Joining us today is Dr. Faraz Harsini, the founder and CEO of Allied Scholars for Animal Protection (ASAP). Faraz shares with Hope the importance of creating ongoing infrastructure on US college campuses that students can utilize for continued outreach. They discuss various vegan education tactics such as the use of graphic imagery and its effectiveness. Faraz also talks about encouraging changes to dining halls and how student activists should focus on increasing vegan options and not distractions like cage-free egg transitions.

Dr. Faraz Harsini is a food systems and biomedical scientist. He holds a degree in Chemical Engineering with a focus on environmental research and nanobiotechnology, an MSc in cancer research, and a PhD in Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics. As the founder and CEO of Allied Scholars for Animal Protection (ASAP), he is building permanent infrastructure in university to protect animals. Through ASAP, Faraz empowers students, promotes veganism, advances alternatives to animal testing in universities and medical schools, and helps dining halls transition to plant based food systems. He also lectures at many universities educating students on the benefits of a vegan diet.

Resources:

Instagram:

@alliedscholars

@dr_faraz_harsini

Website:

www.alliedscholars.org

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Hope for the Animals Podcast

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Hope is right at home this episode talking about one of her favorite subjects, humanewashing. Lia Wilbourn joins Hope for a conversation about their mutual frustration with the humane hoax and the deceptive marketing and cover-up tactics employed by the animal farming industry. They explore the detrimental impact of continuing to use the term “factory farming” and argue that the animal advocacy movement should phase it out. Lia and Hope also discuss the cage-free egg industry transition, challenging the notion that this industry shift is a positive development for animals. They also address the criticism of using the word “vegan” and how some people are saying that we shouldn’t use the word as it has too many negative connotations. There are lots of strong opinions on advocacy in this one, we unpack it all for you!

Lia Wilbourn has been active in a wide range of animal rights activism, including street outreach, demonstrations, writing, social media, speeches and art as activism. She is currently the Farmed Animals Campaign Coordinator at In Defense of Animals, advocating via articles, petitions, videos, etc. and co-hosting a monthly online Vegan Mentor Support Group. She also works with Allied Scholars for Animal Protection, is a volunteer on the Humane Hoax Project team, and is certified in Plant-Based Nutrition through Cornell University.

Resources:

Lia’s Contact/Instagram: @liaforanimals

The Humane Hoax Project

Article: Fixating on Factory Farms...

Article: Stop (Saying) Factory Farming

The Ahimsa Living Circle monthly online gathering: info and registration

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Hope for the Animals Podcast

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Farmed animal sanctuaries are the heart of the animal advocacy movement. Our guest today, Zoe Novic, Executive Director of CAPE (Center for Animal Protection and Education), knows this well as she grew up on a sanctuary in the Santa Cruz hills. Zoe has a diverse background that includes two years in the Peace Corps in Indonesia, a Master’s in Public Health, and leadership roles at The Humane League, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and Greener by Default, Zoe has expertise in grassroots organizing, public health policy, and advocacy.

On the podcast, Zoe discusses the significance of the human-animal connection in comprehending and understanding nonhuman animals. She talks about how sanctuaries serve as acts of resistance, providing physical spaces where we can shape the world as we envision it. She and Hope also discuss how sanctuary and rescue efforts have been devalued in recent years, with current animal advocacy funding and philanthropy philosophies moving away from funding direct animal care and how that is impacting the movement. Zoe emphasizes the importance of emotion in advocacy, highlighting how it can often prompt action more effectively than logic or reason. She further explains how sanctuaries deeply evoke emotions. Additionally, Zoe shares her public health background, underscoring the intricate connections between this sector and animal agriculture.

Resources:

CAPE: Center for Animal Protection and Education

Sonoma County VegFest, September 27, 2025

Film: Called to Rescue

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Hope for the Animals Podcast

Compassionate Living