Seasons Greetings and Plans for IYRP/2026

[Ilse Köhler-Rollefson]

Dear friends and supporters,   As 2025 ends, we are enormously excited about the upcoming International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026 – and very optimistic that this will focus intense attention on pastoralists throughout the world with many governments and non-government institutions expected to hold conferences and workshops around the theme. This is extremely welcome!   At the same time, we are deeply concerned by the reports that reach us from all over the world about pastoralists losing access to their customary grazing areas- be it from mining in Mongolia, green energy fields in India, or tourism projects in Tanzania. Pastoralists are being squeezed almost everywhere, at great expense to their livestock and livelihoods – just when their benefits to the environment and food security are finally starting to be acknowledged. To document and raise awareness about these accelerating pressures, LPP, in partnership with Misereor, is embarking on a new initiative to map the threats that pastoralism experiences. Stay tuned to this elaboration of our existing Pastoralist Mapping Project that you can read about at https://www.pastoralpeoples.org/pastoralist-map/     As most of you know, the work of LPP is deeply inspired by our long-term association with our Indian partner organization LPPS (Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan) and with the Raika pastoralist community. Over the decades, LPPS has hosted a series of international and national workshops and other events that have changed the narrative on many issues, including local breeds, camel conservation and the rights of pastoralists. It is also the anchor for the Camel Charisma dairy which provides both local income and has led to a revival of the camel population enabling Raika to come back and make a decent living from camels which they much appreciate. The camel milk producers also enjoy sharing their knowledge with a significant number of Indian and foreign visitors and, just recently, they won the TOFT Wildlife Tourism Community Award of the Year at a function in Delhi!     We would like your support for a new development at LPPS which is severely affected by the general funding crunch and currently has no financial resources to continue its activities after December 2025. Together with Hanwant Singh we have been brainstorming how to carry on almost three decades of work and become financially independent. The lovely and serene Butibagh campus on which the dairy is located has been registered as a guesthouse baptized ‘Camel Caravanserai”. It has 7 rooms, including three traditional huts, but also quite luxurious two rooms in the Camel Lodge, as well as two new rooms lovingly decorated with all kinds of camel paraphernalia. The plan is not to just cater for tourists, but to grow into a “Pastoralist Knowledge Field Centre’ where visitors can engage with the Raika pastoralists and learn from them about how to manage livestock ethically and in tune with Planetary Boundaries (a major paper on this topic will come out in 2026!). And of course learn everything about camels and camel milk, and enjoy various camel dairy products.   You can help us, the Raika, and the dairy by spreading the word, by visiting yourself and/or by using the facilities for holding workshops, retreats, meetings, even weddings! If interested please contact Ilse Koehler-Rollefson directly (ilse.koe...@gmail.com)     For now, we wish all of you peaceful relaxing festivities and a wonderful 2026!     With warmest regards from the entire LPP Team!   Sabine, Ilse, Juliane and Aisha

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Dr. Ilse Köhler-Rollefson
Butibagh, Sadri 306702, District Pali, Rajasthan, India
Mobile+91-9829477535
Skype ilse.kohler.rollefson
www.ilse-koehler-rollefson.com

https://linktr.ee/ethicallivestock

Projects Coordinator
League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock Development
- We move the world of pastoralists -
Pragelatostr. 20
64372 Ober-Ramstadt
Germany
Tel. +49-6154-53642, mobil +49-1783069083
email il...@pastoralpeoples.org
www.pastoralpeoples.org

Learn more about camels in "Camel Karma. Twenty Years among India's Camel Nomads"  republished by Speaking Tiger Press. www.camel-karma.com.

Watch TEDX talk about The Nomads that feed us.

Follow on IG @kohlerrollefson and @camelcharisma

[Dr. D. K. Sadana]

This is Superb!

Compliments & Best Wishes.

-Sadana

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You may add to the issues we deal with, or like to deal with. We are: "LIFE - A Network of NGOs and individuals dealing with AnGR and allied issues including pastoralism, CPR, Communities, Breed Societies and livelihoods"
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Founder, ILSI ~ Indigenous Livestock Society - India; 21 Sector 8, UE, Karnal-132 001

Founder, HimRRA; President, Himachali Pahari Gauvansh Society, Board Member (Sahjeevan)

Rtd. ICAR Scientist, Ex Board Member, RRA_N, & Ex-Chair RISG-South Asia of IYRP-2026.

डॉ. डी. के. सडाना  ਡਾ. ਡੀ.ਕੇ.ਸਡਾਨਾ  ڑی۰کے۰شڑانا  ಡಾ.ಡಿ.ಕೆ. ಸ ಡಾ ನಾ Dr. D. K. Sadana  

+91 94160.30654   𝕏: @Sadana 

[Chanda Nimbkar]

I agree. All power to you Ilse, LPPS and your team.

Ms. Chanda Nimbkar, PhD
Director                         
Animal Husbandry Division
Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute

and Director, Maharashtra Goat and Sheep Research and Development Institute
P.O. Box 23, Lonand Road
Phaltan 415 523, Maharashtra, India

Phone: Front Office +91 7588685867
                                   
Mobile: +91 9960940805

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