https://seeingpastoralism.org Seeing Pastoralism Mon, 25 Oct 2021 10:05:42 +0000 https://seeingpastoralism.org en https://seeingpastoralism.org/Front-Page Thu, 01 Apr 2021 16:22:10 +0000 Seeing Pastoralism https://seeingpastoralism.org/Front-Page https://seeingpastoralism.org/sites Wed, 19 May 2021 16:53:07 +0000 Seeing Pastoralism https://seeingpastoralism.org/sites Pastoralism, Uncertainty and Resilience Global Lessons from the Margins Explore six different places around the world where pastoralists are living and working, facing and responding to uncertainty. <img width="1200" height="800" width_o="1200" height_o="800" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d7c0b48a9a070717b90b8533750208f8806957ef9530800e3a3b239990e39301/th-ethiopia.jpg" data-mid="109246388" border="0" data-no-zoom src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d7c0b48a9a070717b90b8533750208f8806957ef9530800e3a3b239990e39301/th-ethiopia.jpg" /> evErything has chanGed, even the waYs we Die.borana - ethiopia <img width="1200" height="800" width_o="1200" height_o="800" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6849f021ed3933df59fe78d9912085a0d318a69364a02fa6dfc693d9150f40f1/th-tibet.jpg" data-mid="109246390" border="0" data-no-zoom src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6849f021ed3933df59fe78d9912085a0d318a69364a02fa6dfc693d9150f40f1/th-tibet.jpg" />dhArma on the lEft, coNservation on the riGht.amdo tibet - china <img width="1200" height="800" width_o="1200" height_o="800" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/90f5437abeaf33a57c9449fce93b003692bb71d801084d1465f9cfc6080e322d/th-kenya.jpg" data-mid="109246389" border="0" data-no-zoom src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/90f5437abeaf33a57c9449fce93b003692bb71d801084d1465f9cfc6080e322d/th-kenya.jpg" />i eXist bEcause you exisT. isiolo - kenya <img width="1200" height="800" width_o="1200" height_o="800" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0c3fddd9bd6079462c9325b3d3f7bf2c3f95805392604abce1fb40d9dea205f8/th-india.jpg" data-mid="111077944" border="0" data-no-zoom src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0c3fddd9bd6079462c9325b3d3f7bf2c3f95805392604abce1fb40d9dea205f8/th-india.jpg" /> mOving throuGh timE and spaCe. Kachchh - India <img width="1200" height="800" width_o="1200" height_o="800" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/90b744c836798fd6d62af267ed2a44f10a8dec608ca1a6c3266791f684d61225/th-sardinia.jpg" data-mid="116196870" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/90b744c836798fd6d62af267ed2a44f10a8dec608ca1a6c3266791f684d61225/th-sardinia.jpg" />pAstoralism, 100 waYs. Sardinia - Italy <img width="1200" height="800" width_o="1200" height_o="800" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/150c9a8b7eb6d54e1c2f3bcfeda2ca222328d105e8b2804814df85a5cbbf5d9f/th-tunsia.jpg" data-mid="116197608" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/150c9a8b7eb6d54e1c2f3bcfeda2ca222328d105e8b2804814df85a5cbbf5d9f/th-tunsia.jpg" /> parTir pour restEr. Douiret - tunisia https://seeingpastoralism.org/douiret-tunisia Tue, 07 Sep 2021 14:21:02 +0000 Seeing Pastoralism https://seeingpastoralism.org/douiret-tunisia <img width="1824" height="2492" width_o="1824" height_o="2492" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/97aae17d9c79abbc1e64432884f3dea2c94446f1f704dd7eb2123ffcd63bf873/cover-tun.jpg" data-mid="118284336" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/97aae17d9c79abbc1e64432884f3dea2c94446f1f704dd7eb2123ffcd63bf873/cover-tun.jpg" /> <img width="1299" height="354" width_o="1299" height_o="354" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bf1b834595add8ca6fff78a6c9d9d84a44f228535e1c3521326c0efdd889a184/pArtirpoUrresTer.png" data-mid="118281508" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/bf1b834595add8ca6fff78a6c9d9d84a44f228535e1c3521326c0efdd889a184/pArtirpoUrresTer.png" /> douiRet, tataouine&nbsp;tunisia linda pappagallo︎︎︎ download newspaper (english) ︎︎︎ download newspaper (french)︎︎︎ download newspaper (arabic) Linda has worked on pastoralism in the Middle East and North Africa.&nbsp; Her research with the PASTRES project explores the role of migration, and various forms of absence-presence, on livestock keeping in southern Tunisia. https://seeingpastoralism.org/douriet-quotes Tue, 07 Sep 2021 14:56:01 +0000 Seeing Pastoralism https://seeingpastoralism.org/douriet-quotes At the end of a windy road, at the very edge of the Dahar mountainous range, and in between the dry rocky canyons, Douiret is a village that you arrive to and not pass through. Elders, children and women seem to dominate the demographic scene when walking through town, when olive picking, or when taking the transportation to Tataouine This however is a demographic mirage. If one stays long enough, in this Amazigh mountain village in Southern Tunisia, one can notice the expansion and contraction of Douiret’s population; marked by seasonal returns, of school holidays, sheep shearing, olive picking, weddings in the summer months and festivities such as Eid Ekbir or Ramadan. Who is present and who is absent? Who leaves and who stays? Who returns and who does not? https://seeingpastoralism.org/douiret-tunisia2 Tue, 07 Sep 2021 14:56:13 +0000 Seeing Pastoralism https://seeingpastoralism.org/douiret-tunisia2 <img width="774" height="646" width_o="774" height_o="646" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cc6a08b89987df0e96e97b3daa44e7c3e7b193b384d838cbcb1de741b6c4ddfd/cb-tun1.png" data-mid="118292391" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/774/i/cc6a08b89987df0e96e97b3daa44e7c3e7b193b384d838cbcb1de741b6c4ddfd/cb-tun1.png" /> <img width="1200" height="858" width_o="1200" height_o="858" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/eee33d87d09f7be7ff36f6f8d3623b5f609c986947a9e83d616e7b3f89f1294b/cb-tun2.png" data-mid="118292393" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/eee33d87d09f7be7ff36f6f8d3623b5f609c986947a9e83d616e7b3f89f1294b/cb-tun2.png" /> <img width="1014" height="560" width_o="1014" height_o="560" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b6b944370cb8e6b203045ed4ca3b7f386c98d28495a49fb181cc88f69ef9353d/cb-tun3.png" data-mid="118292394" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b6b944370cb8e6b203045ed4ca3b7f386c98d28495a49fb181cc88f69ef9353d/cb-tun3.png" /> <img width="1364" height="748" width_o="1364" height_o="748" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4251f543b59458dc25e2a85efb24d635946b5fa43eb518ea50611ba88aa28ac2/cb-tun4.png" data-mid="118292395" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4251f543b59458dc25e2a85efb24d635946b5fa43eb518ea50611ba88aa28ac2/cb-tun4.png" /> “Partir pour rester”, to leave in order to stay, illustrates the connection between two seemingly opposite actions, leaving and staying. The act of ‘leaving’, as a form of absence, is in relation to ‘staying’ as a form of presence. Absence is just another form of presence. One may leave in order to stay or leave in order for others to stay, or leave in order to stay later. Absence can therefore be seen as the necessary ‘Other’ to presence.&nbsp; Absence is enacted along with presence; it is constituted with it, and helps to constitute it. &nbsp; The changing enactments of presence such as the frequent returns during festivities, sheep shearing or olive picking are combined with virtual presences on Messenger and WhatsApp, redefining what absence means today. These changing forms of absence-presence through rituals, liminalities, asynchronicities and vacuums influence the relationships between people and livestock. <img width="2700" height="1519" width_o="2700" height_o="1519" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0b9b45b68c77b160e8872a1664e3112c5868ebc60ebad583f1b6cf0e857a5fcd/1-tun.jpg" data-mid="118293616" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0b9b45b68c77b160e8872a1664e3112c5868ebc60ebad583f1b6cf0e857a5fcd/1-tun.jpg" /> ‘Leaving could mean emigration, like those who left for France and never came back, they left once and for all, they no longer remember Douiret. Then there are those who came back and yet they don’t want to remember or recognize Douiret as their home. They would leave and in the course of two or three generations the children, who were born abroad, no longer know Douiret and even if they visit, they come as tourists or they might visit to study history. The ones who no longer remember Douiret have intended to never come back since&nbsp; they left. However, there are those who have emigrated to find a living elsewhere but their families remain here, so they come home once a year during their vacation. They might leave their wives and kids here and they would spend their one-month vacation with them and spend the remaining 11 months working abroad. They would live this way until they retire and that might take 10 to 15, 20 years or more depending on how young they were when they left.’ <img width="2700" height="1519" width_o="2700" height_o="1519" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2870c5772613c55a2ecbb5c33c2c115dc96f730e271e60dd5b5f4ca4ecedfdfc/2-tun.jpg" data-mid="118296335" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2870c5772613c55a2ecbb5c33c2c115dc96f730e271e60dd5b5f4ca4ecedfdfc/2-tun.jpg" /> The ritual of bringing sons and daughters regularly “to the village”, and the rhythmic returns marked by the agricultural and the school calendar build imaginaries and identities through childhood memories. The memories of herding during school holidays, or coming back to the village for olive picking or of sheep shearing, ensure relationships to territory are built over time. ‘For instance when I used to be in university and come home for Eid for three days, I would herd. When I was in the Louage on my way back home, my father would call to ask where I was and if I would say that I reached Tataouine, he would then tell me to bring my Balgha along . You know that balgha is the shoe that herders wear.’ <img width="142" height="1270" width_o="142" height_o="1270" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c3a4e65b2ad3cd0ff9e874990373f8f2146bc2d8e19e8299df64df494249b317/t-rituals.png" data-mid="118296666" border="0" data-no-zoom="true" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/142/i/c3a4e65b2ad3cd0ff9e874990373f8f2146bc2d8e19e8299df64df494249b317/t-rituals.png" /> <img width="2016" height="1110" width_o="2016" height_o="1110" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2ed15639c5363248c16e4bd017782957231cf0bb164bb845b0a3bae0ef87d7e5/zap-tun.jpg" data-mid="118296539" border="0" data-scale="68" data-rotation="15" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2ed15639c5363248c16e4bd017782957231cf0bb164bb845b0a3bae0ef87d7e5/zap-tun.jpg" /> But identities in relation to territory are not only built by returning to the village, but also through the coming and going of visitors from Douiret. ‘This coming and going creates a sort of continuity for me, for my mother and my younger sister. This continuity manifests itself every time someone comes, when we receive letters, when someone says that it has rained in Douiret. So this relationship with the village is virtual, not real, and manifests itself with people that come, with couriers, with good and bad news.&nbsp; We continue to live the village in an imaginary fashion, in a virtual fashion, we continue to keep the images of our childhood vivid. The caves, school, the olives, the dromedaries.’ <img width="1310" height="722" width_o="1310" height_o="722" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/102f8e9d7db8ceffc1978870609973286d3f86e2c5c234d82c1fc12291717259/table-tun.jpg" data-mid="118297523" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/102f8e9d7db8ceffc1978870609973286d3f86e2c5c234d82c1fc12291717259/table-tun.jpg" /> <img width="1308" height="148" width_o="1308" height_o="148" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e8afa75bbda74bb6d2779bd351e104398e03dcde1da6a7d9cc285e2e2c71b391/table2-tun.jpg" data-mid="118297524" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e8afa75bbda74bb6d2779bd351e104398e03dcde1da6a7d9cc285e2e2c71b391/table2-tun.jpg" /> <img width="152" height="1300" width_o="152" height_o="1300" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/06f672e1cc954276ef06c3a1c0a77223e5b28bf0353bd27f6210734de8a45d80/t-liminal2.png" data-mid="118298407" border="0" data-scale="100" data-no-zoom src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/152/i/06f672e1cc954276ef06c3a1c0a77223e5b28bf0353bd27f6210734de8a45d80/t-liminal2.png" /> <img width="138" height="1584" width_o="138" height_o="1584" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/27a1848e493d5a55b79af3eeb30261ba09c8713742ddfe27f053b2c49e92033d/t-asyn.png" data-mid="118299372" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/138/i/27a1848e493d5a55b79af3eeb30261ba09c8713742ddfe27f053b2c49e92033d/t-asyn.png" /> <img width="2236" height="933" width_o="2236" height_o="933" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7bc8f06ccaeaa8a89afbe72d3702273104ef6ad06415d9168af2c00ea4c609f4/land1-tun.jpg" data-mid="118299370" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7bc8f06ccaeaa8a89afbe72d3702273104ef6ad06415d9168af2c00ea4c609f4/land1-tun.jpg" /><img width="2231" height="933" width_o="2231" height_o="933" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3b1ffe606529eb317785422000c0ded8bf080389a374cf6b5683daa31d174dce/land2-tun.jpg" data-mid="118299371" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3b1ffe606529eb317785422000c0ded8bf080389a374cf6b5683daa31d174dce/land2-tun.jpg" /> “el ghayeb houjjetou maâh” “Those who are absent are always wrong.” This proverb speaks about the loss of power of negotiation for those who are not visible, or not somehow enduringly present. &nbsp; The question around time is pertinent. How long someone is absent for is connected to the quality, or form of presence. Presence not only requires time, but it requires a particular kind of time, a tempo, that the place of origin demands and is accustomed to.&nbsp; &nbsp; ‘The most important thing around absence is losing the power of negotiation. Presence requires time. There is a problem of time. There is a problem of time in terms of duration and time in the sense that everyone has their time, their tempo. Tempo is the rhythm of time. You have time in the general sense but the tempo is not the same for everyone. Everyone has their own tempo. The one in the terrain has their notion of time, difficult to identify. The tempo holds the clock of the time. The one who is not there has a limited time… the one who is there has all the time of the region. And the one who arrives has left his time in Tunis, in Paris. It is almost burlesque, comical.’ This burlesque sensation illustrates what happens when an absence that is synchronous to local social, political, cultural, and economic dimensions, becomes asynchronous, perhaps eclipsing into ruptures. &nbsp; The unspoken side of returning is one that exposes the vulnerability of attachment to place. Leaving and staying, or maintaining a sort of ‘synchronicity’ with place of origin, is therefore not simple; it is a fine balance, a tempo, that requires considerable emotional and material investment in social relations and territory. <img width="2000" height="674" width_o="2000" height_o="674" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1f8a096764562c699544dba86f92671a460e5cfb907ec33df9835c5444bf5ab8/ssnn_1.jpg" data-mid="118301694" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1f8a096764562c699544dba86f92671a460e5cfb907ec33df9835c5444bf5ab8/ssnn_1.jpg" /> <img width="126" height="1084" width_o="126" height_o="1084" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ff759d35b3b790aac930aa791c50caaf2b5338b246a7798478c202a338f4999a/t-virtual.png" data-mid="118302119" border="0" data-scale="80" data-no-zoom src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/126/i/ff759d35b3b790aac930aa791c50caaf2b5338b246a7798478c202a338f4999a/t-virtual.png" /> <img width="865" height="975" width_o="865" height_o="975" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/adcc2c4d14f51d200ed1d26fbd034e16e5d58fa8ea291b23ba2f341801f0de39/ssnn-2.jpg" data-mid="118301697" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/865/i/adcc2c4d14f51d200ed1d26fbd034e16e5d58fa8ea291b23ba2f341801f0de39/ssnn-2.jpg" /> We are in an epoch where the visual is very important. The photo, the symbol, the tatouage, the weaving. There are differing reactions to these that are subject to the accumulated baggage of each individual, because in some ways it is a relation between a symbol, a colour and carpet and then a return to the personal imagery which for some is the troglodyte of their grandparents, for others the palm and the symbol of the palm tree. Those who are in Paris/Canada will react differently from someone who is in Tataouine.’ The visual and virtual are tools that influence the immaterial aspects of attachment to a place of origin. With over 20 active Facebook groups or pages dedicated to Douiret, and thousands of individual pages of Douiris across the globe that are actively posting on all matters that relate to Douiret and the region, physical absence is complemented by a virtual presence. This is through historical colonial texts, archival footage and pictures, manuscripts, land titles, maps, obituaries, poetry, legal claims and cases, governmental decisions and real-time meetings, as well as live Facebook videos of sheep shearing, olive picking, and carpet weaving. <img width="2700" height="1520" width_o="2700" height_o="1520" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1307b8688c16e427e5b7e5197d726d3834d5c6948e3969ace88a44c86bd33ad1/3-tun.jpg" data-mid="118301805" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1307b8688c16e427e5b7e5197d726d3834d5c6948e3969ace88a44c86bd33ad1/3-tun.jpg" /> A Douiri woman plays with her goats. They only have a symbolic number to keep them company in their old age. <img width="2000" height="1323" width_o="2000" height_o="1323" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/004d4270281936eaf3bb1e2e28bbcf309f35268ff0df0cc6daec5a131c815ee6/4-tun.jpg" data-mid="118302162" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/004d4270281936eaf3bb1e2e28bbcf309f35268ff0df0cc6daec5a131c815ee6/4-tun.jpg" /> <img width="140" height="948" width_o="140" height_o="948" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a2163135fe581940a541f88a92f86ccaa007ecd2beb998dfbe39fbdeaa1a1aab/t-abscence.png" data-mid="118302481" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/140/i/a2163135fe581940a541f88a92f86ccaa007ecd2beb998dfbe39fbdeaa1a1aab/t-abscence.png" /> <img width="2000" height="1319" width_o="2000" height_o="1319" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e8217de513f1bf6a72b300bb8dfd0e05b1a527e41b2e7f39ad6f03642998677b/5-tun.jpg" data-mid="118302175" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e8217de513f1bf6a72b300bb8dfd0e05b1a527e41b2e7f39ad6f03642998677b/5-tun.jpg" /> Absences create vacuums of opportunity. As men leave, and wives and children remain back home, women may take on more masculine aptitudes, roles, responsibilities and objectives. As women’s roles shift, in the household and in the community, absences have gendered dimensions. Behind a man that “leaves in order to stay”, there are (several) women that stay in order for the men to leave. “Elles restent pour qu’ils partent” – they (feminine) stay so that they (masculine) can leave. This is the other side of leaving, where wives, daughters, sisters, mothers and female relatives stay in Douiret to support the family and to allow for accumulation of possibilities elsewhere. ‘If it wasn’t for women, we wouldn’t be able to do anything, women are everything. When I was in Tunis I had a lot of livestock here and I relied on my wife. She ran the business, she bought hay for the sheep and herded the flock and spent from her own money to keep things going. If I were to do it alone I couldn’t have achieved that. My daughters helped her as well, without the help of my daughters and my wife I couldn’t have raised livestock.’ above: The daughter of an important livestock owner in Douiret directs the male dromedary first, followed by the female and lactating dromedaries, towards feed composites she has prepared with the help of her brothers. Although they own a large herd of sheep, the increasing frequency of droughts has pushed this family to increase investments in dromedaries as they fare better and are more profitable in such conditions. below: The sister of a herder and livestock owner has worked for over twenty years, day in and day out, in maintaining the family flock. In the mornings she works as a cleaner in a small hotel, at noon she tends the goats in preparation for her brother to take them out to pasture, and in the afternoon, she herds their flock of sheep. <img width="2000" height="1322" width_o="2000" height_o="1322" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/96dbde66109e4762bf83c4b19f0c7968ebbe9e36a10f2cc2ef9e2b3e6c67e19a/6-tun.jpg" data-mid="118301808" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/96dbde66109e4762bf83c4b19f0c7968ebbe9e36a10f2cc2ef9e2b3e6c67e19a/6-tun.jpg" /> <img width="2000" height="1323" width_o="2000" height_o="1323" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bf6dbefe807a996077018028a006e44b723cd9734ea0a791ad402e1dc13b492d/7-tun.jpg" data-mid="118301809" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/bf6dbefe807a996077018028a006e44b723cd9734ea0a791ad402e1dc13b492d/7-tun.jpg" /> <img width="2700" height="3007" width_o="2700" height_o="3007" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4f0dd05d7416fd5faa0c8ce5abd6ca20f923e0f9b614b33c408900b7e20acc8f/8-tun.jpg" data-mid="118301810" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4f0dd05d7416fd5faa0c8ce5abd6ca20f923e0f9b614b33c408900b7e20acc8f/8-tun.jpg" /> credits: Photography: Hamdi Dallali (@hamdi_dallali) and Linda Pappagallo Illustrations: Linda Pappagallo Photovoice Advisor: Shibaji Bose Photo Editing and Newspaper Design: Roopa Gogineni https://seeingpastoralism.org/douiret-video Mon, 25 Oct 2021 10:05:42 +0000 Seeing Pastoralism https://seeingpastoralism.org/douiret-video https://seeingpastoralism.org/douiret-crossed-pv Tue, 07 Sep 2021 17:13:20 +0000 Seeing Pastoralism https://seeingpastoralism.org/douiret-crossed-pv pHotovoice Beyond seeing pastoralism as a livelihood, as a way of life, that responds to various uncertainties, livestock provides a stable job and a viable alternative to living in the city. Unemployment in the south of Tunisia reaches 30% and is a major concern for the younger generation, causing significant emotional and physiological distress.These photovoice stories portray the lives of two young entrepreneurial livestock owners, Mohammed and Said, both aged between 30-35 from Douiret in the region of Tataouine. By using disposable cameras, their stories are illustrative of the everyday life of nascent livestock owners who have returned to their place of origin to escape emotional and physical precarity, and whose flocks provide mobility, health, employment and business. <img width="3321" height="2262" width_o="3321" height_o="2262" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5a517a7a090d6a058b042b965e854a5a8a402117d90ecd27e7302a244995dbd2/HP5_004.jpg" data-mid="118303588" border="0" data-no-zoom src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5a517a7a090d6a058b042b965e854a5a8a402117d90ecd27e7302a244995dbd2/HP5_004.jpg" /> Said photovoice&nbsp;︎︎︎ <img width="3291" height="2256" width_o="3291" height_o="2256" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5a0fd483c7cab35e8b248c3e83040336cf2711a018ef5d6d15bb779958c155d6/HP5_009.jpg" data-mid="118304016" border="0" data-no-zoom src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5a0fd483c7cab35e8b248c3e83040336cf2711a018ef5d6d15bb779958c155d6/HP5_009.jpg" /> Mohammed photovoice ︎︎︎ https://seeingpastoralism.org/borana-ethiopia Wed, 19 May 2021 17:30:38 +0000 Seeing Pastoralism https://seeingpastoralism.org/borana-ethiopia <img width="1900" height="1267" width_o="1900" height_o="1267" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/60477f8bf4e04bf1b6766abc671aa427c8f30315abf91e045c90ff1a5bf5f497/Locust-2.JPG" data-mid="108953699" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/60477f8bf4e04bf1b6766abc671aa427c8f30315abf91e045c90ff1a5bf5f497/Locust-2.JPG" /> <img width="1476" height="747" width_o="1476" height_o="747" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8fc3bd821234b2895b1ccb673bd956fd7cf0eddd5e57a0554c5b37f91c56c5de/evErything-has-chanG.png" data-mid="109099586" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8fc3bd821234b2895b1ccb673bd956fd7cf0eddd5e57a0554c5b37f91c56c5de/evErything-has-chanG.png" /> boRana&nbsp;ethiopia Masresha Taye︎︎︎ download newspaper Masresha has research expertise in Ethiopia, Kenya and Niger drylands. His PhD project with the PASTRES programme focuses on the role of insurance in mitigating risk and generating resilience among Borana pastoralists of southern Ethiopia. <img width="1600" height="1067" width_o="1600" height_o="1067" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6d4b84c03c196dce88eda8774e3cd543080ca2b46f771ef4412f531f01cfb2a0/identity-defining-colors.JPG" data-mid="108995946" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6d4b84c03c196dce88eda8774e3cd543080ca2b46f771ef4412f531f01cfb2a0/identity-defining-colors.JPG" /> Identity Nexus Politics: During the peak of the Oromo protests (2015-2018) that brought a leadership change in Ethiopia, the youth demonstrated by holding two types of flags: the traditional Gada flag represented by white, red and black colours and the Oromo political resistance flag with green, red and some yellow in between. After a new leadership stepped into power, grievances continued among the same Oromo ethnic groups. Local officials now target people with these flags. In Borana, pastoralists came up with a new form of resistance – they paint their homes with the colours of the two flags and face the consequences. Pastoralism evolves. In Gomole, Borana, the practice of exchanging pasture lands for farmlands, permanently or temporarily, can be seen inside people’s homes. Attire and utensils once linked to livestock rearing must be moved to accommodate the new farming livelihood. <img width="1600" height="1067" width_o="1600" height_o="1067" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/16d5157c9e031965a623887923a12a31d667aecec449f441e27a8163f0f4af68/CropLivestock.JPG" data-mid="108995995" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/16d5157c9e031965a623887923a12a31d667aecec449f441e27a8163f0f4af68/CropLivestock.JPG" /> <img width="1600" height="1200" width_o="1600" height_o="1200" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/489ad1726b8b550642101387feed068874b23a2ad4332ffa7d673cfc7f7e3330/modern-agri-equipments.jpg" data-mid="108996058" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/489ad1726b8b550642101387feed068874b23a2ad4332ffa7d673cfc7f7e3330/modern-agri-equipments.jpg" /> ‘We sniff opportunities, and we grab them. We are pragmatic. We are not pastoralists by choice; rather, we know it is vital in such environmental conditions. That does not mean we should stick with it [pastoralism] when things change, we should look for ways of supporting it. I know the environment will fail me if not now, maybe next year, so I invest in different forms of supporting livelihood through livestock’. doyo, male, 62. feb 28, 2020. Tractors are seen in the zonal capital, Yabello, hustling to get fuel. For a week or so, the roads are busy as (agro) pastoralists rush to lease tractors and utilise the small rains to plant. <img width="1900" height="1160" width_o="1900" height_o="1160" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/69358a6b6e6be3aa4f7b78d1224144f886fcc891d39bcb7cdffb397dacb1ea9e/Tractors-in-Yabello.jpg" data-mid="108996112" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/69358a6b6e6be3aa4f7b78d1224144f886fcc891d39bcb7cdffb397dacb1ea9e/Tractors-in-Yabello.jpg" /> <img width="1200" height="1200" width_o="1200" height_o="1200" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6b6852945fbbf077db47c142d04c7cdc62f0ea19ead2221335553b226670d946/mar-a1.jpg" data-mid="108996244" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6b6852945fbbf077db47c142d04c7cdc62f0ea19ead2221335553b226670d946/mar-a1.jpg" /> <img width="1200" height="1200" width_o="1200" height_o="1200" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/412beea1e30636d369b9f8061196cd162e544170a6f8bc269c68d5a7ff7e89ea/mar-a2.jpg" data-mid="108996233" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/412beea1e30636d369b9f8061196cd162e544170a6f8bc269c68d5a7ff7e89ea/mar-a2.jpg" /> The investment in modern agronomic practices comes with its own uncertainty. Rain will wipe out the crops. In the past, the stress was the risk of rain failure, while in 2019 floods destroyed crops and killed animals. <img width="1600" height="1067" width_o="1600" height_o="1067" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/578ab5ba555ff0622b7ec45e77f3fb40dab35dc664455708c6570004b0df7c39/booming-contraband-business_unloading.JPG" data-mid="108996400" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/578ab5ba555ff0622b7ec45e77f3fb40dab35dc664455708c6570004b0df7c39/booming-contraband-business_unloading.JPG" /> Networks of smuggling goods. As lorries and trucks are stopped and their cargo checked by customs, those in pastoral areas are quick to find the system’s loopholes. They use public transport and a few kilometres before the customs check, they offload goods onto motorbikes that travel into the bush. They then load up the bus again after the checkpoints. A network of young pastoral men provide the services by tracing the daily movement of the police. Deadly motorbike accidents are becoming more common. <img width="1900" height="1267" width_o="1900" height_o="1267" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f71e83147d5a9edf55f52be64086dda90ef68609b42a2eefd0f681454f91a1fa/et-1.jpg" data-mid="116274237" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f71e83147d5a9edf55f52be64086dda90ef68609b42a2eefd0f681454f91a1fa/et-1.jpg" /> Borana and other pastoral areas in Ethiopia are witnessing various types of public infrastructure expansion. The Borana University, inaugurated in June of 2013, was one of these public investments. It was built on land that serves (agro)pastoralists as a dry season pasture reserve and is used for sporadic farming. Due to its proximity to the zonal capital of Yabello, locals feared others might encroach on their land, or that the municipality of Yabello might expand its boundary, overtake and distribute land in the name of investment. Aiming not to lose everything, they decided with the local administration to distribute the land to selected members of the community who could afford to build houses for rent, shops or other businesses. This is a classic case of how pastoralists, individually or collectively, respond to the risk and uncertainty they face on a daily basis. credits: All photography, unless otherwise noted, by Masresha Taye. Photovoice Advisor: Shibaji Bose Photo Editing and Newspaper Design: Roopa Gogineni https://seeingpastoralism.org/borana-crossed-pv Thu, 20 May 2021 19:20:47 +0000 Seeing Pastoralism https://seeingpastoralism.org/borana-crossed-pv pHotovoice&nbsp; In a pastoral system, risk and uncertainty are complex and interconnected, making it challenging to capture pastoralists' views about them. However, through photovoice, pastoralists were able communicate their experiences through pictures taken by themselves and their accompanying narratives. Eighteen pastoralists disaggregated by their wealth status, gender, age, and location participated in the photovoice research, which asked ‘How do you visualise risk and uncertainty through pictures?’ <img width="1800" height="1350" width_o="1800" height_o="1350" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/110ee369ba53062cc5a4bab2fda01d05c34afaa5160581f35e1b61304f66c8d3/Page-3a.jpg" data-mid="118548389" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/110ee369ba53062cc5a4bab2fda01d05c34afaa5160581f35e1b61304f66c8d3/Page-3a.jpg" /> Multiplicity of Uncertainties ︎︎︎ <img width="1800" height="1350" width_o="1800" height_o="1350" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/683fbc1eb36545e3ae0739d48d680f812c624e9782e07b2dd41631a49a088eff/Page-6a.jpg" data-mid="118548392" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/683fbc1eb36545e3ae0739d48d680f812c624e9782e07b2dd41631a49a088eff/Page-6a.jpg" /> Coping with Uncertainty: a Diversity of Approaches ︎︎︎&nbsp; https://seeingpastoralism.org/golok-kokonor-tibet Thu, 01 Apr 2021 16:22:09 +0000 Seeing Pastoralism https://seeingpastoralism.org/golok-kokonor-tibet <img width="2250" height="1456" src="//freight.cargo.site/w/2000/i/5f90b65128cc68fd7f7d0d37cb8215d752174c99d4d3ebceeab1619cff081154/dh0.jpg" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5f90b65128cc68fd7f7d0d37cb8215d752174c99d4d3ebceeab1619cff081154/dh0.jpg"> <img width="1900" height="1231" width_o="1900" height_o="1231" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d66a115e4fa2bbf5c8e05b22fcc1883e84a619711a9bd6f1d9cef3549a70bf11/1-2.jpg" data-mid="109005784" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d66a115e4fa2bbf5c8e05b22fcc1883e84a619711a9bd6f1d9cef3549a70bf11/1-2.jpg" /> <img width="772" height="256" width_o="772" height_o="256" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b200efd04d353c14293937c8767a4c81f4fa32792dc2035a746bc8a68a14c41e/dhArma-on-the-leFt-.png" data-mid="109009094" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/772/i/b200efd04d353c14293937c8767a4c81f4fa32792dc2035a746bc8a68a14c41e/dhArma-on-the-leFt-.png" /> <img width="852" height="236" width_o="852" height_o="236" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/29e94000ad02ef39d76fd76507a5f8b0a6bb7660dd9f1f8d090718a7418c2ae1/coNservation-on-the.png" data-mid="109009093" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/852/i/29e94000ad02ef39d76fd76507a5f8b0a6bb7660dd9f1f8d090718a7418c2ae1/coNservation-on-the.png" /> goLok kokoNor tibet Palden Tsering ︎︎︎ download newspaper Palden is from Amdo Tibet, Qinghai, China. His work with the PASTRES project explores hybrid process of land control in pastoral areas of Qinghai, in the context of rising uncertainties on the Tibetan plateau. <img width="1900" height="1177" width_o="1900" height_o="1177" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a69ac407b94c2caf4304eec31ebdefc27ef7d10e229be59c72bd2ee13492df63/at-1.jpg" data-mid="116270354" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a69ac407b94c2caf4304eec31ebdefc27ef7d10e229be59c72bd2ee13492df63/at-1.jpg" /> <img width="1266" height="777" width_o="1266" height_o="777" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c38e935894bca8ecafd36ebf10b06113e3b9de93f96f168d4db3aaae4a41b36b/at-2.jpg" data-mid="116270355" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c38e935894bca8ecafd36ebf10b06113e3b9de93f96f168d4db3aaae4a41b36b/at-2.jpg" /> above Members of the monastic wildlife conservation association carry fodder for the blue sheep during wintertime in Golok. below More and more pastoralists from the Kokonor region choose to stay on their winter pasture during summertime to earn extra income from tourist activities such as yak and horse riding. golOk <img width="1900" height="1192" width_o="1900" height_o="1192" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f82f34e2014ba927ae05b06a8d35e98b9fa20a38aa6d80441641d8d4c4ca27ac/at-3.jpg" data-mid="116270356" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f82f34e2014ba927ae05b06a8d35e98b9fa20a38aa6d80441641d8d4c4ca27ac/at-3.jpg" /> average altitude: 4200 m livestock composition: Yak distance to township center:&nbsp; 76 km suitability for tourism: Less suitable natural resources: Rich in caterpillar fungus&nbsp; state investment: County government funded small-scale tourism centre ethnic composition:Tibetan kokoNor <img width="1043" height="655" width_o="1043" height_o="655" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/dd67b0c0ac9119f197b940361dc9afa0d1a6bae1e4ff4a397a12f6b82c42f0e9/at-4.jpg" data-mid="116270357" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/dd67b0c0ac9119f197b940361dc9afa0d1a6bae1e4ff4a397a12f6b82c42f0e9/at-4.jpg" /> average altitude: 3196 m livestock composition: Sheep and yak distance to township center: 4 km suitability for tourism: Very suitable natural resources: None state investment: Provincial government funded major tourism hotspots, the coming Lake National Park ethnic composition:Tibetan, Chinese, Hui Muslim, Mongolian the disAppearing guRu <img width="1900" height="1267" width_o="1900" height_o="1267" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/42c1351d24acd739c27f298a1966e3257bc53d67df855ad07f42c8bc2ae8670f/2-1.JPG" data-mid="109034932" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/42c1351d24acd739c27f298a1966e3257bc53d67df855ad07f42c8bc2ae8670f/2-1.JPG" /> 1.Local pastoralists worship guru Rinpoche, as the mighty Buddhist teacher from India, and as a saviour of the land and the people. To commemorate the guru, local pastoralists constructed a bronze statue by the lake, with prayer wheels surrounded for devotees to accumulate merits. And the statue has attracted many pilgrims who come pilgrimage the lake every year. <img width="1900" height="1267" width_o="1900" height_o="1267" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5ab9a9d7b022574f53222acf585c68d751a563f4bfa9b6f49d7bc838917822e2/2-2.JPG" data-mid="109034933" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5ab9a9d7b022574f53222acf585c68d751a563f4bfa9b6f49d7bc838917822e2/2-2.JPG" /> 2. Pastoralists invested a total of 150,000 yuan into the statue and its surroundings,&nbsp; expecting to recover some of the money by charging entrance fees to non-locals and non-Tibetan tourists. However, the lake expansion has dramatically affected these earnings. As one nearby resident stated, ‘You can see the statue from your car, and they used to come and walk around the statue and take selfies with the Rinpoche. But now, they don’t, because the guru is in the water and you cannot take a close look. Apa J, Jan, Kokonor, 2020 <img width="1900" height="1120" width_o="1900" height_o="1120" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d01783e8ce7747e57acf0dc412546c9a386b38b7ae8d6e3742e64629b50b1740/2-3.jpg" data-mid="109034935" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d01783e8ce7747e57acf0dc412546c9a386b38b7ae8d6e3742e64629b50b1740/2-3.jpg" /> 3. Pastoralists eventually had to remove their mighty guru Rinpoche due to the lake expansion. As Awo, a pastoralist in his late 50s, stated, ‘the lake is expanding, pastoralists are losing their land, and the government is using this chance to boast about their conservational effort in this area, which is driving the province to promoting the idea of designing this area into a national park.’ <img width="1447" height="965" width_o="1447" height_o="965" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/72cbe1a584f4aecb417dfffbc50efbc6d6cc778d2b7efd10f8188cd8f321000e/at-5.jpg" data-mid="116270554" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/72cbe1a584f4aecb417dfffbc50efbc6d6cc778d2b7efd10f8188cd8f321000e/at-5.jpg" /> <img width="1447" height="965" width_o="1447" height_o="965" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ff033572bcf6b3ca6b8aec71564c72498fe0d60f518cee209ff7c8e2291c1bdd/at-6.jpg" data-mid="116270555" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ff033572bcf6b3ca6b8aec71564c72498fe0d60f518cee209ff7c8e2291c1bdd/at-6.jpg" /> A growing number of resettlement communities are seen in many of the pastoralist townships in Amdo Tibet. Many have thrived from state-led development and progress-oriented projects such as ‘ecological civilization building’ and the ‘poverty alleviation and eradication campaign’. <img width="1800" height="1200" width_o="1800" height_o="1200" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9dd2468aa51f0e78815b09ae2934249e0a6b005fe55c09a7469cde2f3d526655/at-7.jpg" data-mid="116270699" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9dd2468aa51f0e78815b09ae2934249e0a6b005fe55c09a7469cde2f3d526655/at-7.jpg" /> The yaK and bEauty&nbsp; conTest <img width="1714" height="1348" width_o="1714" height_o="1348" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/96116fa1b29411824c119c0307587ac7086c1796e8718263f360655490291da9/at-8.jpg" data-mid="116270700" border="0" data-scale="83" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/96116fa1b29411824c119c0307587ac7086c1796e8718263f360655490291da9/at-8.jpg" /> <img width="1800" height="1420" width_o="1800" height_o="1420" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5b09840be63c8c3ba38f227a17c820c2575057460bc86b9d21bf7f091eabe809/at-9.jpg" data-mid="116270701" border="0" data-scale="83" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5b09840be63c8c3ba38f227a17c820c2575057460bc86b9d21bf7f091eabe809/at-9.jpg" /> <img width="1900" height="1267" width_o="1900" height_o="1267" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ed9890a0ebfa3b2de5c3629e6f9eae4c69258feeb155292ba70e4681b3a45989/3-3-1.The-Champion.jpg" data-mid="109035650" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ed9890a0ebfa3b2de5c3629e6f9eae4c69258feeb155292ba70e4681b3a45989/3-3-1.The-Champion.jpg" /> top:&nbsp; Judges tally the votes. midle One of the hosts of the beauty contest and her child. bottom&nbsp; Attendees photograph the winning yak. Since there are no more sheep in Lun Mo Chee village, local pastoralists treat the yak as the most treasured animal. Yaks are widely used for many occasions and activities. For instance, during the annually organized ‘Dre Mo Beauty Contest,’ female yaks compete for the championship and a cash prize. &nbsp; ‘You know, we lost our sheep, and I am afraid that they (sheep) will never come back. Now we just have the yak and the horse, and comparatively, yaks are more important than horses here. However, pastoralists, especially young pastoralists, are abandoning yaks too. They sell their yak at a low price, and some of them even give up on pastoralism and move to urban areas.&nbsp; There are so many uncertainties out there, especially with the decreased price of the caterpillar fungus these years. As pastoralists, life has to depend on animals - that is the essence of being a pastoralist - and that is why we need to re-establish the significance and the value of the yaks, and this is why we organize such a contest. We want to motivate people, to promote the sense of raising yaks in the community, and to try to encourage pastoralists to invest more time and effort in their animals.’ “Young pastoralists are abandoning yaks too.” The monaStery and the pasToralist &nbsp; In Golok, the township primary school is 74 km away from the winter pasture, a 3-5 hour drive due to poor road conditions. Many pastoralists prefer to send kids to the monastic primary school, which is close to their winter homes. Moreover, pastoralists consider the monastic primary school a much better place for the kids to learn Tibetan reading and writing.&nbsp; The practice of Tibetan Buddhist rituals is one of the strategies that local pastoralists use to respond to uncertainties. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kokonor pastoralists made thousands of statues and buried them underground for better luck in the coming year. &nbsp; <img width="1618" height="1080" width_o="1618" height_o="1080" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/19f6c396dc0e3f79a72016a41f1325da3f8de3f7dea7ce3c795b436e55a239e5/at-11.jpg" data-mid="116271457" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/19f6c396dc0e3f79a72016a41f1325da3f8de3f7dea7ce3c795b436e55a239e5/at-11.jpg" /> <img width="1800" height="735" width_o="1800" height_o="735" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8b22c6cdbbae8bd36da5dcf6c79b6b4f787c00c27a2149b9a92c41deffb6e960/at-12.jpg" data-mid="116271459" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8b22c6cdbbae8bd36da5dcf6c79b6b4f787c00c27a2149b9a92c41deffb6e960/at-12.jpg" /> “Dear [human] friends, please don’t kill us and eat our meat.” - Tsul Lo (a well-known Buddhist teacher from Kham Tibet) <img width="1900" height="1425" width_o="1900" height_o="1425" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/659d869cbd1f9a121e01b5153853e643794771b2be4a52ad33c81c6bd790de29/3-1.The-only-two-sheep-i-saw-in-GL-Township--and-they-are-bought-from-Machu--Gansu-Province-for-Tser-Tar-animal-life-releasing.jpg" data-mid="109035643" border="0" data-scale="90" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/659d869cbd1f9a121e01b5153853e643794771b2be4a52ad33c81c6bd790de29/3-1.The-only-two-sheep-i-saw-in-GL-Township--and-they-are-bought-from-Machu--Gansu-Province-for-Tser-Tar-animal-life-releasing.jpg" /> <img width="1900" height="1425" width_o="1900" height_o="1425" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1f61347373fb656b2f5b1510480d8b9425035e253bf595ae821ad07644447dd6/3-2.-The-Released-Dre-Mo.jpg" data-mid="109035649" border="0" data-scale="89" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1f61347373fb656b2f5b1510480d8b9425035e253bf595ae821ad07644447dd6/3-2.-The-Released-Dre-Mo.jpg" /> Uncle Ray bought these two sheep from the butcher during the winter of 2019 for 1000 yuan. The family will herd the sheep until they die, whether by snowstorm, wildlife attack or natural death. Setting livestock free is an existing religious practice for merit accumulation in Tibet. ‘Animal releasing’ originated from the idea of ‘no-harming’ from Buddhist teaching. After he shopped for the Tibetan New Year, Uncle Ray, who is a Buddhist, decided to purchase the sheep for the merit of the whole family for the coming year. Two pastoralists organized this animal releasing on a county street in Golok. From the gathered audience, a total of 5000 yuan was donated within an hour. The two buyers of the two yaks were satisfied, since they paid a total of 5300 yuan to the butcher, and they would pay the remaining 300 yuan for good conduct. The ultimate goal of life-releasing is to secure the livestock from being butchered, slaughtered and eaten. credits: All photography by Palden Tsering. Photovoice Advisor: Shibaji Bose Photo Editing and Newspaper Design: Roopa Gogineni