This weekend will mark the official launch of the Vegan Student Association Groningen (VSA), which is the first of its kind in the country.
Translation by Thomas Ansell
Sikkom reports that the idea for a vegan association first came from the current VSA chair Alicja Jeleńska, who is originally from Poland, after she moved to Groningen for her studies. Jeleńska realised that there was no place for vegan students to meet and share their ideas and experiences.
Jeleńska says that Groningen is a good city for vegan people with plenty of restaurants, good vegan product availability in shops and events that are vegan-friendly. The official launch party for the Vegan Student Association will take place at Cafe The Crown (Gedempte Zuiderdiep 2) on Saturday, 16th February. The party will feature vegan snacks (naturally), drinks, and a presentation by the Scottish vegan activist Séimí.
In September, more than 30 people came to the group’s first meeting at the University Library, and the association has hosted screenings of films about veganism and vegan potluck dinners over the past few months. The association’s members hope that the group can help to make a difference and effect change in the city and its population. The Dutch Vegan Association, which has existed since 1978, estimates that there are about 119,000 vegans in the Netherlands.
