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Paper short abstract:

Today, the representation of local communities by international NGOs is a matter of concern, as a basis of legitimacy of wildlife conservation initiatives. This paper examines the details and outcomes of “the Maasai Olympics,” and consider the potential of local people’s reactive attitude.

Paper long abstract:

After the paradigm shift from fortress conservation to community-based conservation (CBC) in the 1990s, the dominant conservation approach has become more neoliberal. Today, international NGOs in collaboration with entrepreneurs and celebrities take an initiative of wildlife conservation in Africa, and the governance and representation of local communities by them is a matter of concern as a basis of legitimation. However, the relationships between local agencies and external initiatives regarding that legitimation have so far not been well studied. This paper examines the details and outcomes of "the Maasai Olympics," a recently initiated CBC programme in southern Kenya. It is an athletic competition for Maasai warriors, intended to provide an alternative to their lion hunting tradition. The Maasai Olympics is said to be "an innovative conservation strategy," and gain applause and secure global support. On the one hand, this event is similar to other CBC projects in many respects, but on the other hand, it is different in that it mentions an unpleasant local custom and tries to change it. Maasai warriors pretend that they are traditional animal lovers and that they approve of the idea of the Maasai Olympics. They did so, because they understood that if they embodied the ideals of outside donors, there was a greater possibility of receiving external aid. Their attitude legitimates the Maasai Olympics and contributes to its success, but at the same time, it results in the reinforcement of outsiders' stereotypical views and values, leaving the local people's biggest problem unpublicized and unsolved.