A beautiful chat with Shatha Hamade, legal counsel of Animals Australia. We discuss:
- Shatha’s journey - from a career in the investments sector to where she is and what she does today, her first exposure to the welfare of animals in food production which led to vegetarianism and a life of animal advocacy
- Shifting of priorities from a conservative upbringing and life plan to one focussed on being of service to animals
- Investigating live animal export with Animals Australia
- The emotional toll of Shatha’s work, how she manages it and how it has softened her heart
- An inside look into covert investigations into live animal export and Shatha’s role as “witness”
- What holds and supports Shatha in the field
- The “higher force” and how it shows up for Shatha in her work
- Animals as “victims” or “teachers”
- The purpose of animals
- Animal consciousness
- Lessons of kindness and compassion
- Bearing witness without judgement
- How our treatment of animals is informed by our inherited thinking
- The sentience of animals
- Emotions and being human
- The most challenging location for Shatha when it comes to animal suffering
- Shatha’s love for donkeys
- Looking into the animals’ eyes and connecting to their hearts
- Kuwait and the Festival of Sacrifice
- Holding space and sending animals off with love
- Shatha’s most difficult day in the field
- A message of hope and assurance from a butterfly in Cairo
- Witnessing miracles and beauty in contrast to witnessing suffering
- Acknowledgement of the Gaza-Israel conflict and sending love
- The power of collaboration
- Do Australian animals have greater legal protections compared to animals from other countries
- The covert abuse of animals in Australia
- The power of the individual for informing your life and living a life that aligns with your values
- What individuals can do to help animals - launching "rockets of desire”
- Shatha’s hopes for the future
- Will live export be banned?
- What Shatha would change about the human animal relationship
This is a heart-centered and inspiring conversation, well worth the listen for anyone who loves animals.
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BIG thank you to Bella Abraham for the beautiful podcast cover artwork & Michael Barry for the divine theme music.
