Ryuji, Animal Liberation Activist and Founder of Peace By Vegan

If animals could talk, what do you think they would say? Imagine yourself without a voice.  We were brought up with the notion that drinking milk is good and provides the best source of calcium for your body. Research proves that milk is not easily digestible by adults and furthermore the inhumane conditions of asking a mother cow to provide breast milk around the clock is down right unjust. Most turn the other way and still consumer dairy. Others take the higher road and act as a voice for these animals.

Meet the inspiring Ryuji, the man behind Peace By Vegan. He is a filmmaker raised in France who dedicated his life to changing the way we humans view animals through social media content. We got an opportunity to gain insights from Ryuji. He shares his insightful story about his love for animals.

Here’s what he had to say...

1.Tell us a little bit about yourself,  your food journey and why you became vegan.

First off, growing up if you would’ve ever told me I’d be vegan one day, I would’ve royally laughed you off. I grew up in Paris, France, and my life was packed to the brim with meat, cheese, eggs, and other animal products. But essentially, I became vegan as a result of embarking on a journey of personal development. I used to be awkward and shy, and out of frustration, I sought out to learn social skills.

Through doing that, I learned that I should seek to see the world how it actually  is as opposed to how I want to see it, and change myself if ever I was wrong about anything. Eventually, I read “Sapiens, A Brief History Of Humankind” by Yuval Noah Harari, and immediately after reading the chapter about modern industrial agriculture, I realized it was unethical and went vegan.

What opened up to me was that animals suffer way more than I could’ve ever imagined in all the industries that exploit them, and that inherently, using them in any way is an injustice if you take a second to look at it from their point of view.

2. A person picks up a solid brick of milk cheese then compares it to the dairy free cheese. Which cheese should they go for (obviously dairy free) and why?

Growing up in France, the answer to this question would’ve been far from obvious for most of my life. But the answer is surprisingly simple: they should pick the dairy free cheese for one specific reason: its production does not, in contrast with the dairy cheese, involve the exploitation and killing of innocent animals who would choose to live freely otherwise.

Although it’s well hidden, the dairy industry is extremely cruel and commodifies animals like every other industry that uses animals.

3. Why are animals so important to you? Do you have a story of a particular animal you can share?

The mom had lived there for a long time, and every year, her children were rounded up, put on trailers, and driven away to be never seen again. When we finally got them on, mom was not only trembling uncontrollably, and as I approached her to try to comfort her, I saw huge tears running down her face. In that moment, I internalized the idea that animals suffer and want to live just like us, and that’s why I will die fighting for them.

4. What is your favorite piece of work and why?

My personal favorite piece of work so far is this: "Meat Eater And Vegan Stop Slaughter Trucks Together" because I think it’s my best storytelling feat so far.

5. What advice would you give to someone who is interested in becoming an animal activist?

Find your local activist community, join their events, befriend them, and go from there.Don’t judge anyone / any events before trying them out, just show up and trust the process.

I procrastinated starting activism for 2.5 years because I was too scared and judgemental to just show up. Don’t make this mistake.You can find groups to join here, a map with activism groups all around the world here, and my video on my best tips for starting activism here.

6. Tell us about Speciesism and why is it so important for us humans to stop discrimination between animals? 

Speciesism is the unfounded idea that the worth of an animal’s life is determined by their species. It’s why we sanctify human life, love dogs, eat chickens and suffocate fishes for fun.

It’s so important that we expose and end speciesism, because although it benefits us as humans, it causes tremendous suffering to every other species of animals we interact with, and their lives matter to them the way our lives matter to us.

7. What are you most grateful for?

I am extremely grateful for my non human animal friends who I love to the moon and back.In particular, I’m grateful for Xena, Lacey, Alice and Yuki, a dog and 3 cats who live with my girlfriend’s parents.I love them like they’re my children, I think about them everyday and seeing them happy reminds me why I do the work that I do.

At the time of writing this, I haven’t seen them in about 6 months and AHHHH I MISS THEM SO SO MUCH!!!!!

8. What were you doing and who were you with the last time you had a really good laugh?

I make it a point to laugh everyday, because I’ve tried the opposite and it really sucked. A couple hours ago, I was having dinner with my girlfriend, and although I don’t remember what we were talking about, I do remember we had several really good laughs.

9. What does the future hold for Peace by Vegan?

I want to use my strengths as best as I can to support the animal rights movement. As a filmmaker, I seek to improve my visual storytelling skills everyday, and I hope to produce content that serves as timeless educational resources for anyone interested in animal rights.

Ryuji’s journey and passionate love for animals is truly inspiring. Learning about his take on animal cruelty is a real eye opener as we have naively neglected the impact of animal cruelty on the environment for decades causing it to reach an alarming rate. The Good Tee takes pride in saying that our products are a 100% Animal Cruelty Free and bio-degradable. The Good Tee supports good humans that not only care for other fellow humans but equally care about our animal friends that do so much good. We extend our support to Ryuji and the many other brave Animal Activists who keep defending animals!

To learn more or to join the movement click here