Meet Margarita Bellah | Animal rights activist and scientist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Margarita Bellah and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Margarita, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
If I would not have taken any risks in my personal life or career, I would not have grown or had the experiences I’ve had until now. Every decision we make in our life involves some sort of risk, whether I am deciding what to eat for dinner, where to go for vacation or what to do for work. Some risks have higher consequences than others of course. I consider myself a person who can afford to take some risks, especially for my own development or for the ones I love. Immigrating to the US to be with the love of my life and leaving my career, country, family and friends behind was a huge risk. This choice changed my life forever and I don’t ever regret it. Becoming an activist and an organizer for an animal rights organization in our San Diego community has also been a challenge. Some people have the tendency of categorizing me as a political vegan, thinking I consider myself superior for having a certain lifestyle, when it’s actually the opposite. I see myself as just one more individual on this planet, as equal with other living beings. I am simply advocating for equality and liberation for all sentient beings that inhabit planet earth. I am here to take any risk, if necessary, to protect the ones who can’t defend themselves and the ones who are being silenced and ignored by our society.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I honestly think I’m not very different from anybody else, and this is how I love to think about myself. I am just a little component of this space and time on Earth, I’m doing my best to live my life with purpose and meaning. My mind and thinking was shaped by the scientific method when I went to college. But little after I graduated as a biochemist I pursued a graduate program in Microbiology and biotechnology. I started to understand how those little organisms that we are not capable of seeing, affect our entire world and ecosystem. How those tiny living cells are the base of all life on this planet and why it is so important to value everything they do for us and for our environment. A perfect example of this, is the current ‘pandemic’ era we are living in right now, which demonstrates how we are all connected. That’s why I’d like to say that I have become who I am not because of my personal achievements but because of my personal understanding of the world we live in and for the compassion and respect to all living creatures. I am not better than anybody, I believe my life is as worthy as the life of a dog, a cat, a pig, a chicken, a fish. We all have a role to play in this game, and we are all giving it our best. In my own learning process, it has been essential to be capable of connecting with myself, with others and with our environment, and doing it with modesty. As an animal rights activist in DxE San Diego, this is what I do now. I try to engage and educate people, by giving them a different perspective of the world, by leading by example. Yet, we are also part of a community and we try to bond and create alliances between us, this way our voices are louder and our arguments are stronger. We also try to question the political system and big corporations, pointing out their disconnections from their purpose. I hope someday, we as humanity, can begin to live more freely, free of exploitation, free of shame, free to love anybody and free to choose compassion over oppression. I derive excitement from seeing how animal rights and the ‘liberation for all’ messages get spread through our local community in San Diego, but also globally. Currently there are more people choosing cruelty free options in their meals, clothes, make up, etc. and I hope this will continue to grow. I am excited to see more people becoming empowered by their choices and starting to speak up and defend the ones who are trapped in systemic oppression. These people will be given the chance to speak up for the animals during the National Animal Rights Day in San Diego, which we will be hosting for the very first time. We are expecting this event to be inclusive for everybody.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
San Diego is such a beautiful city surrounded by beaches, mountains and desert. My favorite spots are usually parks or natural places. Mission Trails is one of my favorites, it’s located very central, it has dozens of trails for all types of people. I would take my friends for a hike or rock climbing there, if they are feeling more adventurous. I would also love taking my friends on long walks around Balboa Park, exploring the historic buildings and museums. We would stop at different gardens situated in hidden corners, or sit along the grassy areas all over the park, where we could just hang out or have a picnic. Perhaps, I would take my friends to the beaches along the coast of San Diego. I love Ocean Beach for its hippy atmosphere, La Jolla shore for a walk around La Jolla Cove, and Torrey Pines for its breathtaking hikes and views. For doggie friendly beaches, I’d say OB and Coronado are at the top of my list. Depending on the situation, it would be nice to make plans for water sports, like paddle boarding or kayaking at Liberty Station or Mission Bay, or surfing at La Jolla shores.

I love rock climbing, so if they are up for that, we could go to the climbing gym, to be safe, or even better we could go to Joshua Tree, a remarkable and classic spot for rock climbers. Joshua tree is also a memorable national park to visit even if you don’t rock climb. The rock formations and the particular shapes of the Joshua Trees, a special type of cactus tree that only grows there, are just some of the attractions as well as the natural and native history of this land.
As a change of scenery, I would take them to the mountains, specifically my favorite town of Idyllwild, where Mount San Jacinto is located. This town is really cute and there are a lot of things to do in nature like camping, hiking and rock climbing as well.

Back in the city, we will visit some of my favorite restaurants, all vegan of course. Trilogy Sanctuary in La Jolla for breakfast, lunch or brunch on the weekend, this place is located on a rooftop with a privileged view to the ocean and it’s all gluten free and organic. For something more conceptual and fun, we could also go to bar Kindred at night, an all vegan black metal style bar and restaurant, with gothic decoration and terrific drinks and food. During the weekend, I would take them to the Vegan Food popup in Encinitas. This event occurs every Sunday afternoon, highlighting a variety of local vendors with different types of vegan food from Ethiopian, Chinese, pizza, donuts and many more! I simply love and enjoy delicious cruelty free food!

Finally, I’d take my friends to one or two of the animal sanctuaries we have in San Diego. The experience of what it is like to meet animals that are living their best lives, regardless of what species they are, is heartwarming. These sanctuaries are doing incredible work welcoming individuals whom typically are survivors. They provide the animals with shelter, food, veterinary care, but the most important thing, they respect them and love them as they are, so they can experience their lives as they like and deserve.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There is an organization that is truly deep in my heart, Direct Action Everywhere San Diego (DxE San Diego). When I first heard about them I thought they were extreme in their actions because of the risks some of their members are taking to expose the oppression against animals to fight for systemic change. Although that really resonated with my beliefs and ideas of changing the world towards a more compassionate and understanding one. In DxE San Diego, we challenge the system through nonviolent direct action, most of the time confronting corporations and the political structure, but we never hurt anybody and we are completely nonviolent in actions, intentions and words. I became involved with this organization in 2019 and after I joined it, I found community, support, kindness as well as resources, knowledge and mentorship. Now I’m an organizer for this organization and I get to work and collaborate with other animal rights groups in San Diego. I can’t mention them all, but Kind Heart Coalition, San Diego Animal Save, Coalition to abolish the trade of Fur (CAFT) and PlantDiego are some of the ones that do an incredible job for the community as well as for the animals. I also have to mention the animal sanctuaries that have shown me how having compassion for animals can change the world for them, giving them a second chance and the life they deserve. Sanctuaries are also a happy place for us, animal rights activists, and are usually where we find the most loving, resilient and sweet individuals that inspire our lives daily. Huge shoutout to Saving Animals Healing Hearts, Sale Ranch, Farm Animal Refuge, The Shore sanctuary, New Life Animal Sanctuary, Steampunk Farm animal sanctuary, Libby Lou’s Safe Haven and many more! Lastly I’d love to thank my co organizers at DxE San Diego, David Engel, Rachel Hosler and Cam Mehta for their constant motivation and help. Thanks to all the volunteers and friends in the animal rights community in SD and my husband for his tireless support.

Website: directactioneverywhere.com

Instagram: @dxe_sandiego

Twitter: @DxESanDiego

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DxEsandiego

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4YaSabdbh_ubDScFvw8lDw