In this episode of the Engaged Jain Studies Podcast, Arihanta Institute professor and lead organizer of the Vegan Studies Initiative Jonathan Dickstein, PhD, speaks with Laila Kassam, Executive Director of Project Phoenix, a UK-based advocacy organization dedicated to building public will for animal liberation. Their conversation examines the past and present landscape of the animal movement—its strategic gains, missed opportunities, and the urgent need for more coordinated public-facing work in the years ahead.

Together, they reflect on the evolution of animal advocacy, consider how theories of social change can reorient movement strategy, and explore how organizations like Project Phoenix are reshaping what it means to organize for animal freedom at scale in 2025 and beyond.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES & LINKS

• Project Phoenix | Join the Animal Freedom Movement
• Subscribe to the Arihanta Institute Newsletter
• Vegan Studies Initiative @ Arihanta Institute | Courses, Speaker Series, Research & More!

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ABOUT OUR PODCAST GUESTS

Laila is Founder and Executive Director of Project Phoenix. As Executive Director, she leads Project Phoenix’s development, strengthening organizational capacity, and guiding strategic planning, leadership, and culture, to ensure its impact aligns with its mission and values. As Network Power Lead, she cultivates a national network of organizations and individuals working toward shared goals for animal freedom.

Laila is a Co-Founder and former Director of Animal Think Tank where she served for six years. She is co-editor of the book Rethinking Food and Agriculture: New Ways Forward which envisions a truly just and sustainable food system. She is on the Advisory Board of Animal Advocacy Careers and The Empathy Project and a mentor for Kickstarting for Good. Laila has been involved in social change for most of her career having previously worked in international development for 15 years. She has a PhD in Development Economics (SOAS) and an MSc in Development Management (LSE).

ABOUT OUR PODCAST HOST

Dr. Jonathan Dickstein specializes in South Asian Religions, Religion and Ecology, and Comparative Religious Ethics. He received his doctoral degree in Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he wrote his dissertation on ancient Indian animal taxonomies and their relevance for religious ritual and dietary practice. Jonathan’s current work focuses on Jainism and contemporary ecological issues, and accordingly extends into Critical Animal Studies, Food Studies, and Diaspora Studies.

Jonathan has published in a wide array of interdisciplinary journals on topics such as veganism and politics, yoga and diet, Jain veganism, and the ethic of nonviolence (ahiṃsa). Jonathan considers himself a scholar-practitioner, having spent many years not only in libraries but also in public advocating for justice for both humans and nonhumans alike.

Copyright 2025 Arihanta Institute

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit academic institution, Arihanta Institute is dedicated to advancing education, scholarship, critical research, and public dissemination of real-world application of the Jain principles of non-violence (ahiṃsā) and compassion (karuṇā). Our mission is to empower individuals with knowledge to embrace and apply these principles as a force for positive change, addressing the most pressing issues of our time with courage and compassion.

In this episode of the Engaged Jain Studies Podcast, Arihanta Institute professor Christopher Jain Miller, PhD, engages in a profound conversation with Dr. Anna Halafoff, Associate Professor in Sociology of Religion and Religious Studies at Deakin University, Australia. Their discussion delves into the Buddhist philosophy of compassion—its ethical, contemplative, and social dimensions—with a particular focus on the Dzogchen tradition’s distinctive approach to rest, (non)action, and compassionate responsibility.

Together, Professor Miller and Dr. Halafoff discuss how meditative practices cultivate resilience and empathy in both personal and collective contexts. They further consider how Buddhist ethics of interdependence can inform global engagement, ecological responsibility, and compassionate coexistence in today’s interconnected world. Listen for inspiration on how to cultivate compassion for oneself and others using Buddhist teachings and techniques.

Course Spotlight — 2022 | Buddhism, (Non)Action & Compassionate Responsibility — available for self-study on Monday, December 1, 2025.

This course invites learners to explore Buddhist understandings of compassion through the lens of Dzogchen Buddhism’s teachings on rest and (non)action. Students will examine how awareness and spaciousness form the foundation for compassionate responsiveness, while engaging with accessible practices and readings provided throughout the course.

Offered by the Compassion Studies Initiative (CSI@AI) at Arihanta Institute, this course is made possible through the generous support of the Uberoi Foundation.

👉🏽✨ Pre-register now and unlock unlimited access to 60+ courses with a 14-day free trial through Arihanta Institute’s Course Membership! Join a global community of lifelong learners dedicated to positive change and a more compassionate, purposeful life.

Start your free trial!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES & LINKS

• 2022 | Buddhism, (Non)Action & Compassionate Responsibility
• The Compassion Studies Initiative is supported by a grant from the Uberoi Foundation.
• Course Membership - Start Your 14-Day Free Trial

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Dr. Anna Halafoff is Associate Professor in Sociology of Religion and Religious Studies at Deakin University. Her research expertise includes spirituality, Buddhism, religious diversity, interreligious relations, and social cohesion. She currently leads major projects on Buddhism in Australia: Belonging, Wellbeing, and Social Engagement and Spirituality in Australia: Wellness, Wellbeing, and Risks.

Dr. Halafoff is the author of Freedoms, Faiths and Futures: Teenage Australians on Religion, Sexuality and Diversity (Bloomsbury, 2021) and Religious Diversity in Australia: Living Well with Difference (Bloomsbury, 2024). A qualified yoga and meditation teacher with over 35 years of practice, she draws from both scholarly and experiential perspectives to deepen understanding of Buddhist compassion, rest, and ethical action.

Christopher Jain Miller, PhD, is the co-founder, Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Professor of Jain and Yoga Studies at Arihanta Institute. He completed his PhD

In this episode of the Engaged Jain Studies Podcast, Arihanta Institute professor Christopher Jain Miller, PhD, engages in a profound conversation with Dr. Devinder Pal Singh, an expert in Sikh studies. Their discussion explores the central role of compassion in the Sikh dharmic tradition, from its theological underpinnings to its real-world applications.

Dr. Singh introduces listeners to the foundational principles of Sikhi that shape compassionate living, such as seva (selfless service) and the ethic of oneness that honors the divine presence in all beings. He highlights how Sikh teachings inspire not only inner transformation but also active forms of service, including the institution of langar (free community kitchens), ecological care, and the defense of social justice.

The conversation also emphasizes how acts of forgiveness, service, and balancing of temporal and spiritual responsibilities invite practitioners to live in ways that uplift humanity and protect the natural world. Together, Professor Miller and Dr. Singh illuminate how the Sikh tradition envisions compassion as both an inward disposition and an outward call to action—encouraging all to serve others and stand against injustice.

Course Spotlight — 2023 | Sikh Teachings and Practices of Compassion — available for self-study on Monday, November 3, 2025.

This course, offered by the Compassion Studies Initiative (CSI@AI) at Arihanta Institute and made possible through the generous support of the Uberoi Foundation, explores how the Sikh tradition fosters both personal transformation and social responsibility through compassion.

👉🏽✨ Pre-register now and unlock unlimited access to 50+ courses with a 14-day free trial to Arihanta's Institute's Course Membership! Join a global community of lifelong learners dedicated to positive change and a more compassionate, purposeful life.

Start your free trial!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES & LINKS

• Course 2023 | Sikh Teachings and Practices of Compassion
• The Compassion Studies Initiative is supported by a grant from the Uberoi Foundation.
• Arihanta Institute | Ancient Wisdom for Modern Living
• Subscribe to the Arihanta Institute Newsletter

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ABOUT OUR PODCAST GUEST

Dr. Devinder Pal Singh is a teacher-researcher with over 35 years of experience in education and advocacy on scientific, environmental and religious issues. He, a Founder-Director of the Center for Understanding Sikhism in Ontario, Canada, specializes in writing on scientific and theological topics. He has authored 24 books and published over 1000 articles in the fields of Science, Environment and Sikhism. He is the Editorial Advisory Board Member for prominent journals like The Sikh Review, Kolkata, India, and Studies in Sikhism and Comparative Religion, New Delhi, India.

With over two dozen invited talks and more than 100 TV and YouTube presentations to his credit, he is a prominent voice on social, technological, and environmental issues within the Punjabi and Sikh communities. His advocacy work is grounded in a sound scientific background, given his PhD and decades of experience teaching physics at the college and university levels. He has published over 100 research papers and presented them at 60 national and international conferences on Physics and allied topics.

Dr. Singh has published...