Conference, photos & films in Brussels on pastoralism
On 7–8 December 2022, a series of events on pastoralism will be held in Brussels, Belgium, in support of the forthcoming International Year of Rangelands & Pastoralists (IYRP) in 2026. The events are organised by the PASTRES (Pastoralism, Uncertainty & Resilience: Global Lessons from the Margins) research project funded by the European Research Council, VSFB (Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Belgium) and CELEP (Coalition of European Lobbies for Eastern African Pastoralism).
On Wednesday 7 December starting at 11:00 CET, PASTRES is convening a 1.5-hour conference at the International Partnerships InfoPoint of the European Union to bring together pastoralist perspectives from Europe, the Mediterranean, Eastern Africa and South Asia. Speakers will be Nitya Ghotge (veterinarian, author and filmmaker from India), Emmanuel Emaruk (VSFB’s Country Director in Uganda), Michele Nori (European University Institute, Italy, and co-lead of PASTRES) and Ann Waters-Bayer (Agrecol Association, Germany, and member of the CELEP core group and the IYRP Global Coordinating Group).
Pastoralism offers vital lessons for navigating highly variable environments. Pastoralists produce food and manage ecosystems, making use of rangelands that cover over half the land on Earth. Despite this, they are often dismissed as destructive, backward and in need of “modernisation”. Longstanding policy biases and negative narratives have shaped decision-making and investments in pastoral areas. A new approach is needed, informed by pastoralist knowledge and practice, to support livelihoods, to defuse ongoing conflicts, and to mitigate food and social insecurities. How can development and environmental programmes work together with pastoralist communities? What are the threats and opportunities these face around the world? The lunchtime conference will address these issues.
The conference will be in English and will be held both onsite and online.
On Thursday 8 December starting at 18:00 CET, VSF, PASTRES and CELEP are presenting a photo exhibition “An Uncertain World” and selected films from CELEP’s “Perspectives on Pastoralism” film festival in the Cinema Galeries (Galerie de la Reine 26, 1000 Brussels). The photo exhibition offers a curated selection of images to show how pastoralists embrace uncertainty and meet the challenges of a turbulent world. It includes photos taken by pastoralists and researchers collaborating in the PASTRES study sites in Tibet/China, Ethiopia, India, Italy, Kenya and Tunisia, as well as photos taken by members of CELEP and the IYRP initiative in Eastern Africa.
The films selected for screening in Brussels bring pastoralist perspectives from Hungary, Uganda, India and Mongolia. After the films, Koen Van Troos (former Focal Point of CELEP) will moderate a discussion with Nitya Ghotge, Emaruk Emmanuel and Michele Nori.
Programme:
18h00: Photo exhibition opening remarks
19h00: Film festival opening remarks
19h15: Start of film screening
20h35: Panel discussion and Q&A with Emmanuel Emaruk, Michele Nori and Nitya Ghotge, moderated by Koen Van Troos
21h15: Reception in photo exhibition space
These events will be held in English. They are free of charge, but you are invited to register here.
See more information about the photo exhibition and film festival here.
Posted on 15 November 2022 in CELEP Documents, News, Pastoralism, Policy & Power, Value of Pastoralism