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My guest today believes the stories of animals are worth telling and WOW her amazing images are certainly breathtaking and heartbreaking.

Award-winning photojournalist Jo-Anne McArthur has been documenting the plight of animals on all seven continents for almost two decades and her urgent and powerful work shines a light on the dark horrors we humans needlessly inflict on animals. Jo-Anne is the founder of We Animals Media, author of two books, We Animals (2014), and Captive (2017) with a third Hidden (coming soon) and was the subject of Canadian filmmaker Liz Marshall’s acclaimed documentary, The Ghosts in Our Machine. 

I chatted to Liz just a couple of week ago on the podcast in relation to her most recent film: Meat The Future.

Actually in this conversation we touch on a couple of previous amazing guests that I’ve been lucky enough to chat to. One of the truly unique and heartening aspects of the animal advocacy movement is the abundance mindset, the willingness to share, to mentor, to support that is so very evident. Jo-Anne absolutely embodies this attitude. Like so many of us, I also get the distinct impression she would love to see the day when her role as a photojournalist baring witness to our war on animals is utterly unnecessary.

When perhaps she can turn her focus to animals living and loving their lives free from torment. Or to shine a spotlight even more on the many powerful female mentors on the front-line of animal advocacy as she does in the Unbound Project.

Quick side note, the audio quality Zooming from Toronto to Sydney isn’t amazing – there are some little cut outs however I promise nothing too dire at all – and the time spent with Jo-Anne is certainly worth it.

Ok, let’s chat to Photojournalist Jo-Anne McArthur about Bringing Visibility To Hidden Animals Worldwide….

In this chat we cover:

• Jo-Annes journey to veganism and to animal photojournalism. 
• Individualising animals in photography.
• HIDDEN: Animals in the Anthropocene. A book about what is and what never again should be.
• The difference between empathy and compassion. How not to “live in all the sorrows” that animal rights activists bear witness to.
• Female mentors on the front-line of animal advocacy and the Unbound Project. 
• We Animals Media (WAM). Jo-Annes amazing NGO that documents the lives of animals in the human environment – those used for food, fashion, entertainment, work, religion, and experimentation.
• The We Animals Archive. A globally accessible resource that holds thousands of images and video of animal industries around the world. The archive is, and will remain to be, a free resource to anyone helping animals.
• How Jo-Annes advocacy has changed from when she was leading with activism when speaking with editors (which closes doors!) and her advice to other activists to have success / coverage in the media world?

And so much more!

Gosh I sounded so excitable in that chat, because I was! I’d seen Jo-Annes work for so many years before actually getting to have this conversation and now I feel like such a valuable resource has been made available to all of us. Yes with We Animals Media and Archive yet also with the approach Jo-Anne brings to her advocacy.

As passionate animal rights activists we need to get better at amplifying our work and in doing so amplifying the urgent issues.

I know I can get caught up in the desire to just create content. Without enough time spent strategising about what is the most effective way to ensure the content is seen and even, acted on.

If you felt as compelled to spend more time digging deep with Jo-Anne and with We Animals Media – or Gosh, if you’re in a position to support HIDDEN: Animals in the Anthropocene – perhaps to gift it to someone who needs to see it (everyone) then please check out the abundance of links below or via https://weanimalsmedia.org/ directly.

So many valuable resources!

Connect with the We Animals Media website:

Also across the socials: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube

Check out, use and support The We Animals Archive:

Check out the We Animals Media Photography Masterclass:

Subscribe to the WAM newsletter:

Pre-order HIDDEN: 

Also, nominate the influential person you would like to see receive a gift copy of Hidden:

Jo-Annes previous books:

CAPTIVE (2017) In recent years, the role of zoos and aquaria as centres for conservation, education, and entertainment has been placed under scrutiny. McArthur’s aim is to invite us to reflect on how we see, and fail to see, one another through the bars, across the moat, or on either side of the glass.

WE ANIMALS (2013) Drawn from thousands of photos taken over fifteen years, We Animals illustrates and investigates animals in the human environment: those who are used for food, fashion, entertainment, and research, as well as the lucky few who are rescued.Please don't turn away as the powerful work of the #photojournalists at @WeAnimals shines a light on the dark horrors we humans needlessly inflict on animals. #listentoyourheart #livevegan Share on X

That’s it for this week in Healthification. Thank you for spending this time with me.

The Healthification podcast is proudly bought to you by my FREE ‘Easy Vegan’ plan. It took me 25 years to transition from a meat eater to a happy, healthy Vegan! You can do it in just 3 days with my simplified ‘easy vegan’ plan!  Get the fit, strong, and healthy plant based body you deserve… while avoiding ALL the mistakes I made along the way!

Till next time, remember Creating a body and life you love is Freedom. (If this ex-carb queen, non genetically gifted, naturally uncoordinated vegan chick can do it – so can YOU!!!)

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