The continuing marginalisation of pastoralists

Many people believe that the crisis facing pastoralists in East Africa is a result of their production system.   Extensive pastoralism, characterised by seasonal or annual mobility of livestock in search of pasture over a large area of rangeland, is widely believed to lead inevitably to desertification and land degradation. Taking these assumptions as fact, the call is for pastoralists to change their system, “to modernise” and settle down, and even to convert to agriculture.

While it is true that pastoral production systems are increasingly failing to provide sustainable livelihoods, it is also true that pastoralists’ poverty and vulnerability are exacerbated by inappropriate policies and development interventions.   Poor understanding by policy makers of pastoral systems, and the lack of political leverage by pastoralists to influence policy processes are the main reasons for this situation.

An agenda for action

Pastoralists, if they are not to remain vulnerable to other people’s interpretation of what is best for them, need to play an informed and effective role in the design and implementation of policies that impact on their lives.   They need to be able to convince policy makers of the rationale of their livelihood systems, and the benefits they bring to the local and national economy; and they need strong organisations to make their voices heard and defend their interests in the face of government priorities and other powerful forces.

This is not an easy task.  Pastoralists first have to overcome the widespread ignorance and even hostility that many policy makers and development workers have towards them.   As a group they are divided and do not share a common vision of their future, which limits their ability to develop the political leverage needed to influence policy effectively.   Poverty, conflict and periodic drought are problems endemic to many pastoral groups thus severely limiting their ability to tackle the fundamental causes of their marginalisation.

An implementation strategy

The programme on the Reinforcement of Pastoral Civil Society in East Africa is an “enabling programme” providing an overall strategic framework for pastoral groups, and the organisations that support them, to work together collectively in support of the empowerment of pastoral civil society.   The programme builds on the comparative advantages of different players to work simultaneously on three broad fronts:

Working in partnership with the Resource Conflict Institute (RECONCILE) and a broad range of pastoral civil society associations, NGOs, donor development projects, regional organisations, research and teaching institutes, government departments, local government bodies and the media; and a commitment to long-term approach based on an incremental learning process that responds to partners’ needs and changing contexts, are key principles underpinning the programme.

Programme activities

Phase 1 (2002-7) of the programme on the Reinforcement of Pastoral Civil Society in East Africa focuses on two key areas: improving policy makers’ and development practitioners understanding of the rationale and dynamics of pastoral production systems; and building the capacity of pastoral leaders to articulate to the “outside world” how these systems work.   Through training, collaborative policy research and networking activities this phase will establish a favourable environment for the promotion of pastoral self-determination in subsequent phases of the programme.  

Phase 2 will extend the process developed in Phase 1 to two different levels. First, it will build the capacity of pastoral groups to promote - among their members - greater understanding of the dynamics of pastoral livelihood systems in relation to the policy environment in order that local people, rather than those outside the system, frame the context in which pastoral development is designed and implemented. Second, the programme will institutionalise greater understanding of pastoralism within the formal education system in East Africa in order that future generations of policy makers and development practitioners fully understand the rationale of pastoral land use systems.

Phase 3 will see the gradual emergence of a strong and viable pastoral civil society movement with a shared vision of how pastoralism should develop in the future, playing an active and informed role in the design and implementation of policies to improve livelihood opportunities for their members.

You can also find out more in the following downloadable files:

Quarterly Newsletter of RECONCILE/IIED Programme on Reinforcement of Pastoral Civil Society in East Africa

Six-monthly Reports of RECONCILE/IIED Programme on Reinforcement of Pastoral Civil Society in East Africa

In Search of a Vision for the future of Pastoralism in East Africa:

Developing an Alliance and Strategy in support of Pastoral Self-determination

A Discussion Paper by Ced Hesse and Michael Ochieng Odhiambo

View PDF (225 KB)

Winners and Losers: Privatising the Commons in Botswana

Briefing Paper

Adrian Cullis and Cathy Watson

View PDF (474 KB)