Towards A Future of Eating Green, Acting Green and Thinking Green

The NUS community welcomed a new Interest Group (IG), NUS Vision of Equality for a Greener Earth or NUS VEGE last semester.

Focusing on raising awareness about the moral and environmental aspects of a plant-based diet and lifestyle, the IG hopes to educate the community about the plight of the animals and the environment caused by animal agriculture. In addition to educational purpose, the IG also aims to create a support circle for vegans, vegetarians, and anyone interested in reducing their consumption of animal products in NUS, as well as open up a safe and welcoming space for beginners starting out on their individual plant-based journeys.

Working with Mr Sivasothi N.,  senior lecturer in the Department of Biological Sciences and also Director of Studies at Ridge View Residential College, NUS VEGE has gathered a diverse community of plant-based staff and students including medical students, athletes, and amazing chefs, who are working actively to support members of the group and educate the people within NUS about a kinder life that benefits not just ourselves, but the world around us.

When asked about the objectives of the group, Lim Wen Kai, President of NUS VEGE, cited three reasons: environment, ethics and health.

“We focus more on the environmental and ethical reasons, but we also take into account people who may be interested in the health aspects of a plant-based lifestyle as well,” he explained.

These three focuses are the crux of their advocacy and embedded into their minimalist logo featuring three intersecting squares in ascending order, from left to right. This not only serves as a strong reminder of their current values, but also signals their future direction:

“[The logo represents] how we are always looking to break out of the boxes or existing paradigms we are in, to seek a lifestyle that is more aligned with our ethics and ideals,” said Mr Lim.

Due to the safe management measures during the pandemic, the IG continues to accelerate projects that engage, educate and also entertain their members and interested students. Some of their recent activities include:

1. Volunteering with “Mummy Yummy”, a not-for-profit organisation that distributes free cooked vegetarian food to their beneficiaries right to their doorsteps.
2. “What I eat in a day” challenge series on Instagram where each group member will share about what they eat in a day on our Instagram stories. This is also an interactive session for members to ask and answer questions from their viewers.
3. Online movie screenings using streaming platforms such as Netflix party where the members can watch the movie and interact with the others.
4. Online online games night and bonding session during recess week.
5. Meetup sessions within the community for groups of five or less, or team meetings and bonding games with different teams.