[caption id="attachment_55226815" align="aligncenter" width="620" caption="A donkey at work in Tunisia"]
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In the midst of all this election business in Tunisia, though riveting, I happened to meet an entirely different sort of person this week: A young woman who spends some of her time protecting donkeys. Literally, she, along with her husband, protects donkeys.
The last time I heard about someone protecting donkeys was when I lived in Palestine and I was told about an organization that had been established to rescue donkeys from maltreatment in the Palestinian territories. At the time, I wondered how it was possible that these people did not see a moral contradiction in choosing donkeys over the several million Palestinians that were living under a brutal military occupation that their government imposed next door.
An exchange that the author of The Empty Ark, Philip Kingsland Crowe, had with the then president of Somalia, Aden Abdullah Osman, provides us with a similar context. Crowe writes: “I was particularly interested in getting some protection for the wild ass and the president, after listening gravely to my plea, said in effect: ‘My country is under attack by the Ethiopians, my people are largely illiterate, my treasury is nearly empty and you ask me about the wild ass’.”
But Tunisia is not a pariah state bent on destroying an entire nation. So, this time around, I really just wanted to laugh, largely because it’s quite an odd thing to do in any country really. But also because donkeys are, well, donkeys. Do they really need saving?
Yes, according to Sanda Barboura and her husband Adib Samoud, donkeys in Tunisia are under threat, along with a certain type of dog called the Sloughi that was used by Bedouins in the olden days to hunt small animals. These once useful animals have been replaced by industry and technology, prompting owners to either abandon or kill them in order to rid themselves of the financial burden. The issue is not simply that these animals are endangered but that they are an important part of the country’s ecosystem.
Dr. Samoud, a veterinarian by trade, founded Club Mediterranean Flora and Fauna (CFFM) in 2010 to raise awareness about Tunisia’s delicate yet highly diverse natural environment. In collaboration with local partners, artists, veterinarians and related drug companies, CFFM has managed to make its mission known in many cities and towns near the coast, as well as in parts of the Sahara, where it organizes actions, such as planting trees, vaccinating and caring for animals, and organizing workshops for children.
Adib and Sanda also happen to be running for seats in the upcoming constituent assembly election. Winning just one seat may give their cause the boost it needs to achieve recognition on a larger scale.
As the only organization of its kind in Tunisia, Club Mediterranean Flora and Fauna is a much needed reminder in a country in which agriculture stands for over 11 percent of the GDP, and serves 18 percent of the labor force, that a better environment will lead to sustainability, efficiency, and longevity for the land, and for the people who work it.
You can find out more about Club Mediterranean Flora and Fauna here.
In the midst of all this election business in Tunisia, though riveting, I happened to meet an entirely different sort of person this week: A young woman who spends some of her time protecting donkeys. Literally, she, along with her husband, protects donkeys.
The last time I heard about someone protecting donkeys was when I lived in Palestine and I was told about an organization that had been established to rescue donkeys from maltreatment in the Palestinian territories. At the time, I wondered how it was possible that these people did not see a moral contradiction in choosing donkeys over the several million Palestinians that were living under a brutal military occupation that their government imposed next door.
An exchange that the author of The Empty Ark, Philip Kingsland Crowe, had with the then president of Somalia, Aden Abdullah Osman, provides us with a similar context. Crowe writes: “I was particularly interested in getting some protection for the wild ass and the president, after listening gravely to my plea, said in effect: ‘My country is under attack by the Ethiopians, my people are largely illiterate, my treasury is nearly empty and you ask me about the wild ass’.”
But Tunisia is not a pariah state bent on destroying an entire nation. So, this time around, I really just wanted to laugh, largely because it’s quite an odd thing to do in any country really. But also because donkeys are, well, donkeys. Do they really need saving?
Yes, according to Sanda Barboura and her husband Adib Samoud, donkeys in Tunisia are under threat, along with a certain type of dog called the Sloughi that was used by Bedouins in the olden days to hunt small animals. These once useful animals have been replaced by industry and technology, prompting owners to either abandon or kill them in order to rid themselves of the financial burden. The issue is not simply that these animals are endangered but that they are an important part of the country’s ecosystem.
Dr. Samoud, a veterinarian by trade, founded Club Mediterranean Flora and Fauna (CFFM) in 2010 to raise awareness about Tunisia’s delicate yet highly diverse natural environment. In collaboration with local partners, artists, veterinarians and related drug companies, CFFM has managed to make its mission known in many cities and towns near the coast, as well as in parts of the Sahara, where it organizes actions, such as planting trees, vaccinating and caring for animals, and organizing workshops for children.
Adib and Sanda also happen to be running for seats in the upcoming constituent assembly election. Winning just one seat may give their cause the boost it needs to achieve recognition on a larger scale.
As the only organization of its kind in Tunisia, Club Mediterranean Flora and Fauna is a much needed reminder in a country in which agriculture stands for over 11 percent of the GDP, and serves 18 percent of the labor force, that a better environment will lead to sustainability, efficiency, and longevity for the land, and for the people who work it.
You may find out more about Club Mediterranean Flora and Fauna here.
