Biocultural community protocols for livestock keepers
Empowerment
The large majority of livestock-keeping communities are not aware of the Convention on
Biological Diversity and even less of the Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources and any relevant national laws. By going through the process of establishing the
protocol, they suddenly become aware of supporting frameworks and processes – which
changes their self perception from being victims of developments that they cannot understand into rights holders.
A printed protocol represents a potent tool for asserting rights. According to Raika leaders
who were summoned to Delhi by the Central Empowered Committee for a hearing about
their customary grazing rights in the Kumbalgarh Sanctuary, having the printed document
that referenced all relevant laws and legal frameworks provided them with self-confidence
and put them into a stronger bargaining position with the lawyers. For the Bargur cattle
breeders, the biocultural community protocol may prove an important tool for regaining
their penning rights in the forest.
Pashtoon girl herding sheep (photo by Abdul Raziq Kakar)
16