Culture shock?

Being a vegetarian in bolivia has been a lot easier than i expected. things like quinoa and avocados and lentils are everywhere. there are not one but two vegetarian restaurants within a block of my house. like in north america, most restaurants have at least a couple of vegetarian options.
Ironically, the times when it's hardest to avoid meat are when my co-volunteers choose the restaurant.
This ties into something that's generally surprised me about the other volunteers i'm working with, as well as people in some of the organizations we're working for: to use a clichee, i assumed we were all here with the intention of making the world a better place. and by extension, i assumed we would all have a sense of awareness of the consequences of our actions, and have a similar sense of ethics.
But really? no, not really. no one really seems to care about animal rights. i met a girl in montreal who had worked in the same program and she joyfully showed us a blanket (and matching pillows) she'd brought back which was made entirely of fur. no one seems to mind eating meat. we eat at a vegetarian restaurant near here pretty often, but for everyone else it seems to be out of convenience, pure proximity to the house. while i'm enjoying what i consider to be the luxury of fried tofu and quinoa, other people are talking offhandedly about how unfulfilling vegetarian food is and how they don't mind it once a day but "have to" eat meat at some point.
As someone who has said and done the exact same things in the past and is now surviving nicely without meat, i can't help but see the things they're doing and saying as a bit naive, contrived, and as an attempt to justify doing something which, when you think about it, is not that ethical.
But beyond that: in two weeks of talking to my co-volunteers, i'm surprised at how little some of them seem to care that the clothing and shoes they're buying for extra cheap here were, whether they're a good deal or not, made in sweatshops.
I'm surprised, and disgusted, that everyone except me smokes.
I'm shocked to discover that there are people who are here to volunteer in a country which is living proof of the beauty and diversity of indigenous culture, and its ability to exist alongside of other cultures, who think that the problem with first nations people in canada is that they're allowed to live together, as opposed to assimilating.
I see people who seem to appreciate the culture here as if it was a show, or entertainment, without seeming to have a sense of genuine respect for it.
I'm depressed by some peoples' total oblivion to the idea of conserving resources, and doing things sustainably.
To be clear though, all of the people i´m with here are really good people. Some are really amazing. and i have to say as well that there's lots of things i could improve on myself, and in a way i appreciate being in an environment that forces me to think very carefully about my values and why i've adopted them. And this has made me really appreciate the kids i spend time with in Montreal (and other places) who do actually care about these kinds of things. You guys are precious.
So ironically, if i'm experiencing any culture shock in bolivia, it's not because of bolivian culture, but the culture and values of my fellow quebecois and canadians.