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New Study Findings Show Voice Key to Pastoralist Livelihoods
Click here to download the publication
A new study for DFID Ethiopia focuses on the changing ways that pastoralists use voice in efforts to secure their livelihood. The study shows how Ethiopian pastoralists value being able to speak, be heard and be connected. Speaking well gets men and women respect. It brings response from neighbours, clan members, leaders and government officials. Voice proves to be an essential part of the competence that allows pastoralists to thrive in a highly unpredictable environment. Men and women, young and old, poor and rich, told the researchers how this competence is the basis for individual wealth, and prosperity for the whole society. It means skilful management of herds, excellent communication, mobility, generosity and good behaviour within the culture and the law.
Pastoralists look after one another. Neighbours share what they have, relatives assist relatives, and clan institutions deliver justice and help people rebuild after crisis. At the same time, government provides limited but growing access to education, health, credit and new water supplies. But traditional responses are weakening as pastoralism comes under stress, and services do not support the full range of competence that a pastoralist requires. The poorest are turning to relief programmes supported by external agencies. And a proportion of young people are growing up without the networks and skills that they need to make a good life.
So, year after year, pastoralist leaders in Ethiopia have been raising issues with the government, voicing their concerns about a livelihood under pressure. Pursuing a long and patient engagement with the state for more than a decade, they are slowly but surely beginning to see change. This effort is crucial for all Ethiopia’s pastoralists, but especially for the poorest who are losing their competence and their voice. The research suggests that donors, NGOs and government departments should go beyond welfare projects and service delivery. It suggests they should also understand and support voice and competence for all the diverse groups within pastoralist societies.
A summary report will be published in August 2009 and will be available for download from this site. The full research paper will be published by the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, UK in Autumn 2009.
Turbi and Sololo pastoralists meet, sign peace declaration and agree to share resources
160 pastoralists gathered at Walda in Sololo District, Kenya on 27th and 28th July and joined the other Borana and Gabra communities living along the Ethio-Kenya border in agreeing a peace declaration, based on that made by the Dillo and Dukana communities on the Ethiopia/Kenya border in November 2008. The communities also agreed to start sharing grazing and water resources. By 29th July, around 400 cattle, 1500 sheep and goats and many camels from Turbi were using the water at Rawan, near Walda - a 10km distance rather than the 80km they had been going before the meeting, since the Turbi massacre in 2005.
Pastoralists at the Walda meeting agreed to follow up the peace declaration with regular meetings throughout the area, including Turbi, Bubisa and Marsabit. The meeting was funded by the Walda community with vehicles provided by local NGOs including the Pastoralist Shade Initiative and the GOK Arid Lands project. The Walda meeting comes after two other large gatherings of pastoralists in the area - one in Dukana in June 2009 and the second at Maikona in July 2009, where the Dukana and Dillo declaration has been fully analysed and discussed. Click here for more information on the Maikona Gathering and the Dukana Gathering.
Some of the declaration signatories
Announcement