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From Poverty to Power Green, Oxfam 2008 - weman

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4 RISK AND VULNERABILITY AFRICA’S PASTORALISTSWhile specific campaigns will not necessarily change attitudes<strong>to</strong>ward pas<strong>to</strong>ralism, they illustrate the power of collective action. InEast Africa, the UN Office for the Co-ordination of HumanitarianAffairs has been working <strong>to</strong> develop pas<strong>to</strong>ralists’ voice in Ethiopia andelsewhere. Gatherings have been organised for pas<strong>to</strong>ralist representativesfrom across the globe <strong>to</strong> provide a space for them <strong>to</strong> share theirexperiences and ideas, and <strong>to</strong> engage with government and donorrepresentatives on their own terms.At community level,local associations help <strong>to</strong> reduce vulnerability byproviding vitally important veterinary drugs and managing andimproving scarce water resources. As they have gained recognition,the associations have engaged with government, advocating for betterservices and budgets and a greater role in conflict management. InWest Africa, membership-based pas<strong>to</strong>ral associations, includingAREN and the sub-regional network Bilitaal, have many thousands ofsubscribing members, combining representative legitimacy withpolitical clout and a degree of economic au<strong>to</strong>nomy.FORWARD-LOOKING TRADITIONALISTSPas<strong>to</strong>ralism, with its strong emphasis on family and clan loyalties, andon common, rather than individual, ownership of land and forests,throws down a profound challenge <strong>to</strong> many of the assumptions thatunderlie ‘modern’ governance. Whether such visions can co-exist is atest of the ability of governments and societies <strong>to</strong> recognise andencourage pluralism, rather than uniformity.Despite widespread stereotypes that pas<strong>to</strong>ralists are static andbackward, pas<strong>to</strong>ralists themselves recognise the need <strong>to</strong> change andadapt. As they are experienced opportunists, used <strong>to</strong> exploiting everymillimetre of rainfall, their adaptability should come as no surprise.In 2007, pas<strong>to</strong>ralist leaders from across Africa wrote: ‘The outsideworld is changing rapidly, altering production methods and exchangesystems, affecting the very fabric of all societies. Bearing this in mindand the fact that pas<strong>to</strong>ralists are fully capable of adjustment, we arenot concerned with protecting pas<strong>to</strong>ralists from these changes.This would be impossible in any case. Our concern lies with thestrengthening of the pas<strong>to</strong>ralists’ ability <strong>to</strong> adapt as well as with thebroadening of their choices and opportunities.’ 121271

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