Nomadic Civilizations
At the initiative of Unesco and with the support of its Director General, Mr Federico Mayor, the International Institute for the Study of Nomadic Civilizations (IISNC) was established by an agreement concluded on 16 September 1998, between the governments of Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan, Mongolia, and Turkey.
By J. TSOLMON
For thousands of years nomads have inhabited vast expanses of the world. Nomadic societies have devised forms of culture that have been particularly suited to their environment and conditions of mobility, as well as to the demands and possibilities of their way of life. They have made an undeniable contribution to the development of different techniques for manipulating land and sea for their use, creating original and sometimes unique civilizations. Today, in numerous regions of the world, nomadic populations are faced with crucial challenges to their current existence, future viability, and especially to their cultural identity. Many are suffering from the decline of their traditional social structures and poverty from marginalization.The idea for an international institute to study nomadic civilizations had germinated during the Nomad expedition in Mongolia that Unesco organized in 1992 as part of the Silk Roads Project. Unesco confirmed the recommendation in 1993. It was strongly felt that the right time had arrived for the international community to make a significant effort to deal with these matters in accordance with the possibilities and requirements of contemporary academic and scientific research; therefore, with assistance from Unesco, the Institute came into being.
The first General Assembly was held in Ulaanbaatar on 16-17 September, 1998. The representative of Turkey was elected President of the General Assembly, Prof. Jacques Legrand from France was elected Chairman of the Academic Council, and Prof. B. Enkhtuvshin from Mongolia was elected Director of IISNC. The second session of the Academic Council and General Assembly of the IISNC were held on 16-17 December of 1999, in Ulaanbaatar. Prof. B. Enkhtuvshin presented a report on the activities of the IISNC during the period of October 1998 to December 1999. During the second Academic Council meeting, Prof. Ihsam Sezal from Turkey was elected Deputy Director of the IISNC. Both the Academic Council and General Assembly meetings gave rise to very fruitful discussions among the members and were seen to be very successful, as evident in the excellent resolutions that were approved and in the adoption of a good Programme of Activities for 2000-2001.
The International Symposium on Nomads and the Use of Pastures Today took place on 13-14 December 1999 in Ulaanbaatar. Over two-hundred local and foreign scholars participated in this symposium, and of the ninety papers presented during the symposium, 28 were from eleven different countries, certainly a sign of the excellent organization of this event.
The International Symposium on Nomads and Use of Pastures Today was divided into two separate themes, namely: 'Nomadic Life and Civilizations' and 'Tradition and Modernization'. In the first thematic session of the Symposium, forty papers were presented that discussed nomadic ways of life and traditions, historical heritage, civilization, and many other important issues concerning the different types of nomads which exist in the world. For example, the president of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, B. Chadraa, presented a very interesting paper entitled 'Model of the Mongolian Herder's Family in the 21st century', and Professor Juha Janhunen from Finland spoke on 'Problems of Nomadic Languages'.
Thirty-nine papers were presented in the second thematic session in which crucial problems were discussed on a number of issues, including: pasture; tolls of animal husbandry; methodological aspects of improving pasture feed; effects of climatic changes on animal productivity; suitable ecological land for the pastoral animal; ecological assessment of natural pasture; as well as methods for sustainable development of the pastoral livestock. The International Symposium provided a multidisciplinary forum for the discussion of some the most urgent questions pertaining to Nomads regarding lifestyle. It aimed to promote understanding and appreciation of links between the past, present and future, while preserving and conserving the unique tangible and intangible cultural heritage, use of pastures, and management as we face the edge of the 21st century. *
J. Tsolmon is Co-ordinator of the IISNC.
E-mail: nomcivts@magicnet.mn