The ASAC Peer Support email is a free and confidential resource for the animal liberationist community. We aim to provide a brave space (which means there is a risk of discomfort, but there is an effort to support vulnerability) for anybody who needs to rant, share or chat. The ASAC Peer Support email is pro-lived-experience and suportee centred. We will not always have the answers, but we will do what we can to support and signpost you to people who can.
About & How It Works:
ASAC Peer Support is for animal advocates who need a space to release the pent up anger, isolation, sadness, desperation, frustration and vicarious trauma that may be experienced by being vegan, an animal advocate or activist. There are two ways you can make use of this resource; by venting or asking for support...
If you would like to vent, and don't need or want a reply from ASAC, put VENT in the subject header of your email. Your email will NOT be read and will be permanently deleted. If you are asking for support, please put SUPPORT in the subject header of your email and we will read and reply when we can.
ASAC Peer Support is completely confidential and anti-cop - NOTHING will be shared outside of our emails. We do not save any contacts and emails are consistently deleted from our account. We delete emails when someone has sent a VENT and when a SUPPORT conversation has ended (we will let you know before we delete and check that you've expressed all that you wanted to).
Important Points:
We are not therapists or counsellors - think of us as a friendly listening ear who can provide space for your feelings or even a garbage bin for you to throw and release things away.
We do not give legal advice - we are not lawyers so cannot give legal advice.
We are not a hotline or emergency resource - please do not contact us for immediate help as we may not respond quickly. See our self-help page for hotlines and other resources.
Please be respectful - this is an offering/resource not a service and we may not get back to you as soon as you expect. Please be patient.
Online Security with ASAC Peer Support:
We are using protonmail which is generally known as a secure email service (learn more about their security here) HOWEVER, it is only end-to-end encrypted when sender and receiver are both protnomail emails. It's essential to be aware that this can never be a completely secure form of communication, as even though proton-to-proton communication is encrypted (which means they can't see data) metadata such as IP addresses can be accessed - this means they know who is talking to who, but not what they're talking about. Protonmail has been reported to have shared metadata with swiss police so we recommend using Tor for some form of metadata anonymity and added privacy. Protonmail also now includes VPN with all accounts, so be sure to make use of this too. Remember that nothing is ever truly "safe" on the internet and that all information online can be compromised. Be sure to change names, dates, times, places etc. in your peer support emails - or better still, don't mention them! The less we know (or the less the internet knows) the better.
DO YOU WANT TO SUPPORT YOUR PEERS?
Are you a fellow activist/organiser who wants to join ASAC in providing peer support? Then please contact us. You do not have to be a mental health "professional" as we prioritise lived-experience over mental health professionals and recognise that a doctorate and degree does not mean you cannot cause harm or are aware of how systems of oppression affect mental health. It is helpful however, if you have background in caring for others, in mental health services and/or lived-experience in a specific areas e.g., using drugs and alcohol as a survival mechanism, survivorship (#ARMeToo), disability, activism in slaughterhouses/on farms, experiences in prison and with police, vicarious trauma due to activism, racial trauma etc.
By being part of ASAC's Peer Support team, we would aim to work together to create a schedule, based on your free time and lived experiences i.e. on Wednesdays from 2-4pm an ASAC peer supporter can provide support for assault survivors. During the hours 2-4pm, you - or the Peer Supporter - would sign in (via Tor) and be available for any real-time conversations on that topic. This may work better over a chat function like Signal and as the project develops, we aim to provide support across more platforms. Contact us if you are interested in peer support.
This is a project growing over time and with experience, so we are very open to feedback. Please let us know what you think and how we could improve.
About & How It Works:
ASAC Peer Support is for animal advocates who need a space to release the pent up anger, isolation, sadness, desperation, frustration and vicarious trauma that may be experienced by being vegan, an animal advocate or activist. There are two ways you can make use of this resource; by venting or asking for support...
If you would like to vent, and don't need or want a reply from ASAC, put VENT in the subject header of your email. Your email will NOT be read and will be permanently deleted. If you are asking for support, please put SUPPORT in the subject header of your email and we will read and reply when we can.
ASAC Peer Support is completely confidential and anti-cop - NOTHING will be shared outside of our emails. We do not save any contacts and emails are consistently deleted from our account. We delete emails when someone has sent a VENT and when a SUPPORT conversation has ended (we will let you know before we delete and check that you've expressed all that you wanted to).
Important Points:
We are not therapists or counsellors - think of us as a friendly listening ear who can provide space for your feelings or even a garbage bin for you to throw and release things away.
We do not give legal advice - we are not lawyers so cannot give legal advice.
We are not a hotline or emergency resource - please do not contact us for immediate help as we may not respond quickly. See our self-help page for hotlines and other resources.
Please be respectful - this is an offering/resource not a service and we may not get back to you as soon as you expect. Please be patient.
Online Security with ASAC Peer Support:
We are using protonmail which is generally known as a secure email service (learn more about their security here) HOWEVER, it is only end-to-end encrypted when sender and receiver are both protnomail emails. It's essential to be aware that this can never be a completely secure form of communication, as even though proton-to-proton communication is encrypted (which means they can't see data) metadata such as IP addresses can be accessed - this means they know who is talking to who, but not what they're talking about. Protonmail has been reported to have shared metadata with swiss police so we recommend using Tor for some form of metadata anonymity and added privacy. Protonmail also now includes VPN with all accounts, so be sure to make use of this too. Remember that nothing is ever truly "safe" on the internet and that all information online can be compromised. Be sure to change names, dates, times, places etc. in your peer support emails - or better still, don't mention them! The less we know (or the less the internet knows) the better.
DO YOU WANT TO SUPPORT YOUR PEERS?
Are you a fellow activist/organiser who wants to join ASAC in providing peer support? Then please contact us. You do not have to be a mental health "professional" as we prioritise lived-experience over mental health professionals and recognise that a doctorate and degree does not mean you cannot cause harm or are aware of how systems of oppression affect mental health. It is helpful however, if you have background in caring for others, in mental health services and/or lived-experience in a specific areas e.g., using drugs and alcohol as a survival mechanism, survivorship (#ARMeToo), disability, activism in slaughterhouses/on farms, experiences in prison and with police, vicarious trauma due to activism, racial trauma etc.
By being part of ASAC's Peer Support team, we would aim to work together to create a schedule, based on your free time and lived experiences i.e. on Wednesdays from 2-4pm an ASAC peer supporter can provide support for assault survivors. During the hours 2-4pm, you - or the Peer Supporter - would sign in (via Tor) and be available for any real-time conversations on that topic. This may work better over a chat function like Signal and as the project develops, we aim to provide support across more platforms. Contact us if you are interested in peer support.
This is a project growing over time and with experience, so we are very open to feedback. Please let us know what you think and how we could improve.
CURRENTLY OPEN FOR SUPPORT: [email protected]