Preserving Tradition while Promoting Development

Today's IRIN featured article on Africa discusses the sustainability of pastoralism in the continent. Pastoralism is a way of life based on herding livestock in largely arid or semi-arid land. The lifestyle provides pastoralists with an income, a means of transportation, and involvement in a social network. IRIN reports that pastoralism is practiced over an area that makes up at least 40% of Africa's land mass. In 2005, the UN Food and Agricultural Organization assessed Africa's livestock at a value of $65 billion. Given these numbers, A new approach to pastoralism is necessary, especially in the face of "climate change, shifting global markets and increased competitiion for land and other natural resources" (IRIN). In a conference that took place between July 9th and 11th, representatives of pastoralists from 15 African countries met to discuss the lifestyle's future. This conference is part of a larger plan to create a policy framework for the AU with regard to pastorlalism. With the increasing urbanisation of Africa, there will be increased demand for livestock-- pastoralists need to be able get as much out of their lifestyle/industry as possible without losing out to those factors mentioned earlier, like increased competition for land. A comprehensive policy on pastoralism will help to give pastoralists a voice in national governments, a way to manage environmental and climactic challenges, and also tactics for avoiding conflict.

This effort to preserve pastoralism ensures that traditional ways of life are left in tact even in the wake of development and urbanization. Creating a comprehensive AU policy dealing with pastoralism will make it sustainable in the developing world, and preserving those traditional ways of life is important. Traditional components of society- like pastoralism in Africa- can often even add to the success of a development scheme because including those components demonstrates that the society's values and ways of life are being respected.

Cat Zweig
ADA Legislative Intern