Observations
Awareness
Through the process of establishing the protocol, the livestock keepers become aware of the
value of their traditional breeds and resources and of their knowledge in managing these.
They start to reflect on their current status compared to their earlier situation and about
their vision for the future. For instance, among the Samburu in Kenya, the process drove
home the point that the traditional Red Maasai breed could buffer people from drought and
thereby provided livelihood security, while the Dorper sheep promoted by the government
was only useful in good years.
Mobilization
The process of establishing protocols mobilizes livestock keepers to take action for saving
their heritage.
•
While establishing their biocultural community protocol, the Pashtoons decided to
form an Indigenous Livestock Breeders Association with the objective of organizing
the livestock keepers, advocating for Livestock Keepers’ Rights, educating livestock
keepers to cope with global warming and desertification, playing an active role in the
global movement for Livestock Keepers’ Rights, and raising awareness about the importance of livestock and their breeders for future food security.
• The Raika committed themselves to continuing their traditional practices for managing
the ecosystem as well as their livestock breeds. They were encouraged by the process
to continue herding and to advocate for their rights in various fora.
• As an outcome of the process, the Samburu decided to revive the Red Maasai sheep
and try to avoid cross-breeding in the future.
• The Lingayat committed themselves to continuing various measures to maintain the
integrity of their ecosystem, including protecting the forest against fires, sustaining the
predator population by offering some of their livestock as prey, disallowing granite
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