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Sunday, December 17, 2006

Gender Issues in Donkey Use




From my friend Jon:

'CALL FOR PAPERS

The second biennial Hydra Donkey Conference:

THE ROLE OF THE DONKEY AND THE MULE IN
THE CULTURE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN

A Weekend Conference to be held on the Island of Hydra, near
Athens, Friday 13th October - Sunday 15th October 2007

In October 2007 the Free University of Hydra, in collaboration with
the School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki,
and the Mayor and Municipality of Hydra, is organising an
international conference which will examine, document and celebrate the role of
donkey (and also the mule) in the culture of the countries bordering the
Mediterranean basin.

The island of Hydra has a special place in Europe as a developed
economy where a large percentage of personal transport and
transportation of goods is done by mule and donkey. There are no cars. We are proud
of our mule and donkey culture.

The conference will examine every aspect of donkey and mule culture,
ranging from the economics of rearing and maintaining livestock, to
the shaping of the Mediterranean landscape, and taking in literature and
philosophy en route. Issues such as the working conditions of
animals, gender issues in donkey use, donkeys in leisure activities etc will
be addressed.

The themes of our first conference in 2004 included: donkeys in
ancient history; the donkey in religious representation; a Charter for the
Working Donkey; the tales of Nasreddin Hoja; saddle-making,
ornamentation and harnesses of mules and donkeys; the languages of donkeys and
donkey-drivers; women and their donkeys; donkeys and song; culinary
considerations of donkeys; the donkey goes to war; and mules and
donkeys as an environmentally sustainable transport option.'