Tools for promoting compassion

Facing the reality of the torture of animals for human consumption – the largest-scale moral catastrophe of our times

  • HIDDEN: Animals in the Anthropocene, a collection that focuses on the invisible animals in our lives: those with whom we have a close relationship and yet fail to see, seen through the lens of 40 photojournalists, including Jo-Anne McArthur
  • The Lives of Others, a collection by Timo Stammberger. "Far outside our cities, pigs are kept in industrial breeding and fattening facilities. A closed parallel world."
  • Dominion (2018), a full-length documentary that expose the dark underbelly of modern animal agriculture
  • Earthlings (2005), a classic documentary, narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, that chronicles the day-to-day practices of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely entirely on animals for profit


Compassionate eating

  • OPIS's Guide to vegan eating: Essential tips on how to thrive on a cruelty-free plant-based diet, with links to many other resources


Compassion and self-compassion training


Ways to make a difference for humans and non-human animals

  • 7 steps you can take to be a force for compassionate change, from my short film The Battle for Compassion, 2015:
    • Carry out small acts of kindness towards those in need.
    • Switch to a healthy, plant-based diet.
    • Donate to charities with high impact in reducing suffering.
    • Explore the power of Nonviolent Communication (watch Marshall Rosenberg's workshop).
    • Help children develop their capacity for empathy.
    • Support new initiatives, petitions and organizations fighting for a kinder world.
    • Share these ideas with others...
  • Some key principles to spread, from my book The Tango of Ethics, 2023:
    • Listen empathetically and address the needs of all—including those with different views and ideas.
    • Seek to understand rather than blame.
    • Follow the spirit of the Golden Rule and treat others’ suffering as if it were your own.
    • Take the suffering of all sentient beings into account—not just those whose voices are the loudest.
    • Treat extreme suffering with the urgency it demands.
    • Respect the truth and use rational thinking to make better, more compassionate decisions for society.
    • Fill existence—yours and others’—with love and meaning.
    • Aim high.
    • Live these principles and share them with others.
  • Engage in advocacy and activism for social change:
    • OPIS initiative to promote systemic change and compassionate governance: concept note
      • To get involved in or support this ambitious project, contact me here