About ROC

• 2001 - roots of compassion is born. First appearances at shows and protests distributing leaflets.
• 2002 - Launch of our website www.rootsofcompassion.org.
• 2003 - Formation of the individual company and launch of the online shop.
• 2007 - Relocation to our offices at Heisstraße 51.
• 2008 - Formation of our publishing house compassion media.
• 2009 - Change of our legal structures into the registered cooperative roots of compassion eG.
• 2012 - Relocation to new offices and warehouse.

Having started as an idea of two individuals who went to shows, protests and other events with yummy vegan chocolate cakes and information material, roots of compassion has, since its foundation in 2001, developed to become a well-known component of the German animal rights and animal liberation movement.

In 2002, we launched our website www.rootsofcompassion.org and since 2003 it is primarily run as an online shop, where you can find fairly and organically produced clothing and vegan products such as shoes, critical literature, food, buttons, patches, stickers and lots of other stuff.

Since 2008 we are publishing various kinds of media items related to veganism, animal liberation and social criticism through our publishing house compassion media.

Today roots of compassion is a collective of seven members and while it has developed into a more and more professionalized small business, it still holds on to its original goals, i.e. promoting veganism and criticizing exploitative social and economic relations and all forms of oppression.

Mission Statement

Roots of Compassion is a collective of emancipatory-oriented individuals critical of any form of sovereignty, with the objective of informing themselves and others about social injustices while pointing out and fostering alternatives. The products we produce and sell through our online shop, we mainly focus on the contemporary relation between humans and non-human animals, so we offer exclusively vegan products and food. In doing so, we’d like to encourage people to stand up for respectful and non-violent relations with other individuals and a conscious dealing with their environment. We find it important to offer certified organically produced products whenever they are an available option for us. Striving towards a more equitable economy, we are mindful of fair trade relations and working conditions. By cross-linking and working in the collective we try to establish alternatives to the capitalistic structures characterizing our society, towards a more solidary economy.

How we are planning to achieve our goals

1. Autonomous production and distribution of products with political and critical messages.
2. Selling of food and other products which are free from any kind of animal exploitation to promote a vegan lifestyle.
3. Production and distribution of media (books, CDs, films, etc.), among others through our small publishing house compassion media.

Structure and Organisation

As a collective we make decisions on a consensus-driven and egalitarian basis. All members of the collective are equal and have the same voice. We don't have a boss like most regular companies. Since May 2009 roots of compassion is a registered cooperative, so that our ideals are also reflected in our legal form. All members of the collective are employees of the cooperative and receive an equal hourly wage. Since the goals of roots of compassion do not consist in the accumulation of private capital but primarily in the realisation of our ideals, we define ourselves as a not-for-profit organisation. Most of the generated profits go directly into financing new products and projects. Furthermore, we support other active groups and initiatives indirectly by selling solidarity products as well as directly through financial and material donations.

the roots of compassion collective, January 2013