The Love Theorist Dyann Ross

This is the second part of chapter 3 called ‘Eco injustice’ from my book, Broken-heartedness: Towards love in professional practice. Like some of the other chapters, it is very difficult to read for the tragedies it describes. Here my personal experiences with other animals who are used by humans required of me an ethical re-set as an adult towards non harming of all animals. As the daughter of a farmer and hunter and a citizen of a society that is prejudiced against other animals, it was a slow awakening that species injustice has profoundly disturbing impacts.
Issues that comprise matters of eco injustice are very troubling and do not have immediate solutions. The circumstances for millions of farmed animals across the planet are dire and show the devastating underbelly of economies which rely on mass scale slaughter of defenceless animals. Humans love other animals, and it is important to us that they do not experience cruelty. Humans do not need to eat other animals to access protein and other nutrients. Yet there is a moral amnesia due to the animal industrial complex operated by wealthy private businesses that normalises the meat industry. The wealthy are typically financially subsidised by governments which sanction the use of some animals for human consumption.
A societal level ethical re-set which equally values all our Kin is needed for personal and world peace. It begins with a loving regard for other animals of all kinds.
You can purchase a copy of my book at
https://revoltbooks.com/


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This is a reading of chapter 3 called ‘Eco injustice’ from my book, Broken-heartedness: Towards love in professional practice. It is the first part of a big chapter which relates how my personal and professional experiences intersected with a growing awareness of harm and injustice against Nature. In so doing I show an aspect of what is called a wicked problem where Australia’s economy is dependent on large scale mining of natural resources - ie Nature - and many peoples’ livelihoods, including my own family, and many communities’ viability are also dependent on big miners. The costs are borne by the environment but not only. The intersectionality of harm to people adjacent to mining operations, biodiversity loss and hence threats to some endangered species is apparently a cost that is traded for claimed benefits from this unsustainable economics. I show how very personal this matter of eco injustice is for me and how it is also very political. The trade offs need not be so highly stacked against the environment - Nature - with whom we are all intricately interconnected.
If you are interested in buying a copy of my book it can be purchased here
https://revoltbooks.com/



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thelovetheorist.substack.com

This is a reading of chapter 7 from my new book, Broken-heartedness: Towards love in professional practice. It is published by Revolutionaries which is a small independent book company that promotes ideas and ways of being for a more loving and peace filled world. This is a perfect fit for me as I show in this chapter how desire for peace and love necessitates the upholding of a key moral principle of the equal moral worth of all kinds of beings. As a social worker for many years, I’ve been almost totally focused on social justice for social groups who are discriminated against. But I have come to understand how social justice for people is intertwined with species justice for other animals and environmental justice for Nature. In fact, I believe that justice through being loving and nonviolent towards some species of other animals, namely farmed animals, is the key to addressing all other forms of injustice.
Listen to my podcast to hear how I have come to this view and of how this equal moral worth principle along with an unshakeable belief in love and the power of nonviolence underpins all types of justice work at this time on the planet. When justice is experienced by the most harmed beings, there will be no broken-heartedness. Mercy will be shown.
You can buy this book and my two other books - The revolutionary social worker: The love ethic model and The revolutionary social worker: Love ethic companion - published by Revolutionaries at https://revoltbooks.com/


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thelovetheorist.substack.com

This podcast focuses on the end section of the Chapters 5, 6 and 7 respectively entitled, ‘Love’; Nonviolence’ and; ‘Ecojustice’ from my book Broken-heartedness: Towards love in professional practice. These end sections give a range of examples of how to practice love, nonviolence and eco-justice. Many of the ideas and ways will be familiar to listeners. In this sense I aim to affirm and cheer you on for what you are already do, who you already are in the world. I also provide insights into how my understanding of broken-heartedness asks something more of the power elites and privileged people and organisations. When powerful people who cause harm and devastation and do nothing to address it, this is a moral crime against the impacted people, other animals and Nature. It cannot be left to the broken-hearted to raise the justice issues and try to solve them when the issues are not of their making.
My book is available at https://revoltbooks.com/products/broken-heartedness



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thelovetheorist.substack.com

This is a reading of chapter 8 of my new book Broken-heartedness: Towards love in professional practice, published by Revolutionaries. Here I draw the threads of the book together to provide a succinct statement of a theory of love. The theory is revolutionary because it explains how anti-oppressive ethics and critical analyses of society can lead to actions for peace, justice and love for all beings. Both individual and collective actions that are love ethic informed can address the unrecognised epidemic of broken-heartedness.
The podcast is dedicated to two women - Courtney Morison and Miriam Merten - who have died as a result of lovelessness in the public mental health systems in Queensland and NSW respectively. I found Courtney’s story in the print media as I was writing the book. She died by suicide in 2022 soon after telling her family the system did not care for her. I was previously aware of Miriam’s death after being secluded and multiple falls in a mental health facility due to a media release about the subsequent coronial inquiry in 2017.
In both instances it was heart-breaking to me for the terrible loss of life and for the people who loved the women and the people who tried to be caring in the system. It showed me that there is an unmet need for loving places and professionals. I believe that “we need to make the place that is meant to be caring to actually be caring when a person’s life is on the line”. When professional carers are broken-hearted from the distress they witness and unsupportive workplaces, they cannot be loving and nonviolent in their practice with people in their care. Understanding the sociological and ecological context of broken-heartedness can enable big and small steps towards love.
My book is now available as an e-book! If you would like to have a copy, please go to https://revoltbooks.com/products/broken-heartedness
Thank you for your interest and support!



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thelovetheorist.substack.com

This is a reading of Chapter 6 entitled - ‘Nonviolence’ - from my new book, Broken-heartedness: Towards love in professional practice. It stands as a testimony to the power of love and shows how love and nonviolence can be drawn upon to address violence of all kinds. Nonviolence first and foremost is about not being violent, which requires a critical analysis of how power is used. As I have argued in the earlier chapter on violence, harm can be hidden in contexts where people believe they are being helpful and caring. This is one of the hardest type of harm to recognise.
Nonviolence is explored and shown to be a range of peaceful, proactive ways of being in the world that consciously resist and challenge violence.
You can support my writing by buying my book, reviewing it on Goodreads and by telling a friend about it. It can be purchased from https://revoltbooks.com/


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thelovetheorist.substack.com