Scott-Villiers, Alastair

This article reports on a five-day workshop, which took place in Ethiopia on the use of participatory approaches in emergencies. The first section describes factors that can trigger an emergency situation. Examining history, politics, livelihoods, culture and climate all help us to understand the complexities of an emergency. The notion of including all stakeholders, but in particular people at the community level in responding to an emergency situation is also briefly described. The participatory methods and tools used are then briefly outlined, highlighted by a number of case studies.

Pastoralism is an enduring economic and social system that has evolved over centuries and incorporates highly refined resource management, productivity, trade and social welfare mechanisms. Having received few tangible investments in the past - due partly to prevailing views of pastoralism as unproductive and unsustainable - strategies to aid Pastoralists in reaching their maximum economic, environmental and social potential are now being discussed. The notion of pastoralists participating in the forming and implementation of policies directly affecting them has also been called for.