 | |
| EIN 23-7399322[1] | |
| Legal status | 501(c) organization[1] |
| Headquarters | Dolgeville, New York[1] |
President, Treasurer | Sharon Graff[2] |
| Website | navs-online.org |
TheNorth American Vegetarian Society (NAVS) is a charity and activist organization with the stated objectives of supporting vegetarians and informing the public about the benefits ofvegetarianism.[3]
It was initially founded in 1974 to organize theInternational Vegetarian Union's 1975 World Vegetarian Congress inOrono, Maine, which has been called the most significant event of thevegetarian movement in the United States in the 20th century.[4]
In 1977, the organization started an annual event,World Vegetarian Day.[5] The following year theInternational Vegetarian Union joined in holding the event.[6][7] The event is celebrated October 1 of each year and kicks off a month-long event, Vegetarian Awareness Month, which ends November 1 withWorld Vegan Day.[7][8]
NAVS initiated the Vegetarian Hall of Fame (now the Vegan Hall of Fame) in 1990, which has enshrined 33 activists.[9]
| Name | Known for | Year of award |
|---|---|---|
| Freya Dinshah | American Vegan Society | 1990 |
| H. Jay Dinshah | American Vegan Society | 1990 |
| Helen Nearing | Simple living advocate and vegetarian | 1991 |
| Scott Nearing | Simple living advocate and vegetarian | 1991 |
| Michael Klaper | Physician and author | 1992 |
| George Eisman | Registered dietitian and author | 1993 |
| Paul Obis | Founder and editor ofVegetarian Times | 1994 |
| Mahatma Gandhi | Indian independence advocate and vegetarian | 1995 |
| Alex Hershaft | Co-founder and president ofFarm Animal Rights Movement | 1998 |
| Howard Lyman | Livestock farmer turned vegan, a vegan and animal rights activist | 2002 |
| Richard H. Schwartz | Professor of mathematics, president ofJewish Veg | 2005 |
| T. Colin Campbell | Professor of nutritional biochemistry and advocate of a plant-based diet | 2006 |
| Brenda Davis | Registered dietitian and author | 2007 |
| Joanne Stepaniak | Author of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks | 2008 |
| Caldwell Esselstyn | Cardiologist, Olympic gold medalist, vegan | 2010 |
| Neal D. Barnard | Founding president ofPhysicians Committee for Responsible Medicine | 2011 |
| Hans Diehl | Physician and plant-based nutrition author | 2015 |
| Miyoko Schinner | Founder ofvegan cheese producerMiyoko's Creamery | 2016 |
| Michael Greger | Physician and plant-based nutrition author | 2019 |
| Kim A. Williams Sr., MD | Vegan cardiologist who promotes plant-based eating for better heart health. | 2023 |
| Victoria Moran | Founder of Main Street Vegan Academy.[10] | 2024 |
| TBD[11] | 2025 |
Since 1974, the NAVS has run an annual vegetarian summer conference[12] - originally for 9–10 days encompassing two full weekends, on a college or university campus (often in Pennsylvania). In 199x the summer conference's name was changed to NAVS Vegetarian Summerfest (with all vegan meals). In 2019, the name was changed to NAVS Vegan Summerfest. During this now 5-day event, the inductee for the Vegan Hall of Fame is announced and celebrated.[citation needed] The most frequent Summerfest site is theUniversity of Pittsburgh-Johnstown (UPJ) inJohnstown, Pennsylvania. In 1996, the World Vegetarian Congress was held simultaneously with the NAVS Vegetarian Summerfest, in Johnstown.[citation needed] Three international vegetarian conferences have been held simultaneously with the NAVS Vegan Summerfests.[12]
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