
  5. ^ Ahituv, Netta (2017-04-28). "Will Israel Become the World's First Vegan Country?". Haaretz. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
  6. ^ Dhont, Kristof; Hodson, Gordon, eds. (2019). Why We Love and Exploit Animals: Bridging Insights from Academia and Advocacy. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-351-18142-6.
  7. ^ Doctor, Vikram (2018-11-11). "How Vegans can win or lose in India". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
  8. ^ a b Elliott, Tim (2019-07-06). "The brutal battle for the soul of veganism". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
  9. ^ Ramírez, Dulce (2018-11-25). "Hacia un futuro vegano: hacer del veganismo un movimiento de masas" [Towards a vegan future: making veganism a mass movement]. SinEmbargo MX (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-08-27.
  10. ^ "Dónde estamos y adónde nos dirigimos" [Where we are and where we are going]. El Diario (in Spanish). 2018-06-08. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
  11. ^ VeganKanal (September 7, 2019). "10 things I changed my mind about in 20 years of vegan activism - Tobias Leenaert [IARC 2019]". YouTube. Archived from the original on March 21, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  12. ^ Leenaert, Tobias (June 1, 2016). "The extremely inconvenient truth of wild animal suffering". The Vegan Strategist. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  13. ^ "Tobias Leenaert". International Animal Rights Conference. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  14. ^ Leenaert, Tobias. "About". The Vegan Strategist. Archived from the original on May 31, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
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