About the IVA | Contact Us
Mission
The International Vegan Association (IVA) is dedicated to educating the public and animal advocates about veganism and animal rights, with a strict focus on abolishing (rather than regulating) animal use.
Core Values
In accordance with the abolitionist approach to animal rights as it has been developed by Professor Gary Francione, the IVA has made four core commitments:
1. The IVA holds that the human use of nonhuman animals is wrong, that animal use ought to be abolished, and that each of us has a moral obligation to be vegan.
A vegan is as a person committed to abstaining from using animals and animal products for food, clothing, entertainment, and other purposes. For example, vegans do not consume meat, dairy, eggs, honey, or animal by-products, they do not use personal care products that contain animal-based ingredients, and they avoid using leather, silk, wool and other animal-based materials.
2. The IVA rejects all forms of advocacy that seek to reform, regulate or make more humane our society’s use of animals, on the grounds that such activities are both counterproductive and immoral.
3. The IVA rejects any use of violence on behalf of or within the animal rights movement.
4. The IVA commits its resources exclusively to education. The IVA holds that educating people about veganism, animal rights, and vegan advocacy is the key to making progress toward ending animal use.
Structure
The IVA is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the US Internal Revenue Code (letter of determination). It is an all-volunteer organization with no employees, governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. The Board maintains the group’s website, produces and distributes the group’s literature and educational content, responds to inquiries, and is responsible for overseeing activities organized by the IVA’s regional chapters. For more information on the Board, please contact us by email or phone at +1 (617) 982-2891.
Chapters
At present, there is one regional IVA chapter, in Boston, MA (USA), which is responsible for engaging in local work that furthers the IVA’s mission. IVA-Boston holds meetings and discussion groups, trains local abolitionist advocates, hosts educational events for the public, and engages in extensive public outreach through tabling. It is a regional extension of the IVA’s central operations and is not an independent charitable organization. IVA-Boston serves as a model for the sort of grassroots abolitionist advocacy that IVA supports.
Donations
The IVA is funded by a small number of loyal donors. The IVA does not solicit donations.
Contact Us
Use the form below, or call us at +1 (617) 982-2891. You can also find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.