CASSIE KING

'I'm  the Communications Director for the international animal rights group  Direct Action Everywhere and I work with the Fair Start movement  advocating for the first and foremost human right: an ecosocial fair  start in life. My perspective on population intertwines both these  causes, and I weigh the impact of unsustainable human consumption all  the more heavily because I account for the real value of the lives it  devastates, including future generations of human and nonhuman animals.

Current  corrupt concentrations of power push a growth model that promotes  unsustainable family planning policies. They see us ordinary people as  economic inputs in their machine, to use for our reproductive and other  labor. It's our job to fight that narrative and elevate the worth of  every individual to have their basic needs met, on day one. My partner  and I hope to adopt children one day and I feel the urgency to ensure  that my future child, and all children, have the resources and  opportunities that are their right - their very first right, one that  will make or break the rest.'