Nyeleni: Introducing the message of pastoralist communities – a voice from the land

We publish here the Nyeleni Newsletter n°46: Introducing the message of pastoral communities, a voice from the field. This newsletter was published in December 2021. We publish it to carry the voice of pastoral communities, communities recognized and endowed with rights by the UNDROP. In this newsletter, you’ll find testimonials from communities, as well as opinions on key issues, such as: is animal husbandry always bad for the planet? A necessary and enlightening read to understand the reality of people so little represented.

The indigenous nomadic peoples’ organization Wamip, which you will find throughout this newsletter, took an active part in the UNDROP negotiation process at the Human Rights Council alongside La Via Campesina. Wamip is calling for 2026 to be declared the International Year of Rangelands and Shepherds, and we relay its appeal here.

“Our way of life has existed since time immemorial, evolving together with the landscape. But today pastoralism is threatened as never before by the forced industrialization of livestock farming. We have to stop the loss of grazing land, “land grabbing” and the restrictions on mobility that make it impossible to maintain a viable pastoralist system. Currently we are defining a possible campaign on Pastoralists Rights.“